While tuberculosis and syphilis each hold a hallowed place in epic literature, malaria is the disease writers turn to in their romantic imaginings of exotic adventure. Preventing malaria is not something an author is likely to do for their characters. Malaria is too good as a plot device. The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen, and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver would all be very different books without malaria to drive the story, twist the plot, and increase the stakes.
One of the reasons I travel is to seek out the experiences I read about. I long for the sensual reality of my literary experiences. There is so much I’m looking forward to seeking out in Vietnam and Cambodia; the smell of burning joss, the visual riot of reds and yellows painted on temple dragons, the caress of silk, and taste of Pho. I am not, however looking forward to fever, chills, nausea, headache and delirium. To avoid such sensations, I have taken firm steps to prevent mosquito borne illness.
First, I have my anti-malaria pills, but they can cause tummy trouble in sensitive people. I need a back-up in case I have a bad reaction. Besides, malaria might have an honored place among literary diseases, but I’m more afraid of dengue fever. Anti-malaria pills won’t help with that. Even if I tolerate my Atovaquone/Proguanil just fine, I still want to keep the blood suckers away. Since flying with a can of insect repellant might not go over very well with the TSA, and because I don’t want a leaky bug-dope bottle to soak my gear, I packed deet-infused towelettes to use when out on day hikes and excursions. Since I will be spending a couple of nights on boats and trains, I also wanted something to protect me while I slept. I found a pair of sonic mosquito repellant devices. Last, but not least, I treated my entire travel wardrobe with permethrin.
I never knew you could treat your cloths with permethrin at home! I ordered a couple of big bottles of the stuff and went to work. While most of my fabrics absorbed the spray very well, using the hand trigger pump-bottle was pretty tiring. You need a strong grip but that’s not the hardest part. I have a few items of clothing made of a breathable but water resistant fabric These items repelled the spray and instead of absorbing and drying into the fabric, it tended to run down and drip off. Since these items are the ones I plan to wear on day-hikes, this was a problem.
Looks like a soaker job! There is a version of the treatment that allows you to soak clothing in a plastic bag with permethrin solution. After carefully measuring to achieve the appropriate concentration, I submerged my water resistant items and carefully sealed the bags. Every thirty minutes I gently sloshed and turned the bags to insure thorough coverage. After a few hours I donned my plastic gloves, wrung out the clothing and hung it all to dry with the pieces that more readily absorbed the pre-mixed spray.
Preventing malaria and dengue fever isn’t that hard. When it’s time to close the book and open the door I know my clothing is mosquito repellant. I can embrace the adventures of my choice. I don’t have to worry about mosquitos choosing an adventure for me.
Read ~ Write ~ Wander
~Angie