Canda, Mozambique

[marakasmalan]

Hello everybody,

I am going to Canda, ±95 km north, along the coast, of Xai-Xai this coming weekend and I would like to know what is the regulatuions in Moz about beach driving, what are the do's and don'ts in this world.

Malaria tablets this time of year?

Regards

Marnus

[Izak]

Hello Marnus

Last time I was there, beach driving was banned. Cannot think that it would have changed. Only driving allowed was to launch a boat.

Beach driving in Mozambique is illegal, except in areas that are clearly designated for launching boats. Further
north there are short, regulated stretches where you can drive on the beach with a permit, but as a rule, keep off
the dunes and don’t drive on the beach.

http://www.vistabonita.co.za/documents/ ... 0Guide.pdf (Alles wat jy nog altyd oor Moz wou geweet het)


Malaria tablets are a definite must in MOZ.

Regards

[ricster]

Hey hey....I'm jealous....

Beach driving is a BIG no no !!!! There is a small stretch at Coconut Bay ( Inhambane ) that I once drove on.... about 1km.... but that was a long while back. The problem with beach driving is the turtle nests in the sand.

As for malaria.... this is a VERY grey area. I personally.... and this is only my opinion ( so I don't get sued for misrepresentation..... ) don't take Malaria tablets. This is why....

1) I do scuba diving, and diving to say 40m below sea level, some malaria tabs can have detrimental effects. Nitrogen narcosis is bad enough to deal with when at that depth, without the worry of drugs making marakas ( no reference meant... )

2) Malaria tablets are basically an antibiotic ( doxycycline ). Antibiotics basically prevent a secondary infection allowing your body to fight whatever is the primary infection is. In other words, if you cut yourself, and you take antibiotics, your body's white blood cells start to repair the damage and kill off any bacteria. Unfortunately the bacteria can possibly multiply faster than what your body can kill them off. This is now where the antibiotics kick in. They prevent or hamper the multiplying of the bacteria, allowing your body to fight the bacteria successfully.

With malaria, it is a sometimes FATAL illness. If you are aware of what the symptoms are of malaria, which everyone that enters a malaria area should know, you will VERY seldom get seriously ill.

Malaria has a gestation period. So, if I'm not mistaken, for 2 weeks after leaving a malaria area, you need to be aware of the symptoms ( We watch carefully for 2 months to be sure!!). These are runny nose, flu/cold symptoms, stiff or sore joints, weak, lethargic, general uncomfortable feeling and or vomiting.

If you or anyone so much as gets a sniff... or a sneeze GO TO THE DOCTOR !!!. My son seems to be allergic to malaria tabs, and we have been taking him to Moz since he was 1 year old. So from about since he was 2 ( when we realized we cannot give him malaria tabs) if he got even a slight runny nose ....off he went to the Doc. BUT..... you MUST TELL THE DOCTOR THAT THEY MUST DO THE 2 TESTS. One is done with a malaria kit, and the other is done under the microscope, as some strains apparently cannot be picked up on the malaria kit!!!

But back to the issue around Malaria tablets. Be aware......MALARIA CAN TAKE YOU OUT IN 3 OR 4 DAYS.... AS IN OUT

Should you get bitten by a malaria mozzie, which is not every mozzie by the way (as only a few carry malaria), and after say a week you feel snotty one morning.... you have basically 2 days to really get your A int G and get to a doctor, as even day 2 is pushing it. but lets say you feel crappy in the morning ( day 1) and go to the Doc for tests. They will then check etc and this takes time. so now you are on day 2. If you do have malaria, you can start the treatment straight away ( if the hospital/ pharmacy even has the correct drugs, which many don't up here in JHB or non Malaria areas) So now that's day 2, and by now you are going to feel as rough as a badgers butt. Day 3 will be a very bad day too, as the drugs start to win the battle. By day 4, you should be feeling remarkably better, and a few days later you will be back to normal.... hopefully ( define normal). Total of really bad days .....+/- 2-3 days!!

Malaria tablets DON"T prevent you from getting malaria.... OR cure malaria !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now when you have take malaria tablets, and should you get bitten by a malaria mozzie these antibiotics will start doing exactly what they should be doing. This process helps you recover easier from malaria as you now already have a "type" of antibiotic in your system, which will allow the malaria medication to sort out the malaria.

Now here is where why I do not take malaria tabs, remembering that malaria will take you down within a few days!! Also malaria tabs can make it a little more difficult to for them to pick up malaria in the tests!!

Due to having a "type" of antibiotic in your system the chances of you feeling a little crappy, snotty or flu/cold symptoms is I believe greatly reduced as the antibiotic is doing what it is supposed to do. so instead of catching the malaria symptoms at day 1, you may only pick it up at day 3. By now the malaria has gone ballistic in your system, so you rush to the Doc probably end day 3 or day 4. The tests take time, so possibly only get treated day 5. So only 8-10 days ( possibly more) later will you feel that life is worth living again. Total bad days ....+/- 5 days, as the malaria has had at least 3 extra days in your system to causer havoc, and that will naturally take longer to cure, hence the longer recovery time.

What I do, and have done over the years, was to stop in at any pharmacy in Moz, and ask them for the Malaria medicine. The one I have at home ( I'll have a look tonight for the name and let you know) come in a 3 day course, and works by body weight determining how many tabs you take. So day one , when you feel snotty etc ... you take the first dose, day 2 you will feel crappy... you take 2nd dose, and day 3 the third dose...... they say day 4 you will be enjoying a 2M beer that you smuggled back to sa... .... And every year I throw away the old ones and buy fresh ones to keep at home.... just incase. I have also told my Doctor that we don't take malaria tablets ( He doesn't like it, but he also knows that Moz will probably know better than SA on how to work with malaria) and knows that I have the drugs to fix anyone of us, should we get malaria. I will not wait an extra day for them to courier drugs in for me or my family, when every day counts !!

Please note this is my opinion only and you must do what you feel is the best.

[marakasmalan]

Yes, When I drove trucks through Africa I also didn't use tablets, priority number 1 is not to get bitten. BUT, that was when I knew I could react when I get ill, I am not so sure what is the case with a 2 year old lad?

Maputo I travel to frequently, even though that is a low risk area, some people still get malaria. How prevalent is malaria in Canda?

Regards

[Tinus lotz]

We use camfer cream with setronella oil in rub it all over kids and spray tabard ect
Put on long sleve t shirts and cotton pants long ones never had a problem yet

[ricster]

I assume Canda, near Inharrime between Xai Xai and Inhambane.

I'm not sure of the stats but I've been to Ponta do Ora, Maputo, Bilene, southern Inhambane ( Coconut Bay area) and north Inhambane ( Barra lodge and Tofo side).... and the little @$#%& blood suckers are everywhere.

My boys are now 9 and 12, and like I said, my youngest has been going to Moz since he was 1 ( had his first birthday in Inhambane)..... but yes .... prevention is better than cure. With my boys we had a strict routine.

at the end of the day ... before the sun sets, they had to bath/shower. We used a citronella oil soap. When finished in the bath/shower, we made strong mix of citronella oil and aqueous cream and smeared the kids in the stuff. Then dried their hair and put a few drops of citronella oil on the brush and combed it through their hair.

Often I wanted to put them in a glass with a little Bacardi and enjoy a caipirinha ....

Then we had a few cotton jump suits ( I didn't know what they were called so had to phone the wife quick....ha ha...) basically it looks like a one piece overall with a zip in the front, and elastic ribbing around the arms and feet to stop anything flying or climbing up the legs or arms. Then a pair of thin-ish socks, and if they can keep shoes on a pair of "crocks" or the lekker cheapies at Pick n Pay work fantastic. The jump suits we got made up by a friend of the family and were made of light cotton so that they can still be cool. Peaceful sleep or Tabard sprayed around their ankles every now and again, and they will be sorted. Try not let them sweat too much as the mozzies are attracted to sweat and carbon dioxide ...... AND LIGHTS left on in a room.

We bought the big tins of Tabard citronella candles and started to burn them as soon as the sun went down and kept the lights off as much as possible. We also put a little citronella oil on the bedding and mozzie nets. Tuck the mozzie net under the mattress and don't leave any gaps where you climb in.

The other thing is a mozzie cannot fly in wind.... so the windier the room the better if you have a breeze that @$#%& blood sucker is not going to get a chance to get airborne and into the mozzie net.

Remember while you are there to sit in the drafty areas.... if there is no wind they will get you.

Are you camping or staying at a resort? Some places spray there land with mozzie stuff which does help.

[Gerrit Loubser]

Maputo I travel to frequently, even though that is a low risk area, some people still get malaria. How prevalent is malaria in Canda?

Not sure about specifics for that area, but malaria seems to be more widespread now than a few years ago. One of my wife's colleagues went to Thonga Beach Lodge (at Mabibi, only a little way north of Sodwana) on honeymoon a couple of months ago and her husband contracted malaria...

[ricster]

Yeah.... I must be honest and say I/we have been very lucky. ( touch wood ).... If I think of how many times I have been bitten by mozzies... there is always a chance.... take preventative measures and be aware and prepared should you get bitten by the one in however many tens of thousands of mozzies that carry malaria

BTW Gin and tonic helps....ha ha.... WWW WWW

[Izak]

Cedric, as you said, that is your opinion and I respect it, but humbly I beg to differ. Stayed in Nelspruit, working on the Moz border for 5 years and I never took Malaria prevention (and never got it either), as I believe that if you take it over to long a period it will mask the Malaria symptoms to effectively.

Should I visit a Malaria area now while staying in Gauteng I would take the pills. One of the reasons is that the Malaria infection is not always detectable in the blood tests as it spikes at different cycles. As you said the days are critical, and if the infection is not detected in the first test, the GP will treat you for flu, and you might take flu medicine for a day or two before you go for a second test.

Children I will give malaria medicine regardless.


"Sonder benadeling van regte"

[ricster]

Absolutely respect that you differ from my opinion... that's what make a forum great !!...

Regarding the tests.... That's why I mentioned the 2 different tests that MUST me done... I was lead to understand that if the one test doesn't pick it up, the other should.