Ranong On Special Alert For Contagious Diseases

[xray]

...any disease is transmisable from human to human if bodily fluids are exchanged...

Not according to the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/m...about/faqs.html

"Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted."

[Moruya]

Ummm, sounds logical but honestly I don't know, regardless, your point though is? I'm still not there with the idea that person to person transmission can happen and your question above hasn't made it any clearer, spell it out in simple terms, pretend (or don't) that you're talking to a thick person.

If you don't know the life cycle of the parasite, you should research it before launching missives at people who understand it better.

Mosquito comes along, sucks up some blood from an infected person or other animal, sleeps of her meal and goes for another feast on an uninfected person. You then have another infected person.

The same could be achieved by using a syringe to extract some blood from the first and inject it into the second.

The same could be achieved by any means of blood to blood transfer but is highly unlikely in normal life.

Well, but that is still not transmitted person to person.

Even if an infected person breaths, scratches or even bites another person (what does happen),

I don't believe they would get malaria, dengue, japanes encapetilitys or elephantitis.

So, NOT contageous.

Mosquito to person to mosquito to person OK everything else is just unrealistic.

That's what I said

[xray]

Malaria and Dengue are not contagious diseases, they cannot be transmitted from person to person!!!

True, but people can give the diseases to other mosquitoes and spread the disease like that. If an infected person moves from one place to another it will infect the mosquitoes at the new destination when being bitten.

Infectious yes, contagious no. Possibly just a matter of semantics, but it seems that this is how the medical people currently describe these two diseases.

Edited August 24, 2012 by xray

[chiang mai]

...any disease is transmisable from human to human if bodily fluids are exchanged...

Not according to the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/m...about/faqs.html

"Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted."

In as much as the denque parasite is not a virus you are correct, it cannot be spread the same way as a cold or the flu. But, if phlegm contains infected blood and a person sneezes and another person becomes contaminated as a result, it is theoretically possible that human to human transmission can occur, ditto sexual transmission via blood that is contaminated by the dengue parasite. Given the aformentioned scenario's the likelyhood of them taking place must be so remote as to be discounted or so I would have thought. Therefore, just because it is theorectically possible for human to human contamination to occur as described, does not mean that dengue is classified as a contagious disease, as evidenced by the various references posted thus far.

[sunshine51]

...any disease is transmisable from human to human if bodily fluids are exchanged...

Not according to the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/m...about/faqs.html

"Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted."

In as much as the denque parasite is not a virus you are correct, it cannot be spread the same way as a cold or the flu. But, if phlegm contains infected blood and a person sneezes and another person becomes contaminated as a result, it is theoretically possible that human to human transmission can occur, ditto sexual transmission via blood that is contaminated by the dengue parasite. Given the aformentioned scenario's the likelyhood of them taking place must be so remote as to be discounted or so I would have thought. Therefore, just because it is theorectically possible for human to human contamination to occur as described, does not mean that dengue is classified as a contagious disease, as evidenced by the various references posted thus far.

Dengue...all of it's variants is viral.

" INFECTIOUS AGENT

The 4 dengue viruses (DENV) are immunologically related, positive-strand RNA viruses of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. These viruses cause both dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Asymptomatic infection also occurs. Infection with 1 DENV produces lifelong immunity against reinfection with that DENV type but no long-term cross-protection against the other 3 DENV types (any cross-protection is ≤2 months)."

Source: CDC.

Link: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov...hagic-fever.htm

Hope this helps anybody interested.

Note...Dengue is easily contracted in cities & towns more than in the rural areas

because cities & towns are actually havens for the aedes mossie and this happens

because of generally poor health and sanitation situations in these areas whereas

in rural environs the villages are generally well kept.

Edited August 24, 2012 by sunshine51

[xray]

...any disease is transmisable from human to human if bodily fluids are exchanged...

Not according to the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/m...about/faqs.html

"Malaria is not spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted."

In as much as the denque parasite is not a virus you are correct, it cannot be spread the same way as a cold or the flu. But, if phlegm contains infected blood and a person sneezes and another person becomes contaminated as a result, it is theoretically possible that human to human transmission can occur, ditto sexual transmission via blood that is contaminated by the dengue parasite. Given the aformentioned scenario's the likelyhood of them taking place must be so remote as to be discounted or so I would have thought. Therefore, just because it is theorectically possible for human to human contamination to occur as described, does not mean that dengue is classified as a contagious disease, as evidenced by the various references posted thus far.

The CDC link and quote above are in reference to malaria, and it looks like, as you say (though in reference to dengue), they view the chances of malaria transmission through sexual intercouse as being "so remote as to be discounted."

[sunshine51]

I must make a correction to my post (#19)....

The main vector (mossie) that gives you the numerous types

of malaria parasite is the anopheles mosquito and not the

culex mosquito. I'm not a mosquito identification expert

however I will admit I am a mosquito mass murderer

usually via extreme applied over pressure or chemical warfare.

Apologies for me mix up.

Edited August 24, 2012 by sunshine51

[sreiter]

Could we turn a bit practical now? I take matters seriously too, I have no disire to get any mozzie borne desease ever, but struggle with a few practicalities. The big question really is how to avoid best being bitten.

I live in the Isaan right now, the next water filled rice paddie is about 5m from my bed. Filling that in tonight would not go down too well I think, also there are a lot more around, nearly everywhere here is under water. (Surprisingly though no malaria around as far as I know). I also stay in a typical "new style" concrete house of simple and not well off people, means a tin roof and open walls under the eves all around.

1. Of course I sleep under a mosquito net making sure it does not have even the tinyest hole. I am amazed how many Thai people think it is quite OK to sleep under a net with ample of holes in it- it is not.

2. My wife gets instant headaches from the mozzie coils, so they are not an option (especially not indoors).

3. I have just now discovered that even here (now) the local markets sell insect repellants that evaporate from hardboard disks. They are slotted into a small device that heats them up using electricity. I do notice a significant decrease of insects in the room, I do hope that the big air space and the open eves minimise potential impacts on my own health. I also run one of those small UV (?) lamps that kill bugs electrically- a lot of mozzies go in there too, I have checked.

3. Outdoors I use repellants containing DEET (the higher the percentage of DEET the longer is the repellant effect). Also that can be found locally. There are quite a few threats in the forums dealing with DEET contra not using DEET, the general idea seems to be its safe to use and one of the few effective repellants around.

4. For outdoors it is recommended to wear shirts with long sleeves and long trousers. Aah- here we start:

I do that; as much as I hate mozzies (and sometimes react allergically to their bites) as much do they seem to like me. ( I have not yet tried taking vitamin B which is said to help on that front )

I observe two things now:

A: I sweat a lot right now and get a cold quickly as wet shirts and draft do not go together well. Has anybody experimented with clothing? Does it make sense to wear multiple layers to direct sweat off the body? Are materials other that natural fibres (cotton) better for that purpose? I obeserve Thais going to work outdoors dressed up as I would going skiing. They claim to stay cool that way. I have not dared to do that yet. Any experience?

B: The cloth I wear (mainly cotton) do not always help- I often get bitten through my shirt or trouser, even through jeans at times. Spraying all cloth with Deet too is very expensive- are there better ways? (Permethrin may be?) And if yes- is that stuff available in bigger cans ( for example a liter) somewhere at more reasonable cost? Ideas and comments are very welcome. Stefan

[Thai at Heart]

Just stands to reason if it was a contagious disease (direct human to human) we would be looooooooong gone, and the world would be run by 20 ft tall mosquitos by now.

[MEL1]

http://englishforeve...6_Passage_1.pdf

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might

be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that

sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that

kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the

mosquito.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male

mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They

need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it

transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly

disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases

from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes

are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases

every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there

is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be

placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at

night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats,

birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where

mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural

solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or

sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are

far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day

scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Moruya is correct in his words of 'transmitting' from person to person via the mosquito.

If you care to argue against this proof ChiangMai... please try..... but you'll lose your argument.

-mel.

Oh! and Yes! It's the female that kills - lol lol.

However 2M from 700M infected is only 0,002% death rate - so your survival rates are good, even if infected.

Edited August 24, 2012 by MEL1

[xray]

Could we turn a bit practical now?..... Ideas and comments are very welcome. Stefan

I sleep under a net (consider it my most important piece of gear) and always wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. My 'long clothing' is worn for protection from the sun, but I believe that 'long clothing' also offers some protection from insect bites. I know that 'body chemistry' does vary from person to person and some people are 'more attractive' to insects. Generally, I don't use any type of repelent, though if I ever felt the need, I wouldn't hesitate to use whatever would keep me from being bitten. In Thailand, I have never used repelent, and I've been in places like Um Pang, where malaria is still reported to be a problem. Basically, my approach is to keep bites to a minimum and so far (11 years in the region) I've been able to do this with just 'long clothing' and a sleeping net.

I know someone who has recently been using mosquito repelent self adhesive patches, and says that they work.

I have found that when I am in the sun and wearing my 'long clothing', I don't feel any hotter than I would if I were wearing short pants and shirt, (I agree with the Thais here).

Edited August 24, 2012 by xray

[chiang mai]

I learned at an early age that banging my head against a wall not only hurts but it's not productive, I therefore tend not to want to do it as an adult. I'm therefore happy that folks who want to believe that malaria and denque are contagious via human to human transmission should feel free to continue in their beliefs, personally I'll go with the WHO and CDC definition on this subject. Byeee.

[Moruya]

http://englishforeve...6_Passage_1.pdf

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might

be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that

sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that

kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the

mosquito.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male

mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They

need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it

transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly

disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases

from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes

are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases

every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there

is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be

placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at

night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats,

birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where

mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural

solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or

sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are

far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day

scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Moruya is correct in his words of 'transmitting' from person to person via the mosquito.

If you care to argue against this proof ChiangMai... please try..... but you'll lose your argument.

-mel.

Oh! and Yes! It's the female that kills - lol lol.

However 2M from 700M infected is only 0,002% death rate - so your survival rates are good, even if infected.

Thanks for that Mel.

Don't forget to keep the mighty jingjock in your bedrooms too. The more the better protected you are!

Anyone needing an antimalarial and finding it difficult to get hold of one can use doxycycline which is widely available and quite cheap. One capsule of 100mg per day taken with food (or you'll feel a bit sick). Take 1 week before and 1 month after for best coverage. Consulting a doctor is always the best course of action.

If you've been in a malaria infected area and have flu like symptoms and a fever then get to a doctor asap for a quick, inexpensive test. You can also buy test kits if you're heading out into the wilds.

Prevention is miles better than cure, cure is better than the alternative.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Moruya

[chiang mai]

I woke up this morning with a new appetite for this debate so I did a quick Google search and asked the question, "is Dengue contagious", the search string below was returned along with pages of answers at ten per page. I expected that there would be some mixed answers, maybe even some that were controversial, what I found instead was that every single answer on EVERY page said that Dengue was NOT contagious and I wonder why this is so. I expected some sites really not to know or be believeable but the Hawaian goverment, the CDC, various hospitals a whole series of doctors and, a range of believeable medical help sites, all confirm that Dengue is not contagious.

So, given that all of the thrid party evidence to date supports my case, I wonder if Mel and/or Moruya would post say two or three links from reputable sites that confirms their argument and negates everything that I've seen thus far?

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=is+dengue+fever+contagous&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=LLj&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=X&ei=_wU4UNGAF8zwrQfl44GoCw&ved=0CB0QvwUoAQ&q=is+dengue+fever+contagious&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=54cce48207721234&biw=1280&bih=827

[Moruya]

I woke up this morning with a new appetite for this debate so I did a quick Google search and asked the question, "is Dengue contagious", the search string below was returned along with pages of answers at ten per page. I expected that there would be some mixed answers, maybe even some that were controversial, what I found instead was that every single answer on EVERY page said that Dengue was NOT contagious and I wonder why this is so. I expected some sites really not to know or be believeable but the Hawaian goverment, the CDC, various hospitals a whole series of doctors and, a range of believeable medical help sites, all confirm that Dengue is not contagious.

So, given that all of the thrid party evidence to date supports my case, I wonder if Mel and/or Moruya would post say two or three links from reputable sites that confirms their argument and negates everything that I've seen thus far?

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=is+dengue+fever+contagous&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=LLj&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=X&ei=_wU4UNGAF8zwrQfl44GoCw&ved=0CB0QvwUoAQ&q=is+dengue+fever+contagious&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=54cce48207721234&biw=1280&bih=827

Neither Mel nor I ever said that it was contagious.

You're barking up a tree that isn't there.

[chiang mai]

Ah, understood, so all of your focus is on the theorectical, got it now, sorry to be so slow.

[Reasonableman]

http://englishforeve...6_Passage_1.pdf

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might

be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that

sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that

kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the

mosquito.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male

mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They

need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it

transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly

disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases

from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes

are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases

every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there

is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be

placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at

night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats,

birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where

mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural

solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or

sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are

far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day

scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Moruya is correct in his words of 'transmitting' from person to person via the mosquito.

If you care to argue against this proof ChiangMai... please try..... but you'll lose your argument.

-mel.

Oh! and Yes! It's the female that kills - lol lol.

However 2M from 700M infected is only 0,002% death rate - so your survival rates are good, even if infected.

Thanks for that Mel.

Don't forget to keep the mighty jingjock in your bedrooms too. The more the better protected you are!

Anyone needing an antimalarial and finding it difficult to get hold of one can use doxycycline which is widely available and quite cheap. One capsule of 100mg per day taken with food (or you'll feel a bit sick). Take 1 week before and 1 month after for best coverage. Consulting a doctor is always the best course of action.

If you've been in a malaria infected area and have flu like symptoms and a fever then get to a doctor asap for a quick, inexpensive test. You can also buy test kits if you're heading out into the wilds.

Prevention is miles better than cure, cure is better than the alternative.

The best prevention is not to be bitten by a mosquito. In general, taking prophylactic drugs is not protective and not recommended. Self-treatment is also not recommended due to the existence of multi-drug resistance in some areas, and fake drugs. If you have malaria/dengue symptoms, suggest you see a doctor asap.

[boisian]

Just back in OZ after a week at Gong Valley Organic Coffee Farm Bungalows in Kra Buri - what a stunningly beautiful part of Thailand.

Feeling totally bombed though - luckily I think it was due to picking up a flu from sharing a shisha back in Koa Sahn Road, as opposed to malaria or Dengue. Too much mucus to be Malaria

None the less, I might hit the docs on Monday for a check.

[sunshine51]

Just back in OZ after a week at Gong Valley Organic Coffee Farm Bungalows in Kra Buri - what a stunningly beautiful part of Thailand.

Feeling totally bombed though - luckily I think it was due to picking up a flu from sharing a shisha back in Koa Sahn Road, as opposed to malaria or Dengue. Too much mucus to be Malaria

None the less, I might hit the docs on Monday for a check.

Excellent idea boisian! Just don't forget to do it....

[sunshine51]

http://englishforeve...6_Passage_1.pdf

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might

be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that

sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that

kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the

mosquito.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male

mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They

need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it

transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly

disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases

from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes

are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases

every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there

is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be

placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at

night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats,

birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where

mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural

solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or

sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are

far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day

scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Moruya is correct in his words of 'transmitting' from person to person via the mosquito.

If you care to argue against this proof ChiangMai... please try..... but you'll lose your argument.

-mel.

Oh! and Yes! It's the female that kills - lol lol.

However 2M from 700M infected is only 0,002% death rate - so your survival rates are good, even if infected.

Thanks for that Mel.

Don't forget to keep the mighty jingjock in your bedrooms too. The more the better protected you are!

Anyone needing an antimalarial and finding it difficult to get hold of one can use doxycycline which is widely available and quite cheap. One capsule of 100mg per day taken with food (or you'll feel a bit sick). Take 1 week before and 1 month after for best coverage. Consulting a doctor is always the best course of action.

If you've been in a malaria infected area and have flu like symptoms and a fever then get to a doctor asap for a quick, inexpensive test. You can also buy test kits if you're heading out into the wilds.

Prevention is miles better than cure, cure is better than the alternative.

Moruya...

There's only one problem with doxycycline (Vibramycin) some folks are alergic to

tetracycline derviatives and if using as a malaria prophylactic if one does get

a bacterial infection it could be a bitch to clear that infection up....something

I learned from personal experience in the bush of NW Kampooch some years

ago. Mind you...the malaria was kept at bay tho! On another positive note

doxycycline is also a good medication for the clap & syphilis....

[Moruya]

http://englishforeve...6_Passage_1.pdf

When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might

be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that

sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that

kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the

mosquito.

While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male

mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They

need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it

transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly

disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.

Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases

from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes

are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases

every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.

Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there

is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be

placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at

night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats,

birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where

mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural

solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or

sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.

Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are

far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day

scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Moruya is correct in his words of 'transmitting' from person to person via the mosquito.

If you care to argue against this proof ChiangMai... please try..... but you'll lose your argument.

-mel.

Oh! and Yes! It's the female that kills - lol lol.

However 2M from 700M infected is only 0,002% death rate - so your survival rates are good, even if infected.

Thanks for that Mel.

Don't forget to keep the mighty jingjock in your bedrooms too. The more the better protected you are!

Anyone needing an antimalarial and finding it difficult to get hold of one can use doxycycline which is widely available and quite cheap. One capsule of 100mg per day taken with food (or you'll feel a bit sick). Take 1 week before and 1 month after for best coverage. Consulting a doctor is always the best course of action.

If you've been in a malaria infected area and have flu like symptoms and a fever then get to a doctor asap for a quick, inexpensive test. You can also buy test kits if you're heading out into the wilds.

Prevention is miles better than cure, cure is better than the alternative.

Moruya...

There's only one problem with doxycycline (Vibramycin) some folks are alergic to

tetracycline derviatives and if using as a malaria prophylactic if one does get

a bacterial infection it could be a bitch to clear that infection up....something

I learned from personal experience in the bush of NW Kampooch some years

ago. Mind you...the malaria was kept at bay tho! On another positive note

doxycycline is also a good medication for the clap & syphilis....

Exactly.

So if one is going to leave one's rump exposed whilst doing the missionary in the jungles, it's a one stop shop.

[delh]

Dengue & Malaria...I've had both and they're nothing to brag

nor be proud of having. The vector for dengue is the Aedes

mosquito while malaria is spread by the culex mosquito.

The aedes bites mostly during the day and the culex at night

however there is an overlap around dawn & dusk. A very,

read extremely unlucky, person can have both dengue and

malaria at the same time but this is extremely rare.

There are now 4 strains of Dengue...A-B-C & D. Type

A is the most common which starts out like a cold or flu

but then things change rapidly....very high fever develops

along with a rash first presenting itself on ones hands, arms

back etc. At around this time the headache associated with

the common cold or flu and similar in the early stage of dengue

gets worse...imagine a white hot metal rod being slowly pushed

through your head....that's an easy example. Extreme weakness

and apathy set in and continues for about 10-12 days (in my case).

Jaundice may or may not manifest. There is no "cure" or

"prophylactic" for dengue as there is for malaria. Dengue

treatment is symptomatic...i.e...treat for fever, headache etc.

Dengue B-D are supposedly the hemmoragic varieties and

one can easily tell if one has these by looking at the whites

of ones eyes...they'll turn bright red. Then there may be blood

in the urine or poop...get to a hospital fast if you get a flu like

illness and you notice yer eyes are blood red and you pee is

tainted red...again there is nothing anybody can do but treat each

symptome.

Malaria starts the same way as dengue...like the flu starts.

But then things change very rapidly...usually beginning with

the fever that rises rapidly and then dissipates with a feeling

of coldness through the body (flashing hot & cold). The muscle

and joint aches set in and become worse. The apathy sets in.

One generally feels something worse than road kill looks etc...

etc...etc. Get to a hospital so the doc's can figure out what type

of malaria you have (2 types ovum and falciparum, the latter

can be deadly but both are nasty) and begin to administer

the proper meds.

There are numerous drug resistant strains of both ovum and

falciparum malaria...and a few that can only be treated with

the antibiotic vibramycin instead of antimalarials.

Best thing is to not get bitten. Hard to do that especially with

the aedes mossie since it's so small and bites in the day so

ya just don't notice it.

Both the aedes and culex mosquito have to draw blood from

someone/thing that has already been infected before they

can pass it on to some unlucky person and both mossies

have an approximate range of 30 KM's per day.

Spraying with disinfectant does no good at all except

to kill bacteria on or about your property and this won't

kill mossies. Anti mosquito fogging and spraying with

the proper insecticide does work.

Ensure there is no standing water on your property.

Turn flowerpot bases upside down so when the plants

get watered the water won't accumulate in the base.

If you have a "squatter" keep it covered unless you're

squatting on it and after using it give the inside a good

spray of mossie killer. Mind you if you're a smoker give

a few more minutes before spraying if you've just tossed

a ciggie down the hole!

Keep water cisterns covered at all times...the big ceramic

ones...if you have em. And if you're growing water lillies

or lotus in a water cistern put the powder "Abate" into the

water...it kills mossie larvae and leaves the plants alone.

Keep trash can lids closed and if you see a pile of plastic

bags get the trashmen to clean the mess up...mossies

only need a small bit of water for their eggs to hatch...

about a teaspoon size will do nicely.

Use that thing called common sense, which is pretty

uncommon today and you'll be all right during dengue

season...which is now by the way. Malaria season

is 365 days long FYI.

I hope this helps somebody. Spread the word amongst

friends and your neighbourhood. Clean up the neighbour-

hood in fact.

This info I'm passing comes from personal trauma and

the book "Medicine In The Tropcs" by A. W. Woodruff

plus the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website...

www.cdc.gov.

edited to correct fat finger on small keyitis.

Thanks, very informative post.. coming to CM by the end of September. Let the battle begin !

+ 1 Excellent info, this and your other posts,Thank You. Clearly you had a rough time, hope its

all OK now.

[vijer]

So did the health officials go around and advise the residents to use mosquito repellent? Seems Thai's don't mind being bitten by mosquitoes. Walk around the mall or down the street of through the BTS, etc. and look at all the pretty legs with big black marks from mosquito bites. In the USA ads run frequently for mosquito repellent during the summer months, not here.

We have visited a friends parents house outside of BKK on several occasions. Typical of Thailand they all sit outside. The mosquitoes feast on any open flesh. I wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt and suffer the heat. They just sit there in shorts and short sleeve shirts and get bitten and don't seem to mind.

[Moruya]

So did the health officials go around and advise the residents to use mosquito repellent? Seems Thai's don't mind being bitten by mosquitoes. Walk around the mall or down the street of through the BTS, etc. and look at all the pretty legs with big black marks from mosquito bites. In the USA ads run frequently for mosquito repellent during the summer months, not here.

We have visited a friends parents house outside of BKK on several occasions. Typical of Thailand they all sit outside. The mosquitoes feast on any open flesh. I wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt and suffer the heat. They just sit there in shorts and short sleeve shirts and get bitten and don't seem to mind.

They may well have G6PD syndrome