What I like about cyprus44 forums

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 10:46

What I like about this forum,

Informative, Personal, Helpful, fun, easy to use and not too! political unlike some forums. Its nice to have as much information on a subject as possible and then make your own decisions without having it rammed down your throat.

I hope Cyprus44 stays this way.



Jamesb

dodger



Joined: 29/07/2007
Posts: 1895

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 10:50

been on the happy pills james.

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 10:57

No, just hope it doesn't get too politcal!

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 11:15

Good morning JamesB i agree it is a very friendly, fun forum and with posters like ourselves we cant go wrong eh !

have a good day regards simbas

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 12:16

And you simba, maybe we should start our own , "I've been attacked by the Sandflies" club.



My boys got chicken pox at the moment, but it reminded me of how I looked!



Have a good day too!



JB

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 16:38

hi all

ive been on many forums and tend to get into many heated arguments with people who disagree with your views, everyone is entitiled to their view either it be right or wrong as long as they dont bend the truth. thats whats so good about this forum even if people dont agree they are always polite

and i have never met a group of people who apreciated all the info i provide to people other forums i used to get responses like 'what the hell do you know' and this forum does covers everything from politics (only lightly but true facts not propaganda) to where can they go for a nice meal of a night

so long live the forum and all the posters who post on it

regards to all

ukturk

p.s james tell me about those sandflies worse than mosi's cos you cant see them, but they used to bite me then die cos my blood is very sour L.O.L

spud1


Joined: 22/05/2007
Posts: 544

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 17:09

ukturk keep up your good work spud1

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 17:34

spud1

thanks a lot mate much apreciated

take care

ukturk

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 17:52

Hi jamesb hope your boys are not suffering too much. but a new club on bites is just what this forum might need at certain times of the year, that is a good idea , you can be club secretary as i am so lazy and bitten up with bites .i still have the marks the little blighters left.

have a good evening simbas

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 20:02

Sound's good Simbas, cheers mate - and you ukturk thanks for all your help on here.



JB

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
12/11/2007 21:14

Dont see what the problem is? have you ever been to the Highlands of Scotland at the wrong time of year? you cant go near any of the locks whithout having every square millimeter of skin covered

grahamlil

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 12:16

Never been to the highlands but the sandflies are evil little buggers that leave you looking like you've had a bad dose of chicken pox. Have you ever been attacked by the sandflies Grahamlil?

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 12:17

no never had the pleasure

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 12:32

Believe me, its no pleasure i can assure you of that. i go to africa twice a year and the mozzies there are quite tame by comparison --------- simbas

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 14:46

Simbas, JamesB



What area are the sandflies? or are they all over, is there a particular time of year?

Regards grahamlil

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 15:35

I was bitten in september in catalkoy area, you cant hear em or see or feel em bite but within a day I had about 30 or 40 red bites that itched like mad - I know Simbas had a similar if not worse experience - I think Vit b (marmite) or garlic helps to fend them off.

Susie


Joined: 06/06/2007
Posts: 87

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 17:36

We were in Girne second week of Sept and i suffered for the first time ever

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 17:51

I too was bitten in september, i wont be making the same mistake again i can tell you.What i know of them is that , they lay in wait for the night to approach, just waiting for an innocent victim to come along. they work themselves up to a feeding frenzy then go in for the kill , viciously and silently attacking the innocent victim . The morning comes but by then it is too late the victim lies writhing in agony with bites all over his body .only one thing can save him, lots of marmite a garland of garlic around his neck and skin so soft shower or moisturising cream, but it must be the one in the green bottle or the the magic wont work . Can these simple things save him and will it leave a lasting effect on his mental well-being ? What do you think ?

Simbas

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 18:06

What do I reckon? I reckon you should be writing suspense thrillers Simba. You are wasted. I got so caught up in your plot above



My partner was severley bitten at a spot down by the Algadi beech. I was hardly bitten at all, but I take a B vitamin complex everyday (she doesn't), so maybe they gave me some protection. I think B3 is needed to stop the little critters but you need to take all the B vitamins for b3 to work effectively. They work together in synergy ( Of course I had my almonds as well )



My neighbour was also badly bitten. She was wiped out for the whole of their holiday and was put on anti biotics

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 18:33

hi ilc all joking aside they really are quite nasty. i had a few hundred bites and that is no word of a lie. i am never usually bitten but it was awful, on the flight back there was no leg room to speak of and the itching was driving me mad, as i couldnt get to the itching areas because there was no room to manouvre. i shall not be going back in sept again i dont joke when i say i wished that death had come quickly.

have a nice evening Simbas

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 21:01

Obviously I must smell or something, we were there in September for two weeks, we swam of a lot of the beaches around Kyrenia, even as far as the Karpas paninsular not a single bite between us.

are we lucky or what



grahamlil

Izzet



Joined: 01/12/2006
Posts: 920

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 21:09

LOL



Q: What do you like about Cyprus44 forums?

A: Sandflies!

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
13/11/2007 21:24

Good point Izzet,



How did we get round to sandflies, (probably me, those little buggers left me mentally scared)!!!!!!!!!!

TonyH


Joined: 22/11/2007
Posts: 107

Message Posted:
28/11/2007 21:21

sandflies - not wishing to cause panic ........but you need to be careful of a disease associated with the little sods - leishmaniasis.



Leishmaniasis is nasty and not well known, check the web for symptoms, its endemic here in Iraq and throughout parts of the Med plus other parts of the globe.



To stop being being bitten all you can do is use a DEET based product and cover up.

kewen


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 59

Message Posted:
28/11/2007 22:17

We were over in October and didn't see any sandflies. Whats the worst month for them, I'm panicking now about Leishmaniasis!

TonyH


Joined: 22/11/2007
Posts: 107

Message Posted:
28/11/2007 22:32

I'm sure you will be OK its just something you need to be aware of with sand flies, they are not only irratating but do carry this rather nasty disease. From experience they are more prevalent during the hot months in countries where they are present.



Tony

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 14:52

kewen,

What the hell is Leishmaniasis ?

regards grahamlil

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 15:19

hi there

here is the explanation

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly, including flies in the genus Lutzomyia in the New World and Phlebotomus in the Old World. The disease was named in 1901 for the Scottish pathologist William Boog Leishman. This disease is also known as Leichmaniosis, Leishmaniose, leishmaniose, and formerly, Orient Boils, Baghdad Boil, kala azar, black fever, sandfly disease, Dum-Dum fever or espundia.



Most forms of the disease are transmissible only from animals (zoonosis), but some can be spread between humans. Human infection is caused by about 21 of 30 species that infect mammals. These include the L. donovani complex with three species (L. donovani, L. infantum, and L. chagasi); the L. mexicana complex with 3 main species (L. mexicana, L. amazonensis, and L. venezuelensis); L. tropica; L. major; L. aethiopica; and the subgenus Viannia with four main species (L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (V.) guyanensis, L. (V.) panamensis, and L. (V.) peruviana). The different species are morphologically indistinguishable, but they can be differentiated by isoenzyme analysis, DNA sequence analysis, or monoclonal antibodies.



hope this help you mate got this from a medical journal

regards

erkan

Susie


Joined: 06/06/2007
Posts: 87

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 15:40

Blimey UKturk - so glad you told us this was taken from a medical journal - i was begining to think there was no end to your knowledge!



Simbas - what anti-malaria tablets do you recommend? we go to the Gambia and some i have taken make me allergic to the sun!

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 17:40

Hi susie when are you going and where are you staying ie rural or coastal and how long are you going for

regards simbas

TonyH


Joined: 22/11/2007
Posts: 107

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 17:43

In laymans terms........(long but covers all the points)



What is leishmaniasis?



Leishmaniasis (LEASH-ma-NIGH-a-sis) is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis. The most common forms are cutaneous (cue-TAY-knee-us) leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral (VIS-er-al) leishmaniasis, which affects some of the internal organs of the body (for example, spleen, liver, bone marrow).





What are the signs and symptoms of cutaneous leishmaniasis?



People who have cutaneous leishmaniasis have one or more sores on their skin. The sores can change in size and appearance over time. They often end up looking somewhat like a volcano, with a raised edge and central crater. Some sores are covered by a scab. The sores can be painless or painful. Some people have swollen glands near the sores (for example, under the arm if the sores are on the arm or hand).





What are the signs and symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis?



People who have visceral leishmaniasis usually have fever, weight loss, and an enlarged spleen and liver (usually the spleen is bigger than the liver). Some patients have swollen glands. Certain blood tests are abnormal. For example, patients usually have low blood counts, including a low red blood cell count (anemia), low white blood cell count, and low platelet count.



How is leishmaniasis spread?



Leishmaniasis is spread by the bite of some types of phlebotomine sand flies. Sand flies become infected by biting an infected animal (for example, a rodent or dog) or person. Since sand flies do not make noise when they fly, people may not realize they are present. Sand flies are very small and may be hard to see; they are only about one-third the size of typical mosquitoes. Sand flies usually are most active in twilight, evening, and night-time hours (from dusk to dawn). Sand flies are less active during the hottest time of the day. However, they will bite if they are disturbed, such as when a person brushes up against the trunk of a tree where sand flies are resting. Rarely, leishmaniasis is spread from a pregnant woman to her baby. Leishmaniasis also can be spread by blood transfusions or contaminated needles.



If I were bitten by an infected sand fly, how quickly would I become sick?



People with cutaneous leishmaniasis usually develop skin sores within a few weeks (sometimes as long as months) of when they were bitten.



People with visceral leishmaniasis usually become sick within several months (rarely as long as years) of when they were bitten.





Can leishmaniasis be a serious disease if not treated?



Yes, it can be. The skin sores of cutaneous leishmaniasis will heal on their own, but this can take months or even years. The sores can leave ugly scars. If not treated, infection that started in the skin rarely spreads to the nose or mouth and causes sores there (mucosal leishmaniasis). This can happen with some of the types of the parasite found in Central and South America. Mucosal leishmaniasis might not be noticed until years after the original skin sores healed. The best way to prevent mucosal leishmaniasis is to treat the cutaneous infection before it spreads.



If not treated, visceral leishmaniasis can cause death.





What should I do if I think I might have leishmaniasis?



See your health care provider, particularly if you have traveled to an area where leishmaniasis is found and you have developed skin sores that aren't healing. Be sure to tell your health care provider where you have traveled and that you might be at risk for leishmaniasis.



It is very rare for travelers to get visceral leishmaniasis.





How will my health care provider know if I have leishmaniasis?



The first step is to find out if you have traveled to a part of the world where leishmaniasis is found. Your health care provider w

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:19

Bloody hell I am glad I asked!!!!!!!????



But thanks a lot



Regards grahamlil

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:25

hi sussie

there a lot of maleria tablets on the market, i can name you at least four diffrent tablets you can use that i know are good

1) avloclor tablets

2) doxycycline capsules

3) lariam tablets

4) malarone tablets

and remember the higher the atovaquone, proguanil hydrochloride , chloroquine phosphate mg levels the better these are the chemicals that fights the maleria



hope this helps you

regards

erkan

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:29

hi tony h ,my husband worked at the hospital of tropical diseases in london he says whoever reads your post will quaking in their boots himself included.its just lucky that the sand flies that bit me and my husband were not infected .

kind regards simbas

grahamlil


Joined: 10/10/2007
Posts: 143

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:30

Sussie, Erkan,



Be very careful of Lariam, some very nasty side efects on some people.

Regards grahamlil

dodger



Joined: 29/07/2007
Posts: 1895

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:31

what i like about this forum is that you learn new words.

TonyH


Joined: 22/11/2007
Posts: 107

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:38

Hi Simbas, hope it doesn't cause alarm........to put it into perspective, there is probably a higher chance of a traffic accident on the motorway than contracting leishmaniasis



If we worried about such things we would never set foot out of the door.



Kind regards Tony

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 20:45

yeah sorry i forgot to mention

lariam side effects can cause nausea, difficulty in sleeping and bad dreams, anxiety and the my favourite hallucinations lol but this is all down to you using the drug a lot but lariam is prob the stronger of the tablets and if it was too dangerous to take they would take it of the shelve i hope

regards erkan

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 22:22

Hi tonyh no alarm caused , i was having a bit of fun with you , my husband is a dr and i used to run travel clinics so between us we pretty much know and understand the aetiology .as you said theres more chance of traffic accident .

have a good evening simbas

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
29/11/2007 22:34

susie eliminate the ones that caused the allergy to the sun it must be one of the ones mentioned by erkan but you will have to get px from gp for all malarial prophylaxis apart from chloroquine and proguinal which you get get over the counter at the chemist also you will need to find out the 1st line prophylaxis specifically for gambia and dont forget update your vac status

good luck simbas

TonyH


Joined: 22/11/2007
Posts: 107

Message Posted:
30/11/2007 08:39

Thanks Simbas,



Best we don't tell them about the other nasties that abound then .............I note your hubby is a Dr at the Tropical Disease centre, they do wonderful work, have several friends that have been along there over the years and had their mystery ailments diagnosed after 'visits' to strange and obscure places during my military service.



Kind regards Tony