Malaria on Roatan?

[Uppa]

Hey all,

We're going to be on Roatan inside of two weeks so it may be too late to take preventative action, but for those who've been or live there: are Malaria pills a good idea? Any idea how prevalent Malaria is on the island these days?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[Web Monkey]

Hey all,

We're going to be on Roatan inside of two weeks so it may be too late to take preventative action, but for those who've been or live there: are Malaria pills a good idea? Any idea how prevalent Malaria is on the island these days?

Any advice appreciated!

Health Information for Honduras | CDC Travelers' Health

Terry

 

[Doc]

on :sblogo:

Lots of threads. It's always going to boil back to your personal situation and choice.

 

[merxlin]

Pay close attention to the possible side affects of any drug you consider. I was in a group of 22 people and only one had a negative reaction, my wife. Although rare, reactions do happen.

 

[BTravlin]

I've been twice and have had no problem either time. The first time I went without any antimalarial meds. I did take the meds for the second trip. Read about malaria and then decide. I'll take the meds again if I go back as I don't want to chance having to deal with malaria.

 

[halocline]

I was there most of a summer and took no malaria preventative, I'm still alive! I'm pretty sure most of the people I know that were working full time at the shop were not any malaria meds. It's easy to get some nasty infections on cuts, though. Watch out for that.

Hangovers are yet another treacherous island hazard...hmm, I wonder how you avoid those?

 

[mrlipis]

Not too late to get meds. There are different medications depending on what part of the world you travel to. If memory serves me, you start taking the meds just before you go and take them for a week after you leave. These are prescription so you will need to see a doc first.

Bruce

 

[Grover48]

Hangovers are yet another treacherous island hazard...hmm, I wonder how you avoid those?

The best way I have found to avoid a hangover is to stay drunk.

 

[Mark Stanley]

If you stay near the ocean and do not venture inland, is the risk of malaria that great? We are going in about 4 weeks and I am not sure the side affects are worth the risk of getting malaria. Are there any stats on malaria from Rotan specificaly

 

[ncchuck]

This is a medical decision that should be made between the diver and his doctor. Your doctor should have access to all the relavant facts. Let him know you'll be diving in a somewhat developed area of the Island and you'll only be there for 2 weeks. I doubt he'll recommend any drugs.

That being said, I lived on the island for 4 months and didn't have any problems. I was on or near the ocean in a windy area (Paya Bay)that had virtually no mosquitos. Very few of my guests took any special precautions. If I were living in west end with all the trees and jungle around, I'd probably have gotten the medication.