On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Nadia <nadia> wrote: Hi,
I wanted some advise. Both me and my Partner have been to Goa in Jan this year and loved it. We are looking at going back in Jan 2012 and taking our daughter with us who will be 5, However I am a little bit worried about the issue with Malaria. I would love to go back but I don’t not want to put her at a high risk. Do you think its is advisable? If we were going to the Caribbean the same rules applies wouldn’t it? There is malaria there to? A bit of advise would be great. Also how is the medicine given to children? ======= RESPONSE: Good morning Nadia, re: your queries, I'd proffer the following advice a: Jan-Feb are probably the best months to visit Goa. b: The risk of contracting problems is also dependent on the type of accommodation you choose to stay in. c: Worth noting that there are 'water-borne', 'hand to mouth transmitted' and seasonal viral illnesses that you may need to be wary of, especially as you may not have the same level of protective antibodies against some of the illnesses. d: The same is applicable to travel to the Caribbean. At this moment, the malaria risk for the Western Caribbean (excluding Jamaica and Haiti) is quite low. e: wrt Goa, please note that the Malaria is now chloroquine-resident. Furthermore, there has been an influx of itinerants from other parts of India. Many of them are involved in the food industry. I am not sure that they have been medically cleared to handle food. Come to think of it, I am not sure if any food-industry workers have medical clearance for that purpose. For definitive advice specific to your-selves, I suggest that you speak with your GP (who surely knows your medical history, allergies etc). In my own practice, I recommend the use of Malarone to my clients. I do not recommend the use of Doxycycline in children. The following websites should give you better guidance than I have: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Malaria/Guidelines/malaguidelines10Prevention/ http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/malaria.aspxhttp://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/malaria.aspx It would be nice to receive some feedback on your trip and on the value of the Goa Travel Advisory - from you - upon your return from Goa. If it is OK with you, I will post your query and my response on GoaNet. I will remove your e-details from the posting. Good wishes jc
