Does anyone reccommend pills before going. CDC says not needed for Vietnam and Thailand in big cities, but should take if visiting Angor Wat in Cambodia. Do we risk 2 days in Siem Reap just using DEET and long sleeves?? Any thoughts, or do we just follow CDC

i would not, it only takes one bite....

Travel medicine specialist familiar with Southeast Asia...consult one in person. Don't trust strangers on an internet travel board with your health. Only you and your doctor can review your health situation and evaluate the risks for you.

Seriously, why would anyone trust their health to strangers on a bulletin board? The previous two posters are spot on with their advice.
I forgot to take my medication for a couple of days whilst in Vietnam and in that short space of time contracted Malaria and spent about 10 days in hospital. Trust me, Malaria is no fun and it is still the biggest killer in the developing world.

I took the chance and got malaria. Twice! It can happen and is an experience I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

The cdc recommendations are the ones the docs refer to (as well as outbreak data). So do your research first, then visit a travel med or tropical med doc. Often, the best clinics for this are affiliated with a medical school.

MalAria.

Don't think there's been a tourist catching malaria around the angkor complex in the last few years. Thought about malarone myself when I went in 2004 and glad that I didn't do it. When you see the hundreds of package tourists showing up for the Bakheng sunsets or noon Bayon treks, you'll see that it's not something worth losing sleep over. Deet is highly recommended though, get one over 50% Deet, read the packaging as some brands are more effective, more deet content the better.

waruilewi
"Don't think there's been a tourist catching malaria around the angkor complex in the last few years."
Really?
How could you possibly know that!

I have several quibbles with your post, waruilewi. Like crellston, I suspect that your knowledge of the number of cases of malaria among visitors is not as accurate as the WHO's count of malaria cases in the area. The cdc uses WHO's data to recommend whether to use anti-malarials. Also, your advice to get a repellant containing more than 50% deet is not sound advice. Repellants with 25-50% deet offer the best balance of lasting protection with reduced chances of skin reactions. There are 100% deet products marketed, but they should not be applied to the skin.

well crellston, you can either get the stats from the well stablished childrens hospital in downtown SR, or ask an expat like Gordon from talesofasia, or stay in the bush for 3 weeks like I did in SR PP and Sihanoukville in 2004. Or you can follow the official CDC recommendations, take your pick. Would you find the $$ and patience to do Malarone if you were only spending 2 days in the Vegas of Cambodia? If you have an original opinion let's hear it.

i hear a good battle coming on

addendum: I do admit that my information is a few years old and didn't mean for my assumptions re: malaria conditions to be valid now in 2007. As for spraying 100% deet on your skin, I've made that mistake too before but normally you spray that on your clothes, not on you. Thanks for clarifying that Kathie. Peace out.

As I do not know the "well known childrens hospital in downtown SR" or "Gordon from Tales of Asia" or indeed you, I couldn't possibly comment on the accuracy or otherwise of their statistics and I suspect neither could anyone else.
I do not pretend to be a medical expert so I would always prefer to take the advice of those that are professionally qualified rather than of well meaning but unqualified people that I do not know.
As for the records of Malaria, with so many tourists in Cambodia for such short periods, how can such developing country possibly keep accurate records when many tourist will not show symptoms until after they have left the country.

Finally, as for original opinions, I feel mine are somewhat different to yours, however, this does not make them any less valid. I would still urge anyone travelling to a potentially Malarial region to seek expert advice