Anti-malarials Labadee.

[markeb]

The CDC lists several medications. I believe we (me' date=' wife, DD) took Mefloquine. We had no problems at all.

 

A little surprising they'd use Mefloquine. It's a weekly, but you've got to take it for about 6 weeks to be effective (two weeks before travel and four weeks after leaving the area). It's also associated with some pretty nasty side effects. It looks like Atovaquone-proguanil is becoming much more common, especially for short trips; it's a daily med, but you can start it a day or two before travel and only need to take it for a week after leaving the area.

 

I'm going to confess (as I originally stated) that I'd be much more concerned about Zika, Dengue, or Chikungunya for a daytime stop at Labadee than I would be for malaria, and insect repellent properly used should dramatically reduce your risk of any of them.

[Cruisin'4Us]

markeb, the Mefloquine schedule looks right. I recall setting cell phone reminders.

[wendychloecruiser]

Lariam (mefloquine) has some serious and not particularly uncommon side effects....not something to take when the risk is so small.

[Lionesss]

This thread is very interesting to me.

 

So, after that earthquake in Haiti, I consulted the infectious disease doctor at the hospital where work.

 

When I spoke to him I told him the previous 4 times I went to labadee I did not take any malaria medicine, should I now.

 

He said and I quote......... There is no need to take any medicines if you are in the private resort area.....

There is no contact with the locals affected by this travesty.

You will most likely be eating and drinking food and water transported off the ship.

The only thing I recommend is being current with your tetanus vaccine, just in case you suffer a bad cut or injury.

 

And by the way if you go to the world health organization web page, it does not list action be taken for Malaria, and I am waiting for any new post on the Zika virus and effects.

 

 

 

Ok.

 

Tetanus vaccine check

 

Safe travels.

[wendychloecruiser]

This thread is very interesting to me.

 

So, after that earthquake in Haiti, I consulted the infectious disease doctor at the hospital where work.

 

When I spoke to him I told him the previous 4 times I went to labadee I did not take any malaria medicine, should I now.

 

He said and I quote......... There is no need to take any medicines if you are in the private resort area.....

There is no contact with the locals affected by this travesty.

You will most likely be eating and drinking food and water transported off the ship.

The only thing I recommend is being current with your tetanus vaccine, just in case you suffer a bad cut or injury.

 

And by the way if you go to the world health organization web page, it does not list action be taken for Malaria, and I am waiting for any new post on the Zika virus and effects.

 

 

 

Ok.

 

Tetanus vaccine check

 

Safe travels.

 

I believe you may be confusing Hep C with Malaria. Malaria is blood borne from a previously infected Anopheles Mosquito. You cannot "catch it" from the locals nor from food. (Malaria is not sexually transmitted either...though it has been known to be transmitted via blood transfusion, organ transplants and intrapartum).

[Lionesss]

Wendy

 

No i guess you can say I was speaking jumbled......

 

Talking about safe food, vs. me forgetting to mention being bitten by a mosquito, carrying the disease.

 

I was just making a point about safe food, and looking back I see how my post was contradictory.

 

Thanks for clarifying it for me....I do appreciate it.

 

Next time I wont type so fast and finish my thoughts.

 

And once again I sincerely thank you.

[wendychloecruiser]

No problem.

 

I got a little concerned/confused with the advice of that ID doc based on how I interpreted your post! :confused:

[PCWalton1]

Antimalarial medications do not prevent infection with the malaria parasite, rather, they suppress the symptoms of the infection by killing the parasites either in the liver or as they leave the liver and enter the bloodstream.

 

What will prevent malaria is avoid the carriers.

[JasonTehGreat]

I am immunocompromised due to a medication I take for Crohn's Disease/IBD Arthritis and I had to take the anti-malarial drugs for a total of 15 days due to our stop at Labadee.

 

Don't trust tour life to people I here who have no medical training but freely give medical advice on here.

 

Ask your physician.

 

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[rodenboy]

UK NHS advice is you don't usually need unless staying overnight.

 

 

I'm a UK cruiser and my doctor recommended us take Chloroquine even though the risk is very low.

 

 

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[wendychloecruiser]

I am immunocompromised due to a medication I take for Crohn's Disease/IBD Arthritis and I had to take the anti-malarial drugs for a total of 15 days due to our stop at Labadee.

 

Don't trust tour life to people I here who have no medical training but freely give medical advice on here.

 

Ask your physician.

 

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You are absolutely correct to recommend people seeing their primary care physician for accurate information related specifically for them.

 

You may not have a medical background (although with your condition you sincerely know much more than many physicians) but there many on CC that do and are able to have a casual discussion on a given topic.

[trev71]

Been there three times and this is the first ive heard about it

[BND]

I believe you may be confusing Hep C with Malaria. Malaria is blood borne from a previously infected Anopheles Mosquito. You cannot "catch it" from the locals nor from food. (Malaria is not sexually transmitted either...though it has been known to be transmitted via blood transfusion, organ transplants and intrapartum).

 

Actually, the issue after the earthquake was cholera which is transmitted mainly through water and food, neither which was an issue for cruisers as all food and drinks are brought off the ship and nothing local is available on Labadee. There have been multiple outbreaks in Haiti, but right after the earthquake it was a major issue.

 

I have never seen any warning about Hep C for travelers to Haiti, just cholera and more recently zika for the entire Caribbean..

[grapau27]

I am glad this is RC own part of the island so food and drink brought from ship should be okay.After being to cococay we were thinking about here but as mossys seem to love me I think might give it a miss

 

love sailing with RCCL

[*Fudge*]

I rang the National Pharmacuetical Association in UK (they advise on malaria prophylaxis and other injections needed when travelling from UK). When it comes to cruises they advised that we should take normal precautions when visiting places; drink bottled water, no ice etc, wash hands, use deet (if app to you) sprays. Use common sense really.

[JasonTehGreat]

You are absolutely correct to recommend people seeing their primary care physician for accurate information related specifically for them.

 

You may not have a medical background (although with your condition you sincerely know much more than many physicians) but there many on CC that do and are able to have a casual discussion on a given topic.

The problem is: These casual conversations where people with medical backgrounds are giving advice don't include a physical exam, medical history review, medication review, etc... So even if one of these commenters were an Infectious Disease specialist they could not give a proper reccomendation. Even further, if they were to have a patient come in to their clinic and dispensed advice without that data and those evaluations they'd be subject to disciplinary action by their state Medical Board.

 

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[JasonTehGreat]

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website does specifically mention Port Labadee in the Malaria risk warning.

 

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[markeb]

The problem is: These casual conversations where people with medical backgrounds are giving advice don't include a physical exam, medical history review, medication review, etc... So even if one of these commenters were an Infectious Disease specialist they could not give a proper reccomendation. Even further, if they were to have a patient come in to their clinic and dispensed advice without that data and those evaluations they'd be subject to disciplinary action by their state Medical Board.

 

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I'm usually extremely careful on a thread like this to not dispense medical advice because 1) although I do have a medical degree, I'm not a physician (humans being the only species on the planet I can't practice on), 2) I do not have a provider-patient relationship with anyone on the board, and 3) it's just bad medicine on both ends to give or take medical advice on an internet forum. I know my first comment was to see their physician (although their screen name makes me wonder if they are one?), but I may not have been as careful on later posts.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website does specifically mention Port Labadee in the Malaria risk warning.

 

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The CDC is actually a little odd here. Although they quote a moderate risk for all of Haiti, one of their footnotes is that the malaria risk is based at least in part on malaria incidence in US military in country for extended periods and may overestimate the risk for travelers. Yet another reason to have a good conversation with a physician specializing in travel medicine! And to remember there are other mosquitoes on Labadee that do bite during the day, so with or without an antimalarial based on your personal risk, mosquito repellants are all but essential!

[JasonTehGreat]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was referring specifically to you.

 

I was just trying to say in a general sense that this is not the place to get a medical opinion and that even if the person furnishing that opinion is a physician they can't and haven't conducted the exams and personal history reviews needed to give proper advice.

 

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[markeb]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was referring specifically to you.

 

I was just trying to say in a general sense that this is not the place to get a medical opinion and that even if the person furnishing that opinion is a physician they can't and haven't conducted the exams and personal history reviews needed to give proper advice.

 

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Didn't think you were, but for all the reasons you mentioned, I'm usually extremely careful, and may not have been this time.