beer

I got my first trip to Africa. Going to Lagos. Does anyone take any meds before going? I remember reading something that advised pilot to take Cipro for Malaria before going? Anyone do this? Has there been any stories of people getting sick? I'm not paranoid, but would rather be safe!!
Thanks

Justdoinmyjob

Go to the DALPA website & forum. There is a lot of useful gouge there. Also try DeltaNet, less useful, but still has some good info.

iaflyer

I've flown several trips to Africa for Delta, including the 8 and 9 day trip, and never got sick, although some on the crew did.

Simple precautions prevent 90% of the problems: don't drink water that isn't bottled, don't eat vegetables or fruits that aren't peeled, ie. bananas and oranges are ok, lettuce is not. (This includes food on the airplane out of Africa) Don't get frozen drinks (because they are made with ice made from poor quality water). Eat at high quality places rather than the cheaper places.

BA Pilot

Having been to Lagos several times over the last 10 years, I concur with iaflyer:

If you stay in the crew hotel (probably the S*******), you will not need anti-malarial protection.

As a malarial precaution however (and his applies across Africa) wear long sleeves from dusk onwards when outside in the evening, use a mosquito spray and keep trousers tucked into socks to be 100% safe!

wrt to other precautions, iaflyer is correct, avoid local water and anything that may be prepared using it, including ice in drinks; wash fruit skins yourself in bottled water - to rinse off other peoples infections. It sounds unpleasant but is not that different to precautions you 'should' apply everywhere in the world - after all you don't know the personal hygiene regime of all restaurant staff, do you?

imho, in Lagos, the greater risk is when away from the hotel ie - en route to/from the airport and when wandering away from it on the slip! I speak from having had to swerve in the crew bus around decapitated bodies en-route from the airport!

alvrb211

"I speak from having had to swerve in the crew bus around decapitated bodies en-route from the airport!"

So..............malaria sounds insignificant when there's the possibility of having your head cut off.

I recall a couple of English guys going there on vacation. They got really drunk and somehow got seperated. One woke up in the morning with a stinking hangover and a fresh row of stitches. He later found out he was minus a kidney. I think he got over the hangover pretty quickly after that.

Enjoy your trip.

AL

PilotFrog

Such an Urban legend. This does not happen.

IXLR8

HEY!!! Sign me up.....

Jughead

I guess I won't complain about my Jackson, MS layovers anymore.

KC10 FATboy

I've flown a couple of trips to Africa for the USAF. Although we were in country longer than what you're going to be, I'll give you what we were told by Uncle Sam.

1. Only drink bottled water -- absolutely no tap. Bottled waters aren't created equally. You need to know which ones are safe. If you don't know, ask your hotel staff, experienced crew members, or call the US embassy (no, I'm not joking). If the cap isn't sealed, don't drink it.

2. No ice in your drinks. See #1.

3. The USAF made us take 2 antibiotics. We first pre-loaded with Doxycycline and took this during the trip. Then, after returning home, we took 500mg of Cypro. Personally, I didn't take the medicine and refused the Cypro. Malaria isn't the only problem however ... there's several diseases that you are at an elevated risk for.

4. Do not eat fresh vegetables. Make sure they are cooked. I suppose you could eat ones that a pealed. However, know that in many cultures, it is acceptable for human waste to be used for fertilizer. So, make sure you wash anything thats fresh (an apple for example).

5. Do wear clothing that gives you protection. In the urban areas I've traveled, during the day you were ok. At night, even in the cities, mosquitos were definitely an issue. I think with proper clothing and good spray, you will be ok. I can't really imagine why you would be spending a lot of time outdoors in the evening ... which isn't smart.

6. Use the buddy system; don't go anywhere alone. Even if you have a buddy, make sure someone else outside your group knows where you are going.

7. Always know how to get to the US embassy and how to dial it using the local phones. Additionally, check the web for any travel alerts for the countries you're going to be transiting.

8. If you travel outside the city, DO NOT TRAVEL AT NIGHT.

I know a lot of this sounds like paranoria, but you have to remember, you are in Africa.

A good site to visit is Health and Safety Tips for Visitors to Africa - Staying Healthy and Safe in Africa . It addresses all kinds of concerns and has links to all the websites you need.

-Fatty

DAL4EVER

Where is all the gouge related to San Diego and Seattle?

This is why I am staying put on domestic until I can bypass Africa or be on a plane that doesn't see Africa (specifically Lagos) on the bid packs.