Several of my friends who are following my preparations and are getting interested in African travel and work, have asked me many questions about common diseases in African, Kenya in particular. So I'll occasionally give blog-followers some information !
Malaria, as most people already know, is spread by the bite of a mosquito. But its not so simple as that; Kenya has several species of mosquito, and it is only the female Anopheles mosquito that bites and spreads the parasite that causes malaria. A true case of the female being more deadly than the male !
Once bitten, by an infected mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite enters the blood stream, where it travels to the liver and multiplies, and after several weeks, a bout of malaria ensues. If a mosquito then bites the patient, it sucks up some of the parasite in its blood meal, and thus carries it to another person.
Symptoms are very similar to British flu' ... sweating, headache, shivering ... but in a tropical country, malaria should always be tested for, and treated quickly.
Prevention is always better than cure ... and to prevent malaria, precautions to prevent being bitten should be taken, such as using insecticide treated nets at night; 50% DEET insect repellant; and wearing long sleeves and trousers in the evenings. Obviously, anti-malarial drugs are essential for volunteers or visitors to areas known to be the habitat of mosquitos ... such as shanty towns, the area around lakes, the Kenya coast.
So I've ordered Doxycycline tablets, to start before I go, and to continue a month after my return ...
If that makes you squeamish, I'll continue next time with another nasty !!
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