Health advice for travel to PNG

Post by **streetdaddy** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:48 pm

I'm heading to Nusa resort in PNG in January with a few mates and I'm looking at the travel advice at
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/ ... lth_Issues

They mention Malaria, Dengue fever, Tuberculosis, typhoid, and hepatitis A, B and C. I've checked with my GP and the combined total for protection against all those things is $300+ and who doesn't hate injections...

Do i need to be worried about all/i] of these things if I'm a night in Pt Moresby and on Nusa island for a week? Its not like I'm trekking through jungles, shagging locals or partaking in cannibalism, so I'm wondering if the health advice is overly cautious, just like all the other advice is... Or should I just listen to my GP and get all the shots to be safe as possible?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Post by **puurri** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 3:28 pm

streetdaddy wrote:I'm heading to Nusa resort in PNG in January with a few mates and I'm looking at the travel advice at
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/ ... lth_Issues

They mention Malaria, Dengue fever, Tuberculosis, typhoid, and hepatitis A, B and C. I've checked with my GP and the combined total for protection against all those things is $300+ and who doesn't hate injections...

Do i need to be worried about all/i] of these things if I'm a night in Pt Moresby and on Nusa island for a week? Its not like I'm trekking through jungles, shagging locals or partaking in cannibalism, so I'm wondering if the health advice is overly cautious, just like all the other advice is... Or should I just listen to my GP and get all the shots to be safe as possible?

Any advice is much appreciated.

go down the rissole and talk to any digger who was there (not many left due to various TIDs). Dengue and Cerebral malaria perhaps the worst. Dae should have the goods on this matter>>>> lead on McDuff.

Post by **barstardos** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:14 pm

I do a lot of travel in the developing world, and the simple answer is yes- get the shots. Go to TMVC in Dymocks building and they will get you sorted on the spot. definitely get malaria, hep A and maybe the others.
I did Kokoda last year but I was already upto date with everything so I cant rememeber what is PNG specific. There is shitloads of malaria in PNG, especially the northern islands.

Post by **botters** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:39 pm

Went to Nusa Island a couple of years ago and all we did was take malaria tabs to start with. But there are no mozzies there 'cause they've been killed off and there is no standing fresh water on the island. So we stopped, as the pills were doing odd things to us (strange dreams)! We did ask the guys running the place if they thought it'd be OK first. Moresby's a tough one but we didn't leave the hotel so no probs there. You've got more chance of being mugged in Moresby than getting a disease anyway.

Post by **--++sunstroke++--** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 7:03 pm

Body armour and your AK47 should keep trouble out of your way

Post by **tootr** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 7:53 pm

take it, providing your advice is up to date from a doc knowledgable in CURRENT tropical issues and what meds to avoid re side effects.

you do not want to get malaria for the sake of a ten day trip..

if ****ed me up for 6 months!

Post by **streetdaddy** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:13 pm

thanks for the replies everyone. with this info and a few scary stories from my gp (who is well travelled himself and has a few patients who travel there regularily) I'm definitely going to get jacked up with meds! Also heard some crazy stories at the pub of a guy working over there helping the locals build houses on the islands and packs of whacked out tribesman ransacking the place and burning down all houses he built... nice

ill be on the antimalarial tablets as well so looking forward to some freaky dreams...

Post by **JFish** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:57 am

Streetdaddy, one of our crew contracted malaria on a trip to Nusa Isl. He rolled a leg out of his mozzie net one night, got a heap of bites and 8 week later - bang.

I suggest you take malaria precautions including using a repellant at sunset/evening. Also I'd take a broad spectrum antibiotic such as Augmentum for coral cuts that go wrong.

Might just get on a plane myself if time permits - bloody envious!

Post by **betterIwas** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:25 am

My brother caught a mild form of malaria in PNG about 30 years ago. Still suffering the effects from time to time.

Worth taking the pills. The other diseases are also pretty serious. May be worth taking precautions.

Envious - trying to find time to go there myself.

Post by **streetdaddy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:59 pm

should be a fun trip. i haven't been there before but have heard good things about the place, not so much the super-heavy freight train barrels, but the lack of crowds sounds great. going in peak swell season so maybe we'll get a bit of pee-your-pants action somewhere...

Post by **Dingus** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:35 pm

This old chestneut:

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Uses/0 ... xy,00.html

Post by **puurri** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:18 pm

and don't forget what Giardia can do!!!

after the initial "moment" for abt 3-8 days it can reassert in moments of stress for some years (and this contracted in northeastern VIC)

Maybe this gave rise to "movement" bodyboarders?

happy to discuss

Post by **puurri** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:18 pm

and don't forget what Giardia can do!!!

after the initial "moment" for abt 3-8 days it can reassert in moments of stress for some years (and this I contracted in northeastern VIC)

Maybe this gave rise to "movement" bodyboarders?

happy to discuss

Post by **shish** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:32 pm

just got back from there. Awesome place. Good waves, not big though. Suspect it has to get a decent size before Picanninies starts breaking. Always a wave at Ral though. Didn't see many mozzies, but Malaria's pretty rife so cover up !!

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Health advice for travel to PNG

Health advice for travel to PNG

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