The Nigeria pill
Page 19
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FOLLOWING a near-fatal illness involving Mr David Dean, of Paisley, who recently made an overland trip to Nigeria (CM, September 26), a Glasgow hospital doctor has issued the following warning.
"Drivers planning trips to Niger, Nigeria or the Sahara must include in their pre-trip preparations a course of anti-malaria tablets. The tab lets should be taken before and during the trip and the course must be continued for six weeks after the trip has finished."
Dr Lawson of Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow, said the tablets —Proguainl (Paludrine)—had no side-effects and would offer complete immunisation.
He said that Mr Dean, who had been suffering from malignant malaria, had been detained in hospital for 21 days, 10 of them in the intensive care unit of Stobhill, another Glasgow hospital.
Mr Dean, who had been seriously ill and had almost died, had failed to recognise the symptoms which had started nine days before his admission and were symptomatic of the common cold and influenza. All other precautions including inoculation and vaccination for yellow fever, small-pox, TAB, cholera, and tetanus had been taken.
Dr Lawson also told CM that drivers could be exposed to Lassa fever the cause of which was still a mystery and the cure for which was still unknown. "We would not wish to make too much of this at this stage," he said, "but this can be a particularly nasty disease."