In some areas of Africa, washing clothes in a hotel sink and hanging them up in the shower to drip dry, a common practice among feds who pack light, is not recommended. Tumbu flies lay invisible eggs in wet fabric, and when egg-infested clothes are worn, the larvae burrow into the person's skin. The first sign of infection is translucent pustules in which the wriggling larvae can be seen, accompanied by uncontrollable itching. Travelers can avoid starring in their own version of the movie Alien by making sure clothes are dried in a machine and pressed with a hot iron, which will kill the eggs. Travelers visiting tropical and subtropical regions where malaria is present must take anti-malaria pills before, during and after their trip.
Malaria is a potentially fatal blood disease transmitted by parasite-carrying mosquitoes.
A patient can survive malaria, but the parasite cannot be purged from the blood stream and the disease may return years later. Malaria is continually evolving and becoming resistant to medications, so travelers must consult a doctor who specializes in travel medicine to find out which drug is currently most effective for their destination. These days, the anti-malaria medication that the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally recommend is mefloquine, sold under the brand name Larium. Larium is the strongest anti-malaria drug developed to date, and healthy travelers who have taken other malaria medications without incident have reported side effects ranging from insomnia and hallucinogenic dreams to acute depression and panic attacks. While hallucinogenic dreams are certainly preferable to malaria, many travelers have complained that their doctors did not sufficiently warn them of the risks.