Have you traveled to an area where malaria is endemic? Do you think you are in the clear once you get home? Wrong. Malaria symptoms can emerge up to 25 days after initial infection. In other words, you could find yourself coming down with malaria a few weeks removed from your vacation. There are several [...]
Malaria
Malaria is no joke. Strains vary in potency, but you will want to make sure that you steer clear of all of them. Browse the articles below for information on both prevention and treatment.
Not long ago, we wrote in our malaria myths and facts article that malaria cannot be treated or prevented with herbal remedies. Now we have articles surfacing in the press that suggest wormwood tea may be an effective weapon against malaria. So what is the deal? Are herbal remedies legit? In this post, we will [...]
There's been a lot of buzz this week about the promise of a malaria vaccine that is currently in clinical trials across Africa. While the news is encouraging, it will be some time before a vaccine is widely administered to travelers; the most recent vaccine trial has shown a 50% success rate - promising, but [...]
There is a lot of misinformation floating around about malaria. Some of the remarks I've heard are slightly off base. Others are downright foolish. Before we get into it, I want to include our standard, but no less important, disclaimer: make sure you consult a doctor at a travel health clinic several weeks before traveling. [...]
I wrote in an earlier post of my decision not to take malaria prophylactics. This is a personal decision and I don't necessarily recommend it for everyone. As with everything on this site, you should always consult a doctor at a travel health clinic before making such decisions. What I want to talk about today [...]
There is no vaccine for malaria, but you can take prophylactics. The reason a vaccine has not been developed is largely due to the life-cycle of the protist that causes the disease. When an infected mosquito bites you, the protist enters your bloodstream and makes its way inside of your red blood cells. Because the [...]
If you go to a travel clinic (which you should) before traveling to a place where malaria is endemic, chances are the doctor is going to recommend that you take malaria prophylactics. A lot has been said in recent years about the efficacy of malaria prophylactics and about possible side effects of taking them. This [...]
