The experiences given here do not replace the need for medical opinions and examinations. Therefore you have to immediately see a doctor, if you feel any illness.
It is recommended to visit the nearest vaccination centre or your family doctor before travelling.
Unfortunately, you might get malaria if you stay in the tropics or Zanzibar. Lariam is a recommended chemoprophylactic agent against malaria.
Remember that the chemoprophylactic agent does not provide full protection.
It is more widespread in the northern part of Tanzania, on the area of the national parks. Malaria is called also as intermittent fever.
This name is due to the fact that it recurs in cycles, that is the patient has fever in one period, then he or she feels good in another period.
The he or she has fever again, and then he or she feels better again, and in most cases the fever completely disappears in the symptom free period after heavy sweating.
This is why people think that they have only fever, and there is no significant trouble.
If you make light of it, you can even die!
The rule of thumb (according to the head of the Eastern European Section of the International Health and Education Committee of the EU) is:
Any fever experienced during staying in the tropics or subsequently is considered as malaria unless it is properly excluded by a specialist.
Malaria is spread by a mosquito species, which is reasonably called as malaria mosquito (Anopheles mosquito).
The female mosquito spreads this disease. You can recognise the mosquito by its mesothorax, which closes an angle of 45° with the plane.
When we were last in Zanzibar, one evening the mesothorax of ca. 5% of the identical mosquito staying on the wall closed an angle of 45°.
We never take a chemoprophylactic agent, but do not follow our example!
One of our friends, who grew up there, and is over 40, got malaria twice, but his Hungarian doctor did not recognise it on the first occasion,
though he repeated that he had come from Africa and asked if it was malaria. Then the disease was identified and healed in the László Hospital. He was getting about again for nearly one month.
If you feel completely helpless, go to a local pharmacy, and tell them what symptoms you have.
They will surely help and give you a malaria drug, or even quinine. Then have good healing!
Another fact to be taken into consideration that the hygienic requirements are much less stringent than in Europe.
Vaccination against Hepatitis A protects you for 3-5 years, and therefore a second dose of vaccine is given, which will protect you for 20 years.
The other important vaccination is against Hepatitis B (which may be used in a combination of vaccination against Hepatitis A-B).
Both vaccines protect against hepatitis. Wash all fruits even if you are going to peel them. You can see people cooking on the streets at many places.
Eat there only if the food is prepared in front of you, and fresh fish, ink-fish or octopus.
We have not really had an upset stomach, and have not got any tropical diseases, but as we said, do not follow our example,
as we wish everybody has a good time during their vacation without any sickness or illness.
Anyone should request a vaccine against yellow at his own discretion.
According to Dr. Ágnes Axmann, Tanzania lies within an infected (epidemic) area, but according to the WHO, it did not belong to the invested areas in 1991 and 1992,
and no disease was reported in the country in 2001.
The vaccine must be administered 4 weeks before the travel, and it has an effect only after two weeks.
Perhaps it is unnecessary, but consult your doctor responsible for the vaccination.
As it can be seen on the above map, the WHO does not recommend vaccination in general in Tanzania and Zanzibar (griddled area) (2015).
The Mnazi Mmoja Hospital and the Tasakhtaa Global Hospital handed over in 2015 operate on the island of Zanzibar.
