Tropical Diseases

Today's lesson will be on diseases and health problems your average punter might encounter during a four month trip through Africa. And yes, we have already.

Disease Number 1: Tetsi Fly

Name: Tetsi Fly

Description: Large fly. Uncannily persistent and hard to kill. Looks ugly. Feels disgusting on skin. Has the ability to chase speeding overland trucks.

The Tetsi fly is responsible for a disease called "the sleeping sickness" whereby after a bite from said fly the person will suffer flu, nausea, fever and then eventually slip into a coma.

Our Unlucky Punter: Dave. He was bitten. It swelled up. Over a five day period the pain became increasingly worse until he had to go to a doctor. A course of anti-tetsi pills saw him right. Luckily he didn't slip into a coma - although he has been seen unconcious, half in and half out of his tent. We suspect alcohol over Tetsi though.

Disease Number 2: Scabies

Name: Scabies - but this was just our nickname. Disease was unknown.

Desciption: It forms a rash on the underside of the arms, becomes exceedingly itchy and then causes the sufferer to lose all friends on the truck as people fear catching it.

Our Unlucky Punters: Irish Steve, our drive George, kiwi Stan and Duncan. Over a period of two weeks it spread through these four on the truck. Leprosy might have been received better. Many people suggested burning all of their belongings. A few suggested burning the afflicted. Luckily the contagen died out after a while. Three doctors later we still don't know the cause.

Disease Number 3: Jigger Fleas

Name: Jigger Fleas. Also known as "That bug living in your foot"

Description: A small flea that jumps onto your foot while you are walking, crawls under your toenail and then burrows into your toe. It leaves a small breathing hole in your skin which is seen as a characteristic black dot. It lives and grows inside your foot and eventually bursts out leaving some eggs for a repeat performance.

Our Unlucky Punters: Mary, Me! The problem with this one is that everyone wants to watch the flea get removed which involves getting a sterile needle and slowly digging it out and any eggs that are lying around. Cameras and vides recorders appear out of nowhere while advice such as "Dig deeper! More Iodine!" is dispensed freely.

For my part, I was not willing to share my body as a bug penthouse. The little b@stard was squeezed to death through his own breathing hole. Yuck!