Should I take anti-malarial drugs for Costa Rica?

Question

I am going from May 15-31 and will be traveling to both coasts as well as Monteverde. I do not want to take the drugs as it seems like just one more thing to worry about, and I do not know how expensive they are. Could someone who has been or who knows a lot about malaria give me an informed answer?

Answer 1

WE NOT HAVE MALARIA

Answer 2

We just came back from Cr and I did not even see one single mosquito! WE all did not get vaccinated. Nobody had a mosquito bite. Take rather some 100% spray with you if you fear to be bitten.

Answer 3

I wouldn't worry too much about malaria but dengue fever is probably much more prevalent. Use a good spray with at least 23% deet.  Mosquitos are most prevalent in the early morning and in the evening when the sun is going down.

I was there for 10 days and I don't remember any problems with them. And we were in the south in the back country.

Cover up a bit and use some spray.

Answer 4

You don t  need anti-malarial drugs before travel to Costa Rica.

Answer 5

I didn't think that mosqitos in Costa Rica carried malaria.... but I was wrong....  Here is the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for Costa Rica...  It has info on every country in the world, as it is in the best interest of all Americans not to bring c**p from other places that could adversely affect us all!!

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationCo...

p.s.  I checked out the website below and that person actually references the CDC a couple of times and her bit on Chagas is very inaccurate.  You don't become infected from the insect bite, you become infected by unknowingly rubbing the fecal matter into the bite area.  The Kissing bugs always bites around your nose and mouth because it is attracted to the carbon-dioxide that you exhale... similar to the mosquito.

Answer 6

LOL  I have never hear of anyone ever getting malaria here in Costa Rica, so don’t worry, I do suggest you to  use some insects repellent to avoid Dengue that’s a very frequent  disease during the wet season here in Costa Rica… nothing to panic about.

If you want to share your experience in Costa Rica, just visit the link below

Answer 7

Costa Rica is not a place with a malaria problem.

You can if you want to but you dont really need to.

But do make sure you carry bug repelent with you when your there incase you go to some humid parts of the country.

If you cant take it in the plane you can buy it when you get there.

Answer 8

For the most part, you do not need to take anti-malarials in Costa Rica.  Where you do, you should take chloriquine, you don't need the more exotic drugs.  The only places where there have been reported malaria cases to worry about have been along the Nicaraguan border and in the province of Limon.  For that reason I would probably take chlorquine if you are going to spend time in Limon, Puerto Viejo or the Talamanca region because if you are in the Atlantic region you may be going to those places.   I would not worry about malaria on the Pacific side.   The CDC warnings are very generic and regional, so they only give an general idea.

Answer 9

We just went to Costa Rica in January. We went to Puerto Viejo and Playa Chiquita. There were five of us in our group and one of us definitely got malaria. We weren't even aware that was a problem there. He just came back really sick and after about two weeks the doctor decided to test him for it and sure enough. I guess it's just the luck of the draw...

Answer 10

I researched Malaria for my first trip to CR.  The malaria problem in CR is very very small and usually found in isolated areas that tourist do not frequent.  I chose not to do the pills last time and I'm not taking them for my upcoming trip either.  I was in Monteverde and that is a popular tourist location.  No malaria there.  I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, unless you are hiking in some unusual location.

Check out this website for all your tropical disease info:

http://www.therealcostarica.com/health_e...

The CDC will tell you to get vaccinated for everthing under the sun, but this website will tell you if you really need to get vaccinated for stuff - depending on where you are going.

Answer 11

hey girl,

malaria? you don't need to worry

just come and relax