I'm going to India. Should I use anti-malarial drugs or is it enough to use repellants?
Malaria causes the death of nearly one million people each year worldwide. It is widespread in approximately 110 countries around the world). According to tropical medicine specialists, if chemoprophylaxis is not used, the risk of developing malaria after a 4-week stay in India is 1: 250. This should be assessed as a significant risk and for this reason it is recommended to combine pharmacological chemoprophylaxis with all means limiting the number of bites, i.e. the use of repellants, nets in windows, mosquito nets.Proper use of antimalarial drugs requires starting their use before departure, during the trip and for seven days after returning from the malaria zone, the visit to the doctor should take place well in advance.During the visit, the doctor will assess whether the severity of these ailments is possible to apply antimalarial chemo prophylaxis.
Each the bite of an infected mosquito poses a risk of contracting the disease, as the malaria parasite travels with the bloodstream throughout the body . The hatching period for malaria is 12 to 28 days. Symptoms such asfever, muscle aches, chills, a feeling of general discomfort, diarrhea, and abdominal painmay be misinterpreted as flu or gastric disease.
Malaria progression depends on your overall level he alth, comorbidities, general immunity of the person, coexistence of other medical conditions, virulence and type of parasite and the number of infected red blood cells. More severe malaria is seen in pregnant women, young children, and also in people who are dehydrated or malnourished.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Krystyna KnyplInternist, hypertensiologist, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta dla Lekarzy".
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