Malaria in Palawan

sonar · Mar 11, 2009

I couldnt find a clear answer to this question in the threads, I probably overlooked it, but I want to ask it anyway since these Tropic Injection-places in the Netherlands are all commercial and thus over- protective.

Do you need a lot of protection and does malaria exist on serious base in Palawan? Are there other things to be protected for (i'll bring rubbers

)?

I'll stay 3 months so I wont be taking these pills..

thx again guys

World Wide Diver · Mar 11, 2009

Malaria is not too much of an issue in Palawan.

Dengue...... yes!!! Caught this 2 years ago in Busuanga and blamed it on severe food poisoning. Not fun!!

Just take reasonable precautions - rooms with nets/fan or aircon and spray room with insecticide, don't sit out at dusk/twilight unless you have a fan or mossie coils, etc - the usual stuff.

That said, think that you would be very unlucky to catch anything.

jigo · Mar 11, 2009

malaria is not a problem as long as you stay in urban areas or resorts. i think the risky areas are in the mountains and far from the beach.

sonar · Mar 11, 2009

cool

thats what i wanted to know

If i decide to visit a more risky place I suppose I can buy the malaria pills somewhere there for a lower price?

World Wide Diver · Mar 11, 2009

Malaria is not really a big problem - just take sensible precautions as mentioned plus use mosquito repellants. We don't use pills for this as its not really a problem. Sometimes malaria pills cause you more problems from ntaking them viz the protection that they provide (see wikipedia, etc).

Most mosquitos bite early morning (dawn) and early evening (dusk) - just avoiding these times (a couple of hours a day) reduces your chances of being bit. Also spray your room/use nets (provided in resorts where mossies are a problem).

The exception is the dengue mosquito which is day-biting.

The dengue mosquito is easy to spot -it has black/white striped legs. Check the local news/ask people here if they know of problems re dengue in areas before you go.

I stress that it is highly unlikely that you will catch any tropical disease while here in the PI's. Just use common sense and take sensible precautions.

chip104 · Mar 11, 2009

I agree with WWD and Jigs, malaria isn't too big a problem and it is highly unlikely that you will catch either dengue or malaria while there. To be honest, I'd be more worried of Hep A and typhoid.

You can get pills there, but don't expect it to be cheaper than the Netherlands.

If in Palawan, the only touristy region I know of that has a mosquito dengue population is around the underground river. So if you're really trying to avoid dengue or malaria don't stay in the resort there overnight.

Where will you be heading? If you're going to Coron, don't worry about it.

sonar · Mar 11, 2009

PG, coron, some other places but I think I know enough; it sounds similair as Thailand, Cambodia and Borneo; it exists but its not very likely to catch I you mind it. It's like catching mad cow desease in europe

Thx!

*saves me bucks --> more diving/drinking*

chip104 · Mar 11, 2009

heh yep you definitely get it. Anything to get you that extra san miguel.

shugar · Mar 11, 2009

a tube of Off Lotion should serve you well...

a friend died from cerebral malaria (Reyster Langit, you guys probably hear the news a couple years back) but he was 2 days into the deep jungle to do a piece on a tribe there...

it's that far away from civilized areas so you shouldn't really have too much of a problem

enjoy the trip!

Jag

PS
the local wildlife that you'd use rubbers with: some of them are far scarier than dengue or malaria mossies... hell, some even have nastier bites!

Malaria in Palawan

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