I've been to the Amazon once. I took Malarone daily to protect against Malaria. I didn't get any hallucinations while awake, but the kind of dreams I had were absolutely crazy, exciting, and vivid. Is there anyone who knows what kind of affects Malaria drugs can have on travelers. Given how many teams and players who are going there, are there any real worries that a few players might be affected by some more negative side effects? Are there some more expensive drugs that teams could employ that have lower likelihood of side effects?
The CDC says the drugs of choice are Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. I have no idea of the costs. I also doubt very much if anyone has ever done tests of performance under the influence. Maybe the players will not take antimalarials and depend on local anti mosquito spraying.
The Qataris have invented giant bug zappers to hover over the stadium to prevent insects from entering the arena and therefore keeping the players and spectators malaria-free.
Doxycycline is a common antibiotic, not particulary expensive, and without psychotic side effects, so far as I am aware (and based on personal experience taking it).
Yeah, I was used it for my 45 days in jungle a few years back. Didn't have any side effects I am aware of.
If only the completely harmless DDT wasn't banned all over the world, Malaria would be nearly exterminated. Regardless, I don't think it will be a big deal as Doxycycline is a standard antibiotic used around the world.
Thanks for the responses everyone. I assumed there were likely some options with smaller chances of side effects. That would have been a strange external force that could have affected the games. Perhaps it still will for some of the fans.
Here's a story about the precautions the English squad will take. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/dec/09/england-world-cup-roy-hodgson-tropical-diseases-jabs
A. scrap the long sleeve shirts B. Factor 140 on Wayne Rooney (they will need something strong enough to make the sun set). I sort of like our chances in the heat and humidity. MLS players/alumni are well aware of it. Some of the Euro imports will need to learn about it.
Thank you for starting this column. I've been thinking about starting one as well warning people to be extra careful while in Manaus. This city is just down river from Farc controlled lands in Colombia. Maybe somebody who has more time on their hands can write something up so anyone buying tickets who is on bigsoccer gets warned to do some homework.
I don't think farc is really a concern. A host of vaccines seem necessary but is farc, an organization on the ropes right now really going to stage a dramatic kidnapping a 1000 miles into Brazilian territory?
Doxycycline - it is also used to treat rosacea and some patients take dox for months on end with literally no side effects.
You can take any of the medications available for malaria prevention with no side effects. However, side effects can manifest themselves in serious ways. Doxy, for example, can lead to excessive burning of the skin after even modest sun exposure (this is a symptom for around 7-20% of Doxy users). Mefloquine can result in night terrors and hallucinations. Suffice it to say, if the medical staff do prescribe medication it will likely be Malarone, as it has the fewest side effects. But it's not as if any of the players will be popping Doxy or Mefloquine for the first time the night before the game in Manaus; they'll have begun their prescribed regimen of medications weeks in advance.
Ah, DDT, big bad DDT as the "settled science" of the mid-20th century. Ironic that it's banning was justified on the grounds it hurt the bald-eagle population, and now we officially sanction chopping 'em up by the bucketful in the service of the glory of wind-turbinery. I wonder if the malaria protozoa is showing signs of developed resistance to our medications/defenses.... Anyway, Manaus is certainly a very special place and the USMNT has a rare privilege in being allowed to play there.....
I'm going to assume that given the fact that the US plays in tropical conditions all the time for qualifiers, that Soccer House has their shit together on this issue. This is true. there's a distance greater than the diameter of Uruguay between the city and the Colombian border...and Uruguay is kind of a small country...scary. Here in Chicago I live in fear of nearby rampaging Canadians.
FARC.... Hilarious. " just down river". Cmon now. There is zero connection to spending a few days in manaus with the FARC rebels in neighboring colombia. Classic post... You made my day right there. Edit: double hilarious post.
Look man, you know New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in the world. In fact it is number 21* in the world for homicides outside of war zones. Living an equal distance up river from New Orleans here in Wisconsin as Manaus is from Colombia, I feel like my life could be in danger at any moment. *For what it's worth Manaus is #26. Recife is 32.
Didn't DDT get overused as a common pesticide for agricultural profit rather than a particularly effective anti disease agent?