thailand and maleria risk
 

Hi, we are travelling to thailand in the next month and are debating whether to take maleria propholaxis or not. we will be staying 30 mins out of chang-mai, and will be visiting Phi-Phi Island. Our travel group consists of 4 adults and 4 children under 10years. All info we can find says don't worry about maleria if staying in large cities, soam not sure if 30mins into hillside of chiang-mai counts. does anyone have any experience with this in their travels? Thanks.

I have travelled all over Thailand (though there are still places I want to see!) and have never taken any. Maybe I should have done in the far south - but I came out unscathed.

I think for the places you are going it is unnecessary.

i don't believe either of those areas is a malaria risk area.....check the cdc site for sure or ask a travel doc...

Start by reviewing all of the information on the cdc website on malaria and on recommended vaccines for you and your children. www.cdc.gov/travel

Then, you'll be armed with the appropriate questions to ask when you visit a travel medicine doc or clinic.

Also, be aware of what it means to be a malarial-risk area. It means the risk is sufficient (measured in numbers of cases per 1000 people) to recommend that visitors take anti-malarials. Even places that are low risk do have some malaria-carrying mosquitoes. So no matter where you go, be conscientious about applying repellant. The areas of Thailand that have the greatest risk of malaria are the border areas with Burma, Laos and Cambodia. So when you say 30 minutes out of CM, exactly where will you be? Most of the areas near CM are low risk.

Do make sure that you and the kids use a deet-containg repellant (25-50%). Remember that the species of mosquitoes that carries malaria is moost active at dawn and dusk and during teh night, so you can reduce your risk by sleeping in an air-conditioned room or using bed-nets if it isn't ac. The mosquitoes that carry dengue are most active during the day.

Asking for others' experience in traveling to these areas really gives you no info on whether these are malarial risk areas or not.

hi, i suggest you dont need maleria propholaxis. In fact it is very difficult to pick up maleria in Thailand. My friends were there for 2 weeks and they told me that in fact maleria propholaxis should take people who are going to live there for a long time.

The comments from rhkkmk and Kathie
that you should to seek professional advice is excellent advice. The fact that other posters (or their friends!!)have visited Thailand, for a couple of weeks, have not taken the meds and not contracted malaria is irrelevant. It only takes one bite to contract malaria!