How to Prevent Malaria When You're Traveling

Each year, 300 million to 500 million people get malaria, and several million die from it, especially children under five years of age. The disease is spread through the bite of the Anopheles mosquito.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Protective Clothing
• Protective Clothing
• Insecticides
• Mosquito Netting
• Screens
• Insect Repellents

1. Call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at [phone] to request that free information be faxed to you about the malaria-risk areas around the world.

2. Take anti-malarial medication one week before you plan to arrive in a subtropical or tropical country. Mefloquine 250mg or chloroquine 500mg tablets, taken by mouth, are two of the most common anti-malarial drugs. The kind of anti-malarial drug your doctor chooses to prescribe depends partly on what country you will be going to, and your prior medical conditions. Always take pills on a full stomach, and never skip a dose.

3. Take anti-malarial medicine once a week while in the tropical or subtropical country, and continue once a week for four weeks once you have returned to the United States.

4. Buy your anti-malarial drugs in the United States. Drugs from foreign countries may not be as reliable.

5. Protect yourself against mosquito bites while traveling to malaria-risk areas. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, especially between early dusk and late dawn. Apply mosquito repellent liberally, and reapply after you swim or shower. Choose repellents that contain at least 20 to 30 percent DEET. Keep screens on open windows and doors, and use mosquito netting around outside living areas.

6. Spray residual insecticides indoors and out to ward off mosquitoes.

Tips & Warnings

• Symptoms of malaria resemble the flu: fever, chills, headache, lethargy and muscle ache. If you feel like you have the flu after your trip, even one full year later, see your doctor.
• Because malaria can sit dormant in your system for a long time, you will not be allowed to donate blood for up to three years after returning home from a trip to a malaria-risk country.
• Take your anti-malarial drugs exactly as prescribed. An overdose can be fatal.
• If you think you might have malaria, see a doctor immediately. Delaying treatment can result in serious health consequences.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.