Silver Wind 3 Feb ex Capetown - Advise on Malaria Tablets

[cruiseryder]

As the ship visits Maputo and Richards Bay, should we take Malaria tablets. There seems to be lots of conflicting info and I wondered if anyone who has done this route could offer ideas.

[duct tape]

If you are just going to stay in the ports, no problem. When we do overnights and/or safaris in the bush out of Richards Bay, we always take Malarone. Better safe than sorry!

[MCCooch]

DuctTape, we are on that cruise also. Is Malarone a doctor prescibed medication. I am assuming it is but I never heard of it before. Thanks for the heads up! I agree, better safe than sorry.

[cruiseryder]

Thanks for your thoughts. After thinking through the excursions our feeling is to be safe rather than sorry. We can buy Malarone over the counter here in UK.

Really looking forward to the cruise, first time with SS.

[jpalbny]

DuctTape, we are on that cruise also. Is Malarone a doctor prescibed medication. I am assuming it is but I never heard of it before. Thanks for the heads up! I agree, better safe than sorry.

 

In the US it's a prescription drug. It's about $10 a pill retail and you have to start it a few days before entering the endemic area, and continue for a week after you've left. Still, it's cheaper than trip insurance!

[duct tape]

McCooch, I've got you on the list! Yes, it is an rx drug but any doc can prescribe it. jpalbany is correct. It is taken 3 days before the exposure area and 7 days after. There are also travel medicine companies that are very comprehensive, if you would like lots of health info on the places you are going. i.e. Passport Health. See you then.

[MCCooch]

DuctTape & JP, Thanks for the input. I guess we should put this on our ToDo list.

 

DuctTape, looking forward to meeting up with you in Feb.

Regards

[duct tape]

See 'ya!

[swindy]

I am torn between Pumba, where we wouldn't need to take anti malarial medication or Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve where we would probably need to do so. I have seen it listed as a low risk area? Any advice?

[brimary]

I am torn between Pumba, where we wouldn't need to take anti malarial medication or Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve where we would probably need to do so. I have seen it listed as a low risk area? Any advice?

We saw more of the major animals in Hluhluwe than we did in the Kruger on our last visit in 2009.We did not fancy the side effects of anti malaria medication and were advised to shower using a lemon scented soap and it worked fine for us.Enjoy your trip.

[jpalbny]

We saw more of the major animals in Hluhluwe than we did in the Kruger on our last visit in 2009.We did not fancy the side effects of anti malaria medication and were advised to shower using a lemon scented soap and it worked fine for us.Enjoy your trip.

 

The only side effect we got from Malarone was lighter wallets. Think it's by far the best of the 3 drugs, but your experience may vary. The best part about Malarone is that it's absorbed best if you take it with a fatty meal - what could be better? :)

 

Personally, I was NOT interested in chancing the side effects of Lariam (I am crazy enough without meds), and I don't think that doxycycline is very good when you're going to the tropics... Gee - off to sunny climates, first thing I want to do is take a drug that sensitizes you to the sun!

[patnlcc]

PLEASE, PLEASE take anti-malaria medication if you are going on safari, no matter how short. On the Wind in March 2011, a lady passenger died - she had contracted malaria while on safari pre-cruise and had not taken any anti-malaria medication. It can be devastating as quickly as that.

[jdhmeh]

I'm on the Capetown to Capetown on Jan 14. Could someone give more information about the malaria death in March of 2011? Is that really true? Surely one just doesn't contract malaria and die within days? I know how serious it is, but I did not know it was immediately life threatening. This information does change my decision about taking malarone. Thanks.

[jpalbny]

Surely one just doesn't contract malaria and die within days? I know how serious it is, but I did not know it was immediately life threatening.

 

No information on the March 2011 incident; we must have been on the cruise before this happened - we were there 2/20 - 3/2. What a terrible thing to hear, though.

 

The average incubation period for the most common form of malaria in South Africa is 2 weeks but it can be faster or slower.

 

And yes, it absolutely can be rapidly fatal. Though most malaria is uncomplicated in otherwise healthy individuals, there are a couple of particularly nasty complications that make prophylaxis very palatable in comparison...

 

Please enjoy South Africa - it's beautiful. It's a "low risk" country for malaria, and the disease is limited to the northeastern provinces (Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and NE KwaZulu-Natal). We spent time in the endemic regions and saw few if any mosquitos, but we were there in the dry season. Just take some Malarone if you go to the endemic regions; then relax and have a great time!

[patnlcc]

Yes, it's true, I don't want to go into any details as the lady's family may read these posts, just please take the tablets even if you are going on the shortest safari.

[Daniel19]

The only side effect we got from Malarone was lighter wallets. Think it's by far the best of the 3 drugs, but your experience may vary. The best part about Malarone is that it's absorbed best if you take it with a fatty meal - what could be better? :)

 

Personally, I was NOT interested in chancing the side effects of Lariam (I am crazy enough without meds), and I don't think that doxycycline is very good when you're going to the tropics... Gee - off to sunny climates, first thing I want to do is take a drug that sensitizes you to the sun!

I agree it is not cheap, but I understand it is the best. We have taken Malarone on two occasions without any side effects at all. It is a no brainer, if you are going to any area where malaria may be a problem, take it. it is not worth taking a risk.

[christraveller]

Here is my input as an avid traveler, and as a physician.

My approach to these issues is to see my family physician, and working with her or him and perhaps the specialty travel medicine clinic, I've never gone wrong. My personal opinion is that if we are shelling out $4,000 a week for a truly fabulous cruise, we are poorly advised to seek health advice online.

 

Here is why.

 

You may want to read up on the disease at this US government health service website, a first rate resource for all things related to communicable diseases. (They also do the on-site ship inspections for hygiene, it should be noted.)

 

http://www.cdc.gov/MALARIA/

 

 

Malaria can indeed be quickly fatal, but I've also seen patients desperately ill from antimalarial medication. The choice of the medication can be difficult. None is perfect, and a "decent" medication choice for an individual will not give 100% protection, so choice of clothing, mosquito nets, and common sense needs to be added to the pill-taking. Plus, there is variation worldwide as to what medications suppress the parasites. It is not the same everywhere.

 

A careful risk assessment will also look at other preventable infectious and tropical diseases. The story is, unfortunately, not just about malaria. Beyond that, having access to even the simplest of updates of measles/mumps/rubella and diphtheria/tetanus immunizations is truly part of comprehensive medical care, which I'd be shocked if my fellow Silversea cruisers don't have access to. Well before my Silversea days, in medical school, I saw someone die from tetanus here in the First World. A hobby gardener who got the infection from looking after her roses.

 

Do-it-yourself medicine can wind up costing dearly. I would strongly suggest individualised advice based on an individual risk assessment by a careful and well-informed physician. If you owe yourself a superb cruise, then you owe yourself good care!

[beita123]

Dear fellow travellers. Being from El Salvador, C.A I am aware of people from my country contracting malaria resistant Falciparium < sorry if I spelled it wrong) . Malaria is endemic in our country and almost nobody hears it nowdays. A friend of mine went to Africa on a cruise ship and spend 10 days in the ICU here at home do to an agressive strain of the Malaria Bug. Dont take risks that is, unless you have siclkle cell anemia....in which you are resistant to the bug.

[All aboard??]

I came accorss this thread while doing reserach on Silversea for a possible cruise in June.

 

Being (1) South African and having lived in (2) Angola for the last two years I think I should share some experienced knowledge.

 

1) Richards Bay is not a Maleria Area, in fact South Africa as a whole is regarded as a maleria free zone.

 

2) Angola (which is on the west coast of Africa) is a maleria area and I have never taken any form of anti-maleria medication becuase of the various below reasons:

 

It is very harmful to your liver if taken over a long period of time;

The side effects are not worth the prevention;

The medication can "hide" maleria resulting in it becoming serious;

Treatment takes the form of adminsitering the preventative medication.

 

What we do here in Angola is we drink lots of Gin and Tonic :D we keep our airconditioners on or sleep with mosquito nets, wear lots of mosquito repelent (don't go cheap on this), cover up ankles and legs (the mosquito that carries maleria only flies to a maximum height of 1m and most importantly......IF YOU FEEL FLU SYMPTONS GO TO THE DOCTOR AND GET TESTED. Maleria if caught early enough (i.e. at the onset of symptons) is easily treated with oral medication and not even a need for hospitalisation.

 

Further, be advised that mosquitos only come out at night.