Malaria

[Marshy]

I've been reading up on the CDC site for S.E. Asia and was wondering how prevalent the diseases that are mentioned in the site are, in the different regions of Thailand?

1 Malara

2 Dengue

3 Hepatitis A&B

4 Typhoid

5 Yellow fever

6 Rabies

7 Schistosomiasis---???

I have never heard of Japanese encephalitis.

Does anyone ever here of these?

Just keep the Mossies off?

[dutch]

I always had for me and the family,our international vaccination book.

I think it is good to keep your vaccinations updated if you normally live in the european countries.

Living in SEAsia now for 5 years I stopped malaria tablets after a half year,having enough resistance and building enough resistance now by regular bites.(doctor's advice)

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I always had for me and the family,our international vaccination book.

I think it is good to keep your vaccinations updated if you normally live in the european countries.

Living in SEAsia now for 5 years I stopped malaria tablets after a half year,having enough resistance and building enough resistance now by regular bites.(doctor's advice)

The chances of malaria in built up areas is fairly remote. It is found in jungles near border areas. Good sprays scare 'em off too.

[Wolfie]

Very little (if any) Malara in Phuket, i've not heard of anyone getting it (doesnt mean people havent, just means the circles i socialise in hasnt heard of any cases)

As for Dengue, yes i know of a couple of cases in Phuket over the last year or two, but again very rare...

If your coming out on holiday, get yourself down your local GP's and get the full spread of vacinations, might as well be safer than sorry, eh? Shouldnt cost you much, if anything at all.

Enjoy your hols mate

[maerim]

Enjoy your hols mate

May I suggest that when you are getting your vaccinations that you enqure about the only two that you really need here.

Immunisation against motor vehicle accidents and poverty I know for a fact I am allergic to both of these.

You only need a yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from a country where it is endemic at the moment the U.K. is free but give it time.

As for Japanese encephalitis and all the rest of these diseases where do you stop?

You missed out hepatitis C, the only ones I have are those recommended by the nurse at my local GP in the UK and they are now free.

One you really need is tetanus.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I am required to have Hep A, B & C by my insurer ( that's it ) and I choose to have the tetanus jab too.

[mraitchison]

Ok I had dengue in malaysia wiped me out for a long time - I also had dysentrie.

which wsa a pain

BUT NOTE WHEN YOU GET DENGUE IT COMES BACK IN WAVES AND ITS NASTY - THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENERGY.

I dropped to 78k and im 6'4"

Also I have been vacinated for HEP A and B but I am not immunised - apparantly a small % of people fail immunisation so make sure you get tested for immunisations have worked once you are finished the course.

[maerim]

Ok I had dengue in malaysia wiped me out for a long time - I also had dysentrie.

which wsa a pain

BUT NOTE WHEN YOU GET DENGUE IT COMES BACK IN WAVES AND ITS NASTY - THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENERGY.

I dropped to 78k and im 6'4"

Also I have been vacinated for HEP A and B but I am not immunised - apparantly a small % of people fail immunisation so make sure you get tested for immunisations have worked once you are finished the course.

As for Dengue, yes i know of a couple of cases in Phuket over the last year or two, but again very rare...

Enjoy your hols mate

[Pink Mist]

If you want some good info on Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis go to this

site

JE sounds like a worry even had cases reported in Oz.

[Marshy]

Thanks for the replies all, i'll call the GP tomarrow and ask them for their recomendations. Then set a date for a thrashing.---lets weigh ya, measure ya and stick you in this room for 20 minutes. Hate it when they ask---how are you today?

[Up2U]

And remember - to keep the mossies away - EAT YOUR MARMITE!!!

[clinteastwood]

According to the British Foreign Office, its recomended that you get jabs for Hepatitis A and Malaria.

[maerim]

Hate it when they ask---how are you today? 

Tell them as they are on £80 grand a year plus "You tell me thats what you are paid for"

With any luck you might come out alive, remember doctors bury their mistakes.

[taxexile]

Tell them as they are on £80 grand a year plus

and they earn every penny of it !

[Pepe']

Doc,

There's no vaccination for Hep C...

[Pepe']

Dutch,

The anti malaria meds are extremely tough on the body. I have never heard of reccomending them for so long.

I would reccomend a liver panel atleast after all this time.

Also immunity to malaria? I'd have to research this as tropical diseasesa aee not my specialty.

I do have friends who have lived in asian for many years and got malaria recently?

[SeaVisionBurma]

From what I understand, there's no immunity to malaria as such - certain prophylactics can help to prevent it.

However it is not uncommon for someone to have an outbreak of malaria some weeks or months after they have received the virus - usually in a period of low immunity, stress, tiredness, or far too much booze after they get out from the island and hit the city (oops personal reference there)

I agree with previous post not to stay on the drugs full time. I took my medications for several months and then stopped. I do a course of doxycycline 10-14 days before I travel away from the island (malaria affected area) and continue once I hit the big city or home in Oz - this is because my first and only bout of malaria hit me while I was on holidays in a city which had no incidence of the virus! I was run down, had the virus in my system, and it attacked while I was travelling.

[cathyy]

I would recommend anyone going to SE Asia to not only get Hep A&B, but to also consider Japanese Encephalitis. Whether to get it is a hard decision. The JE immunization is prone to serious, nasty side effects. I only know 1 person who ever was infected with JE, but he ended up in a permanent coma. The mosquito that transmits JE is a day-biting mosquito, as opposed to a night-biting mosquito for malaria, so is less easily avoided.

We got typhoid and tetanus shots as well. Before we move I will ensure that my husband has all his boosters up to date for diptheria and polio as well. Mine are already current. What was most interesting is that at the travel clinic I had to tell the doc which shots I wanted. The doc had no idea what was required (nothing) and what was a good idea for travel to Thailand.

[Johpa]

If you travel into the rural areas you might notice numbers painted on the side of homes and other buildings. These are the dates that the government contractors last sprayed DDT. Unless you are working the refugee camps along the borders you are far more likely to have your health negatively impacted by the totality of carcinogens that permeate the Thai landscape than to contract a serious infectious tropical disease.

That is not to say that no tourists or ex-pats get such diseases as malaria or dengue. I have known a few over the decades who contracted dengue but none who have contracted malaria.

There has been a very small increase in malaria in the rural north as a result of the influx of illegal Burmese labor, but few of you are likely to venture into such areas.

[dutch]

Pepe,

Thanks for the advise.

I stopped already 5 years and have been checked since several times.

It was exactly my point to warn for longer use IF you live in the tropical areas permanently.

Holiday makers start at 3 weeks ahead and stop 6 weaks after their holiday period.

Be aware of Laram!!! (don't need to be taken on a daily base and that's why it is so convenient)

Some doctor from Medical (harbor) Services in Rotterdam,very famous for their knowledge of vaccinations and medications,was my advisor.

[wolf5370]

MASTA states you only need Malaria in LOS if you are going to spend time in jungle areas.

My Father-in-Law has Malaria. He is a Naval Officer, and got it in Cambodia a long time ago whilst on manouvers in the jungle (The Navy does not pay his medical bills though!!!). I sometimes import Indian Tonic water for him - has quinine in it. He takes ill about once a year. There are 4 types of Maliaria, two a cyclic (they come back) - something to do with the baddies leaving spores in the liver which are immune to any medicines. Medicines kill the live ones, but the spores 'hatch' on a cycle again. This is a vicious circle, and he has never been cured. He is fine the rest of the time.

I have accompanied him to the Malaria clinic a few times. There are lots of charts and false-coloured-maps on the walls. A doctor there told me that most cases of Malaria in LOS each year are contracted outside of LOS, those that are not, are invariably caught in or near to jungle areas.

Modern tetnus lasts 5 years, but with a boster the following year makes it permanent (or so the Dr told me).

Hep A is important. Other Hep's are recommended if you are going to spend anytime with charaters in a high risk group - sexually.

Rabies shot is pointless in LOS as it is not a immunisation - it merely slows the virus down by 24 hours. Doctors say if you can get to a hospital or clinic within 12 hours then the shot will make no difference - and nowhere in LOS is 12 hours from a clinic.

Poli is a lifetime jab/squirt, as is TB.

Never has JE or Yellow Fever jabs.