Travel and Health in southern Africa

Malaria prophylaxis medication is available in pharmacies all across southern Africa. Perfume or after shave lotion should be avoided in malaria areas. When darkness falls: wear long trousers and long sleeves. Use mosquito spray!

Cause and course of the disease:
About 40 different mosquito species of the genus "Anopheles" transmit the parasitic pathogens to humans, usually between dusk and sunrise, to humans. After the maturity stage in the blood cells, the pathogen bursts and breaks down into numerous independent pieces by dividing the nucleus. This process causes the recurrent fever (tertian or quartan fever) in malaria patients.

Precautionary measures:
- Protection against mosquito bites is the most important preventive measure against malaria! It is advisable to sleep under a mosquito net at night and to cover bare parts of the body in vulnerable areas during the day with preferably light khaki clothing and to wear mosquito head protection. Mosquito spray, mosquito ointment or lit incense coils can keep malaria mosquitoes away from you.
- Perethrin is a pyrethrum-based insecticide that can be used to impregnate the mosquito net.
- In addition, drug malaria prophylaxis (Resochin, Lariam, Paludrine, Malarone or other current medication) should be carried out. It is best to consult your health department or a tropical institute about the currently most effective agent for the travel destination, the dosage or a combination of different medications.

Malaria-free areas include the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng, Free State and Eastern Cape, the Namib Desert and southern Namibia.

Risk areas with high risk: All year round, intensified November to June: lowlands in the north and east, the Limpopo and the east of Mpulanga (including the national parks) and the coastal area in the northeast of KwaZulu / Natal (Districts Ingwavuma and Ubombo), especially in and after the rainy season (November to June).
Medium risk: Remaining lowlands in the east from KwaZulu / Natal to the south to 29º south latitude, south: (Tugela river) and in the transition zones of the above High risk areas;
Low risk there in the dry season (July to October), in the Kruger Park the risk increases from the west to the east border area to Moçambique.

Current and important information before the trip can be obtained, for example, from the The Hospital for Tropical Diseases / London: https://www.thehtd.org/

Bilharzia / Bilharziosis

This disease is common in the tropics. Approximately 200 million people suffer from it. You can get them by wading and bathing in standing or sluggishly flowing fresh water. Bilharzia is caused by very small suction worms (Schistosomum haematobium), which were discovered by Theodor Bilharz. These tiny worms pierce the skin, enter the abdomen and cause bladder infections as well as intestinal, stomach, kidney and liver diseases. The worm's eggs are excreted by the sick people and reach the intermediate host - a freshwater snail - via the fresh water of ponds, puddles, lakes and slowly flowing waters via a larval stage. This is where the second generation of worm larvae is born, which can get back into the human body via fresh water. The external signs of the disease in an advanced course are: emaciated upper body, bulging belly and congestion in the legs.

Avoid standing water (fresh water) in tropical regions. Only a few remote regions in southern Africa are affected by Billharzia. Please inquire about possible dangers on site.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

In all countries of the world, visitors from cooler climates in particular are susceptible to various intestinal diseases. However, since typhoid and amoebic dysentery occur very rarely, these are usually only minor bowel diseases that can be remedied quickly with medication. As a preventative measure, you should not consume contaminated water or spoiled food. Raw and undercooked meat, unpeeled fruit, salads, salad dressings with mayonnaise and raw vegetables can lead to intestinal diseases.

In the case of diarrhea, an adequate supply of fluids and electrolytes must always be ensured. Packaged glucose-electrolyte mixtures are commercially available and belong in every travel pharmacy.

You can drink water from all over South Africa from the tap, you do not have to be afraid of salads and other food, everything is clean and hygienic. Where water is not potable - this is explicitly indicated.

Bathing and Swimming in the Sea

When swimming in the ocean, attention must be paid to currents and possible danger from sharks. Popular beaches are very often secured by steel nets; there are also so-called shark guards at the seaside resorts - especially in Natal. However, the risk of shark attacs is very low. So don't spoil your bathing fun and make sure with locals.

A risk that many visitors underestimate again and again is sun exposure. In the southern hemisphere, the sun is much stronger and more intense than what we are used to from Europe. Therefore, make sure that you are not exposed to the sun for too long. Precautions are a good sunscreen with at least sun protection factor 25-30. A good pair of sunglasses, available in any optometrist's shop, helps against UV radiation. A wide-brimmed sun hat has also proven itself against the direct sun. And what applies to adults naturally applies especially to children.