Prevention
We tend to think that certain diseases that are not prevalent in the
United States but are in several other countries is not something
we should worry about so therefore it tends to be neglected. In this
situation, we have failed to acknowledge that people are migrating
from those countries to the United States which allows diseases to
spread. Immigrant populations from Latin America in the United
States are increasing.
Use the following links to find out if your travel destination is a high
risk malaria region.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/map/
If you are planning to visit Latin or Central American countries,
first see a healthcare provider at least a month before traveling
to see what preventative measures are needed to avoid
getting infected. Make sure to take the drugs prescribed by a
medical doctor because not all anti-malaria drugs are safe.
The need to see a healthcare provider a couple of weeks before
traveling is that some anti-malaria drugs are required to be taken
at least 2 weeks before leaving and continued for a month
after leaving the destination.
Pregnant women are not recommended to travel to areas where the
risk of getting malaria is high because if infected, it might result
in premature birth, miscarriage and stillbirth. If travel must
take place then make sure to take drugs to prevent malaria
that is prescribed with a medical doctor. This anti-malaria
drug can either be chloroquine and mefloquine which have
been reported to be safe for pregnant women.
Avoid taking the following anti-malaria drugs due to no known
information on their safety for pregnant women:
- atovaquone/proguanil
- doxycycline
- primaquine
The risk of contacting malaria increases with more exposure
in the environment. To prevent getting malaria, it is important
to avoid being in contact with mosquitoes and not get bitten
by them. It is recommended that long sleeves be worn and tucked
in with long pants, or wear a long skirt that reaches down to the ankles with
long socks. Also the head should either be covered with a scarf or hat.
Use screens (nets) to cover windows and doors from outside
and use mosquito nets while sleeping.
