Limpopo Malaria

[BLJC30]

We are heading to Limpopo in early June for 9 days and will spend a couple of days in Kruger as well. What are the chances of Malaria at that time of year? Do you take the meds or just risk it?
My outfitter said that some people have a worse reaction to the meds and he wouldn't take it.

I'm lost when it comes to this. I can't find any other vaccines needed for SA unless I am missing something.

 

[flying sailor]

I contacted my county board of health. They are most helpful. Have charts , lists of diseases, prevention and prescribed meds for the trip. Will be in same area late August. Malaria meds are recommended. Have malaria scrip and one for travelers upset tummy.

 

[flying sailor]

Also have had shots for Hep A and B, cholera and typhus. Any help I can offer, just ask.

 

[PARA45]

We hunted in Limpopo back in 2012, and we didn't take any Malaria meds.

 

[mdwest]

Different meds invoke very different reactions… some are pretty tame… others can be pretty substantial… mefloquine for example will give me wild technicolor dreams filled with angry LBGTQ elephants dancing with neo fascist caterpillars… Where doxycycline has no real impact on me at all…

But certain meds only work in certain regions as well… different malaria strains call for different medications…

I thought most of Limpopo other than the far northeastern corner was largely malaria free? It’s been a few years since I looked at the CDC website though…

Things should be cool enough by mid June that I’d think the malaria risk anywhere in Limpopo would be super minimal…almost negligible… especially if you are using a proper mosquito repellent and also treating your clothing.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I don’t think you are missing to much. I had Twinrex for hep a&b before leaving a few months ahead of time and some meds for travellers diarrhea with me and that’s it. More worry of tick fever than anything else. I didn’t treat my clothes before I went but it will be the first thing I do when I return. Lots of pepper ticks in the area I hunted near Swartwater in Lympopo.
I also updated my tetanus vaccine, never know when you’ll break skin, or with what. They are good for ten years, so protected at home for a few years also.

 

[flying sailor]

The latest info I have is a chart from my county board of health, showing probable areas and where it is recommended.The chart show update of June 27 2022. I will post the chart. Had a SEVERE reaction back in 2018 to the Shingles vaccine, 2 part, my wife was going to put me in hospital. Had so much shaking, sweating, fever and chills, came to the conclusion that this could be like malaria. Was down for 2 weeks.

 

[WAB]

Limpopo has cerebral malaria. After 20+ trips to Africa I skipped my meds when over in their winter as chances of contracting malaria were low. I came down with malaria shortly after returning home. I knew what it was immediately and went in to the hospital in our region with an infectious disease group. If you want to get quick attention at a hospital, show up with a fever and tell them you’ve been to Africa!

Bottom line, take the meds, malaria is not a good experience.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Unless something has changed in the last 10 years, I thought that SA was Malaria free. We hunted in Limpopo back in 2012, and we didn't take any Malaria meds.

South Africa is NOT malaria free. Some areas are.

September to May are the highest incidence times of year. That does not mean the rest of the time is Malaria free.

 

[Dewald]

Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern KZN are Malaria endemic areas. June is a lower risk time of the year, but prevention is certainly better than cure. For someone passing through a Malaria area I would recommend to take it. You are welcome to pm me if you want to chat about travel medicine and recommendations over here

 

[flying sailor]

Hope this helps, have been prepping for my first trip since Feb.

 

[BRICKBURN]

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/how-to-prevent-treat-malaria.15762/

 

[BRICKBURN]

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...gh-alert-as-both-issue-malaria-warning.36569/

 

[Hammergun]

My wife and I went to a travel clinic at the University of Maryland. The doc there was a malaria researcher who often traveled to the Limpopo province and Kruger areas. He said malaria was definitely present and we needed to take medication.

 

[BLJC30]

It seems the general consensus is to take the meds. Now the question comes to which med do you recommend?

 

[WAB]

Check with your doc. I use malarone. I have to take it with dinner to avoid stomach issues. Some meds cause odd side effects. I had some pretty spectacular nightmares on one of them.

 

[Andrew62]

Malarone was prescribed by my doctor for my past trip to Cameroon and Zimbabwe. He instructed me to take this medication the minute I thought I may had malaria. I've been to Africa 17 times, the first 3 times I took Mefloquine. Years after my dad had taken Mefloquine, he became color blind. At an eye doctor visit, the eye doctor asked my dad if he had ever been to Africa, dad said 'yes', the doctor said, 'your color blindness most likely occurred from taking Mefloquine'. From that day forward I stopped taking malaria meds. Now I take this new drug along on my trip in case I do get it. I do know from my experience the local health department would have me take tons of extra vaccines and medicines than are actually necessary. I will be back in Limpopo this fall, I will not take malaria medicine, but I certainly will take creams and sprays to ward off ticks!! For me, the risk of spotted fever by a tick far exceeds getting malaria.

 

[Hammergun]

My wife a I I have taken Malarone on two trips without any issues.

 

[Puddle]

If I'm bumping up against Kruger, then yes - Malaria prophylactics.
Tick insecticides - always.
Mamba - wide detour....

 

[mdwest]

South Africa - Fit for Travel

Travel health and immunisation advice for South Africa

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk

the linked website above recommends one of these 3 meds for South Africa: atovaquone/proguanil OR doxycycline OR mefloquine

As stated above.. mefloquine has some pretty wild side effects for many people (LBGTQ elephants!).. where doxy is usually pretty easy for most people to take... I cant recall ever taking proguanil (malarone), so I cant offer any personal experience there..