Do You Need Malaria Tablets for Turkey?

Turkey is a beautiful country located between Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia. It offers stunning landscapes rich history and culture and amazing cuisine. As Turkey continues to grow in popularity as a tourist destination, many travelers wonder if they need to take malaria tablets when visiting. This article provides a comprehensive overview to help you determine if you need malaria tablets for your upcoming trip to Turkey.

Before diving into the malaria risk in Turkey specifically it’s helpful to understand malaria in general. Malaria is a serious sometimes fatal, disease spread by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, with 2 of them – P. falciparum and P. vivax – posing the greatest threat.

Malaria symptoms usually begin about 9 to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms are high fevers, chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Without prompt diagnosis and treatment, the disease can quickly become severe and life threatening.

The good news is malaria can be prevented. Precautions like sleeping under a mosquito net, wearing long sleeves and pants, and using insect repellent can help avoid mosquito bites. Malaria tablets can also help prevent the disease by killing the parasite before it can multiply in the body.

Malaria Risk in Turkey

According to the CDC Yellow Book, malaria transmission does occur in some areas of Turkey. However, the risk is considered low across most of the country.

The eastern and southeastern provinces near the Syrian border pose the highest threat. This includes areas like Diyarbakir Mardin Sanliurfa, and Van. The CDC designates these provinces as “malaria risk areas” with year-round P. vivax transmission potential.

Sporadic malaria cases have occurred in other provinces as well. For example, Adana and Hatay along the Mediterranean coast. However, ongoing transmission is not considered endemic. Any malaria cases in western and central Turkey are mainly imported from travelers or migrant workers returning from higher risk areas.

Overall, the malaria risk in popular tourist destinations like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, and Cappadocia is extremely low to none.

Do You Need Malaria Tablets?

Whether or not you need malaria tablets for Turkey depends on several factors:

• Where you are going – If you are only visiting western cities like Istanbul or coastal resort towns along the Aegean or Mediterranean, malaria tablets are not necessary. But if your itinerary includes eastern provinces like Diyarbakir or rural areas right along the Syrian border, taking preventive medication would be wise.

• Time of year – Malaria risk is highest from May through October when mosquitoes are most active. The risk decreases in the cooler winter months.

• Planned activities – If you will be spending a lot of time outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes feed, you have a higher chance of being bitten. Activities like camping, hiking, farming, or fishing raise your risk profile.

• Length of stay – Longer visits, over a month, warrant stronger consideration of malaria tablets compared to short trips.

• Personal health – Pregnant women, young children, seniors, and anyone with a weakened immune system should take extra precautions like malaria tablets to prevent infection.

Always consult with a travel doctor or health clinic before your trip. They can review your itinerary and medical history to determine if malaria prevention is recommended. Many times they will prescribe medication only if you are traveling to the highest risk border regions.

Malaria Tablets for Turkey

There are several different malaria tablets available, but CDC guidelines specifically recommend atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine for Turkey.

Atovaquone-proguanil is sold under the brand name Malarone. It is typically very well tolerated with minimal side effects like headache, abdominal pain, or diarrhea in some people. It needs to be started 1-2 days before traveling to the malaria area.

Doxycycline is an antibiotic that also prevents malaria. Potential side effects include sun sensitivity, nausea, and vaginal thrush. It should be started 1-2 days before departure as well.

Mefloquine is taken as a weekly dose, beginning 2-3 weeks before entering the malaria region. Side effects like vivid dreams, insomnia, anxiety, and dizziness are more common with mefloquine than other options.

Keep in mind malaria tablets only work if taken correctly. So follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. You may need to continue taking the medication for 4 weeks after returning home. Always finish all tablets to prevent developing resistance to the medication.

Other Malaria Precautions

Malaria tablets reduce risk significantly but should be combined with other protective measures as well:

• Sleep in air conditioned or well-screened rooms. Use a mosquito bed net if staying somewhere without window screens.

• Wear light colored, long sleeve shirts and long pants at dawn and dusk.

• Apply EPA registered insect repellent like DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 to exposed skin.

• Treat clothing with permethrin spray for extra protection.

• Take steps to control mosquitoes inside your accommodations. Use plug-in repellents, mosquito coils, or insecticide sprays.

Being cautious about mosquito bites day and night makes it extremely unlikely you will get malaria in Turkey.

Diagnosing Malaria

If you develop a fever or flu-like illness either during your stay in Turkey or after returning home, be sure to tell your doctor about your travel history. Malaria is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment, so a prompt and accurate diagnosis is crucial.

Doctors can do a blood test and microscopic exam of your blood to check for the presence of malaria parasites. Treatment with anti-malaria drugs like quinine, artemisinin, or atovaquone will be started if the test is positive.

While the risk is low across most of Turkey, taking malaria tablets is recommended if you will be specifically traveling to eastern provinces bordering Syria during warmer months. Anywhere else in the country, practicing diligent mosquito bite prevention is usually adequate for protecting yourself. Talk to your travel doctor about the best way to avoid malaria so you can travel to this amazing country worry-free. With some sensible precautions, malaria does not have to put a damper on your Turkish adventure!