Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Malaria
Malaria is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito and is prevalent in the Caribbean
lowlandsandPeténjungles,thoughnotinthehighlands.Anophelesmosquitoestendtobite
at night. Flulike symptoms of malaria include high fever, chills, headaches, muscle pain,
and fatigue. It can be fatal if left untreated.
Some travelers also opt to take antimalarial drugs, available locally without a prescrip-
tion (and quite cheaply). The most widely used is chloroquine, known by its brand name
Aralen. Although chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria are found in other parts of the
world, including South America, this is not the case in Guatemala. You'll need to start tak-
ing the drug (500 mg) a week before arriving in malarial zones, weekly while there, and
continue to take it once a week for at least four weeks after you've left the malarial zone.
Other travelers opt to take two 500 mg doses with them to use if and only if the disease
strikes.
Somepeopleexperiencemarkedsideeffectswhiletakingchloroquine,includingnausea,
headaches, fever, rashes, and nightmares. A newer antimalarial drug, malarone, was ap-
proved by the FDA in 2000, supposedly with fewer side effects than traditional drugs and
which does not need to be taken for as long. It is not yet widely available in Guatemala.
Dengue
Dengue is also transmitted by mosquitoes and is prevalent in lowland areas, though it is
far less common than malaria and only rarely fatal. Although there is no treatment, most
peoplerecoverfromitsdebilitatingsymptoms,whichincludeafeverthatcanlast5-7days,
headache, severe joint pain, and skin rashes. The disease may last up to another week
after the fever has lifted. Tylenol can help reduce the fever and counteract the headaches.
Dengue is transmitted by a mosquito that bites during the daytime, the Aëdes aegypti. A
far less common, though potentially fatal, form of dengue is hemorrhagic dengue. It needs
to be treated within a few days of the appearance of symptoms, which are a carbon copy
of regular dengue symptoms until severe hemorrhaging sets in, making medical treatment
well advised at the first sign of dengue.
Chagas' Disease
Spreadbythebitesoftheconenoseandassassinbugslivinginadobestructuresandfeeding
at night, Chagas' disease is most common in Brazil but also affects millions of people
between Mexico and Argentina. Curiously, Panama and Costa Rica are Chagas-free, prob-
ablybecauseoftheabsenceinlocalconstructionstylesofadobestructures.Chickens,dogs,
and rodents are thought to carry the disease. Avoid sleeping near the walls of an adobe
structure and wear DEET-containing bug spray to bed. The only time this may be a con-
sideration for the average traveler is if trekking across areas of the Western Highlands and
stayingwithlocalfamilies,whotendtoliveinadobestructures.Chagas-carryingbugsalso
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