siem reap malaria?
 

We'll be going to Siem Reap in December. Is there any concern about malaria?

Malaria is present in Siem Reap (or was a year ago) so it would be a good idea to check with your doctor, health plan, or best of all, a travel specialist. We took Malarone on our last trip and found virtually no side effects.

jodo -

Check http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

for details of what is recommended for Cambodia. There will be a listing of meds required, but be aware that Lariam is no longer effective in most area of SEAsia, and Malarone or doxycyline (generic) are recommended.

Check with your own physician or better a tropical medicine doctor, for the best recommendations for you.

There is lots of info on these boards about the various malaria prophylactics and a "search" will bring them up for your review.

We used Malarone last year with no side effects, but you still have to remember repellent with deet on any exposed skin during hours between dusk and dawn; and if you normally attract mosquitos any other time during the day.

I was surprised to hear there is malaria in Siem Reap. (We are just going for two nights to tour Angkor Wat...staying either at the Sofeteil or Raffles.. ) How much of a risk is it under those conditions. I am allergic to meds, typically...have taken docycline when I was up in Northern Thailand trekking a few years ago...but was hoping I could avoid that on this trip.

Last year I went to Cambodia in November as part of a smarTours extension. When we stayed in Siem Reap our hotel room was sprayed and I slept under mosquito nets. It was extremely hot and humid. Perhaps I was extremely naive or stupid because when the tour company and my doctor told me no innoculations were necessary I heeded their advice, I guess I was just lucky. This year I have already filled the RX for Malarone and will take it with me. I haven't made up my mind yeat whether I will take it or not. Perhaps I shouldn't press my luck. When I read the contraindications on the package I feel leery. The hotel I stayed in in Siem Reap was the Pan Sea

JudySue, please be sure you understand the directions for taking Malarone. You must start taking it prior to going into the infected area. You cannot decide at the last minute whether you will take it or not.

JodySue - try reading the contraindications for "aspirin", you'd never put another in your mouth. Malarone contraindications are not unusual for most meds these days. But your physician is best to advise you.

However, as Marilyn mentions, you can't decide to take Malarone on the plane to Siem Reap, it has to be started at least 2-days prior entering the infected area.

There are no guarantees with any malaria meds that you won't get a bite, and that you won't get malaria - with the meds you will likely have less toxic malaria. Also, you might not get symptoms of malaria for months and even years after you've been bitten. Malaria has been known to incubate up to three years.

Also remember that after you've taken any malaria meds, you "cannot donate blood".

While your room might be sprayed, and you sleep under netting, just walking thru the lobby of the hotel, or eating at the outside restaurant, or walking thru town, is all you need. Remember, mosquito biting time is from dusk to dawn.

I'd rather be safer than sorrier!

Personally, I am a mosquito magnet, so I don't feel I have any choice. If there are mozzies around, I <i>will</i>get bit.

would you have sex in bangkok without taking ultimate precautions??? don't go to cambodia without taking your initial dose of malarone!!!! simple facts...

Well I would have sex in Bangkok without precautions, but only with my husband. :-D

marilyn...you used to be so much fun...those mosquitos must be getting to you...see you in patpong??

bob

Unfortunately, we'll have to rethink going to Angkor Wat...I'm allergic to the meds, and so is my husband. We visited the Hilltribe region in Chaing Mai last time we were in Thailand---were trying to find another interesting site to explore. Any other ideas which don't involve taking meds? Thanks. (We have a total of 15 days in country...trying to mix it up. Ankor wat was going to be our &quot;out of the box&quot; portion.
We are all so lucky to be able to access this chat line. It has been so helpful for all our trips and adventures. I must remember to check in and help the next person along.

I am going to show this thread to the organizer of our college trip -- we are not being told to get anything for Siem Reap in December. I think I probably will unless my doctor sees a contraindication for Malarone.

jodo, I will tell you another side of the story. We have close friends who lived in Malaysia for 3 years and traveled extensively through SE Asia. 2 of our trips to Angkor have been with them. They made the decision NOT to take anti-malarial drugs. They felt they had taken so much of them previously they just didn't want to take any more. They brought DEET spray bug repellant with them and were extremely careful, but they were willing to take the risk.

Ultimately, it comes down to you deciding if it is worth the risk. Maybe you could research some more statistics on malaria in Siem Reap? Angkor truly is one of the wonders of the world and it seems a shame to miss it.

I have travelled to Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, and rural China and I never once took anti-malaria medication. I am one of those people who get diarrhea and nausea from medication. If you sleep in an airconditioned room, with screens on the windows, I doubt you will have any trouble. Malaria mosquitos almost always come only after sunset, and you MUST be bitten by a malaria mosquito, not just any mosquito. An Indian doctor in Benares told me that he thought Americans who stay in 5-star hotels were &quot;ridiculous&quot; for taking malaria medication. He said that poor people who sleep in the open without mosquito netting are the ones who come down with malaria. He himself, who was 47, never took anti-malaria drugs and never came down with the disease. I think you are just as likely to get West Nile virus in the States as you are to get malaria for your couple days in Siem Riep. Take the medication if it makes you feel &quot;safe.&quot; But, I wouldn't worry about it.

Marilyn,
I was wondering about the donating blood and was going to check on it before taking the malarone. This coming Thursday I am running a blood drive and intend to donate myself. I took my Hep A shot last week. Will this influence donating blood?
Judy

Whoa, Judy, I don't have a clue! Check with the place you got the shot, or with your doctor or health plan.

Hep A is no problem as to blood donation.

That said, on the application form for blood donating is a question &quot;have you been out of the country?&quot; &quot;where&quot; - if Africa or Asia or India - they ask if you took any malaria phrophylactics. If you answer in the positive,, they dont want to see you again for donations for at least a year. These meds have a long residual in the body and the Blood Bank wants to be cetain it is completely out of your system and that you don't come down with the desease.

If only for your own piece of mind - would you need blood I'm sure you would want to know it doesn't have anything in it that could be dangerous. Remember what happened with blood donations before they started testing for HIV? You've got to be honest in your response to these questions.

I too am called to donate regularly and the one time I went after a trip to Africa, I learned that I couldn't donate because of the malaria meds. Unfortunately, since I was taking meds for the next few years, it wasn't until I had a break for 2-yrs before I could donate again.

It isn't whether you've taken an anti-malarial that determines whether you can donate blood - it's whether you have traveled to a malarial-risk area that determines whether you can donate blood.

So protect yourself and talk with a tropical medicine or travel medicine doctor before making your decision. Malarone is the anti-malarial with the fewest side effects, and it is effective everywhere. No matter what your decision in consultation with your doctor is, you will always want to protect yourself against mosquito bites, as mosquitos can carry more than malaria. The mosquitos that carry dengue fever bite during the day, so you want to protect yourself all of the time.

Do read the information at www.cdc.gov/travel on malaria and on travel immunizations. Print out the info and take it with you to see the travel medicine doctor so you can ask all the questions you need to ask.

And the debate goes on.....I have been told that Dengue Fever is only prevalent in September, after the Monsoon season. Does anyone know if this is true or not????????

Kathie, you are a font of knowledge and a big help on this board. But, it is bad enough that poor jodo is terrified of malaria without bringing Dengue Fever into the picture. My Buddha, I can just see jodo walking around Ta Prohm in a plastic bubble with ventilator attached :)