Malaria in the Thai national parks

09 Feb 2015 21:20 #2681 by onflipflops
Malaria in the Thai national parks was created by onflipflops
A question, has anyone of you heard of people that contracted malaria in any of the Thai national parks?
I know that in some European countries it is advised to take anti-malaria tablets if one is thinking of traveling to the border regions of Thailand.
But I wonder if those governments are just being on the safe side.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

10 Feb 2015 11:37 #2682 by Paul T
Replied by Paul T on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
As someone who has had 3 strains of malaria including cerebral contracted in Cambodia, Mozambique and Angola respectively. I have never contracted it in Thailand. I still never use anti-malarials or would. I assume the risk of contraction by a visitor would be very small unless you were entering a known malarial area for a significant time. But I have to be honest and say its not an area I really know anything about.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

10 Feb 2015 19:22 #2683 by onflipflops
Replied by onflipflops on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
Ouch, seems like you are not so lucky.
You should be immune by now, haha.
Thanks for your feedback.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

20 Feb 2015 11:21 #2698 by Paul T
Replied by Paul T on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
Things may be changing ....................... drug resistant malaria on the rise..............

www.bbc.com/news/health-31533559
The following user(s) said Thank You: onflipflops

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

16 Jun 2015 10:03 - 16 Jun 2015 10:10 #2871 by Niltava
Replied by Niltava on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
I work with a Thailand-based malaria research team that undertakes a research and offers diagnostic and treatment services for malaria.

Whilst I am not a doctor, I can tell you what I have learned about malaria in Thailand through my work. There are two species of malaria that make up the vast majority of malaria infections in humans in Thailand, these are Plasmodium vivax (that is the species of malaria that can give you repeated bouts of illness, but is very rarely fatal) and P. falciparum (much more dangerous to the patient, potentially being severe and fatal). The overall national caseload has been falling for the past decade, but the emergence of falciparum parasites that exhibit tolerence/resistance to the first line medicines presents a real threat to malaria control globally. This threat has understandably spooked the medical community and there are now huge efforts taking place across the Greater Mekong sub-region to control and eliminate falciparum malaria. These efforts are starting to bare fruit and we can see the number of falciparium cases is dropping, however these efforts must be sustained to ensure that falciparim does to re-emerge.

The majority of cases of malaria diagnosed in Thailand are found in migrant workers and their families coming from Myanmar (mostly) and Cambodia. Most cases are in working aged males (ie those spending time in forest or forest edge environments for employment).

In terms of malaria in national parks in Thailand, I am personally aware of two cases of people getting malaria - one involved a couple I know who slept in forest in one of the parks (I am not sure which one) on the Thai-Myanmar border in 2006 and both ended up getting falciparum malaria. The other involved birders visiting Kaeng Krachan NP in the late 1990s or early 2000s contracting malaria (I am not sure if this was vivax of falciparum).

Personally I spend a reasonable amount of time birding in forest in Thailand and I have never considered taking prophylaxis. Our Unit has a team that spends significant periods of time working cross-border in remote forested areas of the Thailand/Myanmar border and they do not take prophylaxis. This is because the Thai-Myanmar border is in a zone of "low transmission" where even if you were to spend every night in the forest you might only expect to get something like 0.5 or 1 malarial bites per year (this compares with parts of sub-saharan Africa where you can expect 365+ malarial bites per year (ie one per day).

Most importantly, the strategy that we encourage is that if you suspect you might have malaria (ie you get a fever a few days after being in the forest) you should get tested as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours from the onset of fever (a rapid stick test can give you a result in about 20 minutes).

Personally, as a Bangkok resident I am more concerned by Dengue Fever.

Best wishes,

N
The following user(s) said Thank You: onflipflops

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

16 Jun 2015 13:14 #2872 by onflipflops
Replied by onflipflops on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
Thanks Niltava for sharing this information here.
If most of the cases are migrant workers, it is the question where they contracted the disease.
But glad to hear chances are extremely low, and hopefully they get the resistance to the medicines under control.
I've heard that exactly for this reason, anti-malarial medication should not be used too much unless really necessary.

Thanks!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

16 Jun 2015 17:44 #2881 by Niltava
Replied by Niltava on topic Malaria in the Thai national parks
Sorry onflipflops, I should have stated that the majority of migrant workers diagnosed with malaria have a recent history of travel in Myanmar, and for the most part this is where it is being contracted. Vectors and transmission have been much less effectively controlled inside Myanmar, though the interventions to stop drug resistance spreading are now rectifying that is some border areas.

The number of cases of symptomatic malaria diagnosed in Thailand in people with no recent history of travel to neighbouring countries is apparently very small.
The following user(s) said Thank You: onflipflops

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

"Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius." > Edward O. Wilson

"An understanding of the Natural World and whats in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment." > Sir David Attenborough

“Climb up on some hill at sunrise.  Everybody needs perspective once in a while, and you’ll find it there.” > Robb Sagendorph

©2023 wildlifethailand.com

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.