Hi Tweets,

Of possible interest to travellers...

M

>>>Hello the net
>>>
>>> May I strongly endorse the sentiments expressed by Glen above!
>>> Recommendations for the use of homeopathic prophylaxis should at
>>> the very least be accompanied by description of the symptoms, the
>>> likely timing of their appearance, the address of suppliers of the
>>> recently developed "do-it-yourself" dipstick diagnoses and
>>> air-evacuation contracts and so on...
>>>
>>> My problem with the homeopathic remedy advice is that there is no
>>> hard evidence that it works! Malaria is _NOT_ a trivial disease and
>>> the statement that "x has been using it for years in Zambia or
>>> wherever without getting malaria simply means that x has probably
>>> never received a bite from an infected mosquito. When someone can
>>> show me that when 300 individuals on homeopathic prophylaxis are
>>> exposed to high levels of infective bites (say, an average of 300
>>> per year) develope as few cases of malaria as a matched group of
>>> individuals on mefloquine or chloroquine/paludrin, I will take
>>> careful note! But with remarkably few exceptions homeopathic
>>> medicines have not been exposed to rigorous clinical testing, and
>>> when they have, they hardly perform at all .
>>>
>>> Anyhow, if you are going into a malarious area and absolutely insist
>>> on not using the currently accepted chemoprophylaxis measures
>>> mentioned above, then you must:
>>>
>>> 1. Sleep under a mosquito net impregnated with a suitable synthetic
>>> pyrethroid insecticide.
>>>
>>> 2. Be sure that you don't use so much of Trevor Snyman's remedy
>>> that you are incapable of using the net properly or worse still fall
>>> asleep outside of it.
>>>
>>> 3.While you are busy administering Trevor's remedy around a
>>> campfire or wherever you should apply liberal amounts of a repellent
>>> containing DEET as the active ingredient, and no, sorry to say this
>>> but the "naturals" containing citronella, clove oil etc just don't
>>> work as well in scientific tests, and neither does garlic or vitamin
>>> B6.
>>>
>>> Finally someone mentioned the current urban legend that
>>> chemoprophylaxis "masks" the malaria and prevents diagnosis. This
>>> simply isn't so! Inappropriate drugs (eg, chloroquine on its own)
>>> may delay the onset of the disease, but a competent medic given a
>>> clue or two when the symptoms do occur by a proactive patient ("I
>>> saw a shoebill at Bangweulu) will make the diagnosis in time.
>>>
>>> No, I don't claim to be an expert, but I do work at the place
>>> mentioned below.
>>>
>>> Barry Bredenkamp
>>> National Malaria Research Programme
>>> Box 17120, Congella 4013, Durban, South Africa
>>> Phone 031 251481 Fax 031 258840
>
>With another comment:
>
>>> Maybe you can try the National Malaria Research Program website at
>>> http://www.malaria.org.za/ you might just get some answers /
>>> contacts there.
>
>
>Hope this helps
>
>Giles
>-----------------------
>Giles Mulholland
>Director: Operational Support
>Gauteng Provincial Legislature
>Phone: +27 (11) 498-5555
>Fax: +27 (11) 498-5720
>E-mail: GMULHOLL at GAUTENGLEG.GOV.ZA
>