Malaria and You!

My traveling companion was worried about which drug to take for malaria.  I took Larium (Mefloquine), in Africa and didn't have any negative reactions at all!  I am only going to be at Angkor Wat in Cambodia and my doctor at the VA had the following to say:

You won't be in the border regions where significant mefloquine resistance is a problem (this is like refugee camps and stuff). You certainly could take Malarone, but it is very expensive, has to be taken daily, and is not covered by the VA. Also, mefloquine resistance has been decreasing in Southeast Asia due to "artemisisin combination therapy". Similar to therapy for other infections diseases like HIV, we have learned that combination medications can decrease the development of resistance in malaria. Finally, I spend 90% of my time doing malaria research and I took mefloquine when I went to Siem Riep last Spring .

As far as a typhoid shot - you have had the shot within 2 years so you are protected.

Note:  The nice thing about mefloquine is the fact that you take a pill once a week, very easy to do.

Created on: 2007.02.10

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Updated on: 2022.11.30