Malaria in North East India

kbrat

Hi

I'm going to the North-East states in October for a month, I'm going to stay in Arunachal Paradesh for most of the time and in Assam for a few days.

Someone told me its not malaria season... but what does it mean? there's less chance for one to get malaria, or that its safe enough not to take any malaria pills in this season.

I couldn't find any clear information about this matter anywhere... I'd appreciate your help/advice.

I am taking a mosquito repellent with 95% deet and mosquito net anyway, I just want to know if its ok not to take any malaria pills, as I'd prefer not to if its not necessary.

Many thanks
Keren

Nick-H

Assam is not only rated high-risk, it also has the more deadly malaria strain; there is no way that I would go there ever without taking anti-malarial drugs.

I don't know about AP.

The British Health Service book on malaria is a really good guide. You can dowload it from there site -->here. You need to check their site for any updates.

theyyamdancer

Arunachal Pradesh has high-risk malarial areas too. It is not all high mountains. There are low swampy areas aplenty with the same malarial risk as Assam. And after the Brahmaputra floods post-monsoon it is more risky. I don't know about "malaria season" and "non-malaria season". I think there is a round-the-year risk. Incidentally, when we visited Mechuka earlier this year (at 6000 feet) there were posters everywhere warning of the risk of malaria.

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"Wandering seemed no more than the happiness of an anxious man." - Albert Camus

kbrat

Thanks a lot, did you take Malarone/Lariam/Doxi in Arunachal?

theyyamdancer

We took Malarone.

Nick-H

I haven't actually been "up North". Just saying... from my general knowledge of the malaria thing.

I could also "just say" that I wouldn't touch Larium with a barge pole!

There are two parts of India that, when I do get around to visiting, it will take an antimalarial: Goa and the North East.

Otherwise, and living here down in the South, I don't much think about it.

Haylo

I've spent most of my time in Delhi, but I've also travelled to Kerala, Rajasthan, Ladakh, all over the place really, but although I bought malaria tablets for my first visit, I threw them away on arriving in India because they were making me so ill, and I have never touched anti-malarials once. Frankly, I believe in preventing mosquito bites, which I have done successfully.

But the North East? There is no way I would consider travelling there without taking advice from a specialist travel clinic about which anti malarials to take. The type of malaria they have there is particularly nasty, and resistant to many drugs.

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