Thai Married - Thai, Farang - Foreigner Relationships

This story came out on Wednesday. The type of malaria they're talking about was first identified "along the Thai-Cambodian border in 2007," but I guess it has only recently started to present evidence of "breaking out along the Thai-Myanmar frontier and in a province of Vietnam" -- tests are being done to confirm this is the variety showing the activity.

"It is a time bomb, it is ticking. It has the potential of killing millions of African children," [Nicholas] White [professor of tropical medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok] told Reuters.

A migrant worker who doesn't even show symptoms could spread the resistant parasite beyond Asia, he said. "It could be a Chinese worker acting as an adviser in Cambodian forests who then hops on a plane to Africa. It could go off at any minute."

Certainly, I hate the sound of it getting carried to Africa and "killing millions of African children" as is being feared, but I wonder why there isn't an equal concern about what it can do to children in Southeast Asia? Is medicine there that prevalent that -- unlike Africa -- this new strain could be more handily dealt with?

Heck, I'd be concerned for myself if I was living in Thailand in an area where malaria is present!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70B2XO20110112

Does anybody here take malaria medication when in Thailand? I don't. When I spent some time in Egypt I took pills every day but in Thailand I don't. As a long stayer, I don't think it's worth the cost or effort. I try really hard to avoid mosquitoes and keep them out of my house and so far (touch wood) I have been OK. What about you? What do you do?

I don't take any either. Taking malaria medication is for short time use anyway, and I believe if you live in an area like that, taking malaria meds will probably do you more harm than good.
I do use mosquito nets, and with a fan running that is very effective. Also we did not venture outside much in the evenings, and if I did I wore trousers and long sleeved shirts. This on the advice of the leading expert of the World Health Organisation on tropical deseases, whom I met in Basrah, Iraq back in 2003.

However if only on a short visit in a Mlaria area, I may take some...

I worry more about Dengue anyway...

Does malaria medication work for dengue? I know that dengue is passed on from mosquitoes so I wonder if the medication is the same. Probably not. Yes, I worry a bit about dengue as it's quite common in Thailand.

Alfie wrote:Does malaria medication work for dengue? I know that dengue is passed on from mosquitoes so I wonder if the medication is the same. Probably not. Yes, I worry a bit about dengue as it's quite common in Thailand.

There is no medication for dengue at all. Internatiponal UN staff that get dengue fever, are not allowed to travel into dengue areas if they have had dengue twice before. Dengue weakens the immune system so much that exporsure the 3rd time is very likely to kill you.

Unlike malaria which is a paracite, dengue is a virus.

Had a fun experience with this while living in Isaan. The amphoe sent someone to the village to advice the villagers to get rid of areas that may collect still water, like old tires, leaving buckets open, and to cover their fresh water tanks etc. When Nan trannslated for me I could not ressist the urge to giggle, as the village was surrounded by flooded rice fields for miles on all sides. The nearest was about 10 meters from the wall of our house.

I usually don't take anything.

The first time I went to Issan (my wedding) I didn't take anything as my Dr advised me I didn't need to. When I got back to the UK I was really sick. I went to see the same Dr who advised I had suspected Malaria?? As luck has it I didn't have it, just some unknown sickness bug. The next time I went I took anti malaria to be on the safe side but the last couple of times I haven't bothered.

I do the same as you guys, I cover up as it gets towards sun-down and use a mozzie net at night.

I dont have any when i go as the doctor advises that it is safe where the missus province is.
Alfie, was that Dengue fever or Malaria we were talking about at Toddy's house that a couple of kids had died from near your house?

It was Dengue fever, Brett. It seems to me like at least one person dies of it each year near here, and usually kids.

At least stay away from a drug called Lariam (mefloquin). They gave it to Norwegian soldiers serving in Chad, Africa a few years back, and many of them got extreme anxiety and sleeping disorders from the drugs.

Malarone is a lot safer they say. But it's more expensive. I carried that with me in both the ME, Africa and Asia when i worked for the UN. I always had enough to treat malaria should I get it. So it's worth having, even if you do not take it.

Anyway, here is the Norwegian article translated by google translatem, so excuse some strange translations:

http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... F1.8002939

Anxiety and sleeping disorders, did they get any compensation for it?