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Zimsight
- Zimbabwe Travel & Tourism Directory
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 Welcome
to Zimsight | SITEMAPHealth & Travel Advice |
Malaria Information Page
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MALARIA PREVENTION Malaria prevention medication: A visit to your doctor 4 - 6 weeks before travelling to secure a suitable prophylactic is recommended. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water - even an empty food can with water in it could become a fertile breeding ground. Where do they occur? Highveld towns and cities, Harare, Gweru, Bulawayo and Mutare are less likely to have outbreaks of Malaria. Risk here is mainly from the start of the rains until the end of May. The low-lying, hot, steamy places like the Zambezi Valley and the Lowveld - in the south - are favoured by mosquitoes all the year round. Who carries Malaria? The female Anopheles mosquito transmits maleria. She can only be infected herself is she feeds from a host already carrying the parasite in their body. When she has sucked blood from an already infected host, she becomes infected herself, and passes on the parasite to any subsequent people she bites. When? Female Anopheles mosquitoes feed at dusk, night time and early morning only; during the day they settle where it is dark. Unlike others, they fly silently. They stand at an angle to the support on which they rest whereas other mosquitoes stand parallel. Prevention is infinitely preferable than cure and there are many practical ways to avoid being bitten.
Campers should avoid pitching their tents near stagnant water.
Many lodges, chalets and hotels fit gauze screens to their windows to keep
insects out. These will only be effective if doors are also gauzed or kept
closed day and night.
Evening clothing should be thick enough to prevent penetration by a mosquito.
If possible wear long sleeves and long trousers.
Apply repellant to all uncovered parts of the body, especially the neck,
face, back of legs and feet.
There are mosquito coils available in Zimbabwe to burn in a bedroom at night,
electric mosquito pads and mosquito nets are also available.A note for campers. Igloo tents with built in floors are ideal, but as with fixed structures, doors need to be kept closed during the day. Tents made for European countries are not always ideal for hot tropical conditions because airflow is restricted. The temptation will be to throw everything open on a hot summers night, exposing oneself to mosquitoes. Try to bring a tent that allows good circulation of air or else make a simple modification. Have another gauze window put in opposite the door so that there is a through-draught of air. If you have visited a malaria-risk area, it is important to continue with antimalarial drugs as prescribed. It would be wise to seek prompt medical attention if symptoms of fever with headaches or flu-like illness occur up to eight weeks after leaving the malaria-risk area. |
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