Malaria?

Some of the nastiest diseases on earth today can be contracted here in West Africa and while this should not control visitor’s thoughts, it should certainly be in the back of one’s mind. One of the most notorious diseases in the whole of Africa is Malaria and contrary to popular belief, it really is not as big a deal as many make it out to be.

Malaria is a disease that is caused by the presence of very small organisms (malaria parasites called plasmodia) in the blood and is a serious but preventable disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Human malaria is caused by four species of protozoa belonging to the genus Plasmodium and anyone at any age can get malaria. Malaria deaths are frequently the results of delays in the diagnosis and treatment of the infection. Malaria is characterized by fever and “flu-like” symptoms such as headache abdominal, chills, muscle pain, and fatigue.

Above is the first paragraph in the “information for the patient” section in my anti-malarial medication, Malarone, and upon first reading this I found it rather helpful. However, after having two episodes of sickness that included all of the above side effects in varying severity, this “information for the patient” section became very uncomforting as the symptoms I was experiencing could have meant many different things ranging from a minor lung infection all the way to full blown Dengue Fever. My roommate had the above symptoms recently as well and we have since both taken a trip to the hospital. My diagnosis was a stomach infection and I was prescribed some Ciproflaxin (a basic antibiotic) which cleared up my problem in no time, where as my roommate unfortunately had Malaria and was prescribed 3 days worth of anti malarial medication. The point is that it is very difficult to know what is going on with your body because the symptoms are very similar for a variety of sicknesses and unless you take a trip to a clinic you will be kept guessing on what you have. For me, this point has meant staying alert and listening to what my body is telling me so I can take action and go to a clinic if necessary, and also not taking a day of feeling healthy for granted. During your stay in Africa it’s not a question of whether or not you will get sick, rather, just how often and how severe.

For those concerned about Malaria, what follows are the top 4 ways to reduce the risk of getting sick. 

1)      Wear bug spray with a high deet content during the evening or before going to bed if you are not using a mosquito net.

2)      Use a mosquito net.

3)      Don’t get drunk and pass out without a mosquito net or bug spray on.

4)      Take good malaria medication. Malarone is arguably the best medication to be on but is expensive if you do not have insurance to cover it. Doxy is the next best and is much more affordable. I will have been on both before my adventure is complete.

To conclude, Malaria is not something to stress about when coming to Africa and if you follow some common sense, your risk will be reduced greatly and even if you do end up contracting Malaria parasites, everything is going to be okay.