Dengue fever and Chinkungunya are vector diseases and are currently on the rise on Goa, so it’s better to be safe than sorry – particularly if you are a walking McDonalds to mosquitoes. Goa still has a major rubbish problem so it’s a breeding ground for insects and disease, Calangute and Mapusa markets in the rain are like a Disney Park for Disease!
So I sorted out the mosquito issue really quickly by buying Good Knight (54 rupees) or Mortein plug-ins, which made my apartment and nights mosquito free. The mosquito ‘danger’ hours are between 4pm and 7pm, and thankfully all the windows in my apartment had velcroed net on them. Sitting outside in the evenings was made easier by lighting a mosquito coil and putting it on the veranda. However, I avoided lighting mosquito coils in the house or bedroom as the toxins they give out make sleeping a hallucinogenic nightmare. Being out and about wasn’t a problem as I always carried a Badger Anti-Bug Balm (see links below), it’s a natural citrus balm and mine has been on 4 trips to India with me and I can’t do without. I also took along some Deet free mosquito repellent roll-on and took along two Autan sprays. I hardly got bitten, so they definitely worked. I bought a supply of Paludrine/Avloclor anti-malaria tablets, I’ve used these before and have had no adverse side effects. I met many people who were taking no malarial precautions at all. I took many precautions and took my tablets for the first few months of my trip and pre/during monsoon.
http://www.badgerbalm.com/pc-21-2-anti-bug-balm.aspx
http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/autan_v_660.html
http://www.medicines2u.com/Travel--nd--First-Aid/Malaria/Paludrine-Avloclor-Travel-Pack-Anti-Malarial--112-Tablets.html
