Cave Tubing within Belize City?

[MERED1TH]

The CDC states:

"Malaria Risk by Country

Belize: All, except no risk in Belize City."

Is the Cave tubing and most other excursions within the Belize City limits or is there a risk of Malaria?

[jlines]

There is not much at all within Belize City - its a third world nation city. We used insect repellent before cave tubing but I'll have to say the only insects we even saw where dragonflies. The river is about an hour drive outside of the city.

[SeaUThere]

As I do donations at our local bloodbank many times a year, I asked about Belize. I was told that if you go anywhere outside of Belize City, you will be excluded from donations for 1 year due to malaria risk. Cave tubing would be included in this risk.

[chronic travelitis]

I was just looking at the CDC site and discovered that you can get antimalaria injections before you go. It may be too late for us because we leave this Saturday, but others may want to look into it.

[Travelitis]

After you take the anti-malarial drugs, you're excluded from donating blood for 3 years. We took them before going to Roatan and Belize 2 yrs. ago, and my dh found this out because he organized a blood drive then was unable to donate. We took pills, because the injections weren't available here. There's just not enough demand.

[MERED1TH]

Travelitis I see from another post you will go to Belize again. Will you take the malaria pills on your next trip, what about the kids you are traveling with?

My MD told me that if we go into the jungle we should take the meds, but I don't want to take them or give them to my children I would rahter just stay on the ship.

I think snorkeling is what we will end up doing, I cant imagine to many mosqitos out in the open ocean.