PNG & Malaria

[Sparrow_start]

Would anyone like to provide their thoughts , advice and experience with
anti-malaria medications in PNG?

[troppo]

Doxycycline also cures the clap :}

[catseye]

https://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/health-services-and-conditions/mefloquine-and-tafenoquine-information

[geeup]

How long are you planning to be in PNG?

[Radgirl]

Advice depends upon up to date information so the two places to go are CDC in the US or University of London Tropical Medicine Institute.

Today's advice is at

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever-malaria-information-by-country/papua-new-guinea#seldyfm879

[piggybank]

I contracted malaria many times in PNG over a period of 12 years The types I have were vivax at least ten times and falciparum twice. A thing to remember is that recommended anti malarials work in certain areas and not in others.After recovering from malaria you can get plenty of false warnings, as if you have malaria but nothing shows in the blood tests. I have used doxycycline and it worked but you can sunburn easily. The advice I was given in Rabaul was, if planning a long term stay in malaria affected area to take no antimalarials. The reasoning given by the doctor was there are good treatments available that work fast.

[troppo]

And if you get sick in PNG and go back to 'the world' don't waste your time seeing a GP. Go see a tropical medicine specialist. Your average GP don't know didly and they don't know what to test for. One GP asked how many standard drinks I have a week...whilst he nearly fell off his chair at my response he thought that was the problem. :}
I had Hep A, CMV and malaria. Fkn near kiled me and it was only after pleading with various GPs I got a referral to a specialist in NZ. Tell them where you been and what you done :}

[tpng conehead]

I have had 28 years in PNG and the most effective Malaria treatment i have used is Arthemether.
Now sold as Mala-Duo.
Its a herbal treatment and very, very effective.
Chinese formulation and the USA Military have there own variation of this.
But as stated above,consult a Tropical Disease Doctor.
.

[Radgirl]

The advice on the CDC and TM websites is updated almost daily based on science. The websites also advise about other diseases and vaccinations. I would suggest this advice is more accurate than local herbs or advice from people who were in the region years ago. Malarial prophylaxis in particular can change rapidly with the risk that out of date advice leaves you susceptible

[RatherBeFlying]

It seems that many malaria bearing mosquitoes do their thing on sleeping people - less risk of being swatted;)

[rollrollroll]

My experience from Liberia (pure falciparum): didn't take any medicines before getting malaria, just protection (skin protection, sleeping under the mosquito net...) I got it three times in a year, treated by artesunate...5 days and that's it.