MEAN MALARIA - some scary facts

• It is the biggest infectious killer in Africa, claiming over two million people every year (three per minute), most of who are children.
• Death figures from Malaria far exceed those of AIDS and Tuberculosis.
• Once contracted Malaria is not simply cured by medication as there are different strains.
• The parasite is carried and injected into the host through the saliva of the female Anopheles mosquito (the male is a harmless fellow living off nectar).
• There are 4 main species of parasite, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most dangerous due to its resistance to Chloroquine. 
• The initial phase of infection is silent, where the parasite actively invades the liver. It can reside here from a couple of weeks for up to 6 months. The liver cells actively protect the parasite from any drugs that might be taken.
• Once discharged into the bloodstream, the parasites attack red blood cells replicating and bursting them, causing pressure upon the filtering system of the blood, the Kidneys, due to cellular debris.
• Kidney failure is the most common long term (within 5-7 days) effect, hence the term 'Black-Water Fever' used by the early settlers as blood passed in to the urine.
• However the capillary networks of the brain may also become clogged leading to cerebral Malaria, a severe and dangerous complication.
• No current drug is always effective in preventing Malaria.
• If not treated in time, Malaria lives up to it's name, 'the Killer disease of Africa'.

MOST IMPORTANT things to remember 

• Inform your physician that you have been in a Malaria area recently. Anything from a couple of weeks up to six months counts as recently.
• The onset of Malaria is very similar to Influenza: Headache, body-pains, fever and severe shivering or rigors occur. Mundane symptoms like a sore throat, fatigue, nausea and diarrhoea can all be manifestations of the onset of the second stage. DO NOT IGNORE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS! GET THEE TO A DOCTOR!
• Your doctor should treat your condition as malaria until it can be established otherwise. More serious conditions: fever, rigors, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, slight jaundice, cough, enlarged liver and spleen.

The best cure is don't get bitten!

• Use insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide, on skin and clothes.
• Make use of mosquito nets as much as possible
• just before sunset, put on clothes that cover as much of you as possible: long shirt and long pants (quite difficult when it is so hot)
• aerosols can be sprayed indoors before going to sleep

Prophylaxis
It is absolutely necessary to take preventative drugs. Do not be convinced that it is better to cure the disease once you have it, than to take prophylactics.

• Chloroquine based drugs are Daramal, Nivaquine, Plasmoquine. Although tonic water is said to contain chloroquine, you would have to drink a couple of cases before any effect would be possible (the gin may daze the mosqiutos though).
• Paludrine must be taken in combination with any of the above to combat the chloroquine resistant falciparum.
• Other medications such as mefloquine (Lariam & Meflium) and doxycycline (Cyclidox, Vibramycin, Dumoxin & Doxycycl) can be used as a stand alone treatment. However they all tend to have rather more prevalent side effects than taking the combination of chloroquine and paludrine.
• Lariam is prescribed by most doctors even though it has strong side effects like hallucinations, bizarre dreams, panic attacks and extreme disorientation and nausea. For further details and information regarding lariam visit the following website: Lariam Action Group USA or send them an email: lariaminfo@aol.com

All the above drugs have side effects and long term use is probably worse than actually getting malaria. The best is to try out the drug for a week or two before travelling allowing chance for any bad side effects to manifest itself. In any case, many of the drugs require you to start medication a couple of weeks prior to your travels.

You MUST finish your course of medication after your trip: usually up to 4 weeks after leaving as symptoms can appear 6 MONTHS after leaving the area.

(Killer on the Rampage; Dr. Allan Kayle; TIMBILA Rhythms of the Earth, Volume 1-issue 4; 1999)

Discovered way back in the days when the pyramids were being built, this disease is widespread throughout Africa in most rivers and lakes. It is a parasitic worm which has a rather complicated life cycle, one of which is within the human body and the other in a specific freshwater snail. Although widely spread it is not a killer disease like Malaria but can cause serious complications and if untreated, death.

Facts

• Microscopic worms called Cercaria lurking in infected water, penetrate the body in a matter of seconds, enter the bloodstream and congregate around the bladder, gut, lungs and liver.
• Here the Cercaria mature into male or female worms and enter a rather sordid phase of endless copulation and egg laying.
• Some of the eggs are excreted via the urine and faeces to start the cycle all over again, however some remain within the body and this causes the manifestation of the disease a few weeks later.
• Two weeks to three months later flu like symptoms develop, with sore throat and cough, skin rash or allergic reactions. Watch out for a general feeling of exhaustion, aching joints, swollen lymph glands, fever and diarrhoea. Sometimes urine in the blood occurs.

(Symptoms are very similar to those of Malaria and Typhoid)

Prevention

• The best prevention is not to come into contact with untreated water. However this is sometimes impractical and easily forgotten after a 8 hour walk after Elephant in the hot African sun. 
• All drinking water must be boiled for at least 5 minutes.

The cure is simple

• A single dose treatment of Biltricide (praziquantel). Anyone who regularly or has recently been in water in central and southern Africa should take the treatment anyway.

(Bilharzia; Dr. Allan Kayle; TIMBILA Rhythms of the Earth, Volume 1-issue 3; 1999)