Malaria Prevention and Malaria Tablets in Point Cook

Where malaria occurs

Malaria is common in parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the South Pacific, according to healthdirect. Australia was certified malaria free in 1981, so cases diagnosed here come from overseas travel. The health section of each Smartraveller destination page is a useful starting point before your appointment.

When to see the doctor

Book 4 to 6 weeks before you leave. Antimalarial medicine needs to be started before you arrive in a malaria area, and the GP will explain exactly when to start and stop. If your trip also needs vaccines, an earlier visit gives time for courses with more than one dose.

Bring your full itinerary, including stopovers, side trips and the dates you will be in each place, plus a list of your current medicines. A two-week resort stay and a month of rural trekking in the same country can carry very different risks, so the detail matters.

Choosing malaria tablets in Point Cook

There is more than one antimalarial medicine, and the choice depends on:

• the countries and regions on your itinerary, including rural areas
• how long you will be in a malaria area
• pregnancy, or plans to become pregnant
• the age of any children travelling
• your other medicines and medical conditions
• side effects from antimalarials on earlier trips

No antimalarial is guaranteed to work, partly because of drug resistance in some regions, so bite prevention remains essential.

Avoiding mosquito bites

• use a repellent containing DEET, IR3535 or icaridin
• wear light-coloured long trousers and long-sleeved shirts in the evening
• sleep in a screened room or under an insecticide-treated net
• avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn where you can
• skip perfume and aftershave

Who is at higher risk

Children under 5 can become very sick with malaria quickly. In pregnancy, malaria raises the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and a small baby. People living with HIV are also at higher risk of severe infection.

A fever during or after your trip

Symptoms usually start 10 to 15 days after infection, but can appear weeks or months later, and some types return months or years afterwards. Early symptoms such as fever, chills, headache and tiredness are easy to mistake for flu. See a doctor straight away for any fever during or after travel, and say where you have been, even if the trip was months ago. Diagnosis needs a blood test, which sometimes has to be repeated. If the person is very unwell, go to an emergency department or call 000.

Common questions