Hey TC,Malaria! Funny you should mention it.
Since you bring it up, I have some questions of my own and would be grateful for any and all learned replies.
It's actually a topic that's been on my mind of late because of all I'm learning about Babs.
I've been wondering about the possibility of gestational transmission. I know I'm not allowed to donate blood....
I caught malaria during an epidemic while living in Africa as a VERY healthy, athletic teenager. This was despite taking anti-malarial meds for 6 weeks prior, throughout my stay and 6 weeks following my return.
All of my American counterparts (also on anti-malarials) got quite ill (like a bad body/fever/headache flu) for about 3+ days/week. A few local chidren died.
I just got a horrible headache and was a bit achey but was otherwise up and about. Felt pretty smug about the strength of my immune system at the time as I recall, too.
After my return home, besides being treated for all manner of parasites, I felt pretty good. I was again wrapped up in training, pushing myself as hard as I could 24/7.
I had just stopped the anti-malarial meds when one night during practice, I felt very hot, exhausted and my face was bright red. Not neccesarily so unusual; except this time, it was really bad and it didn't subside. It got much worse.
By the time we got home I was shaking all over and I spent days in bed in total delerium, with a sustained temps of over 105. I lost more than 10 pounds in sweat. My mattress went in the garbage.
It was truly an out of body experience. And just to give me my just desserts, I was much sicker than my buddies had been.
Nasty little bug.
Definately kicked my smug little behind. And truth be told, I was never been able to get back to my former feeling of physical invincibility.
Never went to the hospital either with parents from the old "builds character" school.
During a recent appointment with an LLMD, I anecdotally mentioned having had malaria and asked about the similarities to Babs.
When he discovered I had never been TREATED, he got this flash of alarm on his face. So I said, "What?! Why?"
He just shook his head and changed the subject.
So what the heck does THAT mean?!
When we were in Africa, nobody got "treated"; everybody just rode it out, eventually got better and promised never to donate blood.
Obviously,I can say for sure that both my kids have gotten bad "flu" symptoms. I mean, what kid hasn't? Neither have experienced anything like the fever I had.
Just wondering if anyone out there happens to know anything about this critter.
Unless I hear I should be doing something else, I'm putting it all in the "Oh, well, *#&*! happens!" category and moseying on down the trail.
All that said, I tend to think Zip is probably right on the money with the rates of malaria; most of the places mentioned seem to be close to major international airports(I'm assuming that the MD cases are coming into Wash, DC?).
The bird migration pattern is an interesting theory, too.
peace,
andie, JC & Julie