Yeah, they would say that, its a case of CYA.

Look, to get malaria you need to be bitten by a mosquito that carries the parasite, which parasite it can only obtain by first biting an infected human being. In Kruger the density of human beings is extremely low, and most of those people are visitors from non-malarial areas. Depending on species, mosquitos range no more than 300 - 2,000 meters in their entire lifetime. So go figure what the chances of contracting malaria are.

Do I know people in Kruger who have contracted malaria? Sure. All of them are staff members. The managing couple of a lodge both got malaria when on vacation in Mozambique. At another lodge they have cases of malaria every couple of years. Invariably these are caused by an infected staff member who returns from leave in the village before having developed symptoms. I once spent a week with a guide who turned out to have malaria, including the evenings when mosquitos are active (and no, I do not wear any footwear, nor long sleeves, nor do I apply any repellent, nor do I sleep under a mosquito net), without getting infected.

Just in case you are still not convinced, have a look here:

Risk of malaria in visitors to the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

The risk of malaria to visitors to South Africa's nature reserves is unknown. Current recommendations for travelers are based on malaria incidence rates in local communities. These rates may well overestimate travelers' malaria risk and lead to unnecessary use of antimalarial prophylaxis with associated drug-related adverse events. This study investigated the incidence of malaria in visitors to South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP).

One clinically suspected and four confirmed cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria among the visitors suggest a low attack rate of 4. 5 cases per 10,000 visitors during April, the highest risk month for malaria in South Africa. No association was found between malaria risk and accommodation type, duration of stay, use and type of chemoprophylaxis, and use and number of personal protection measures.

These findings confirm the importance of careful assessment of local malaria risk before individualized advice is provided to travelers.

Please note that the summer of 1995/1996 was an extremely wet year which resulted in a the worst malarial outbreak in SA in a very long time (even I got infected, but not in the KNP), exacerbated by the decision to discontinue the use of DDT. The DDT program was quickly reinstated, there is a massive program to treat rural dwellings etc. Visit a game lodge or Kruger rest camp and you can be sure that the ceiling and walls have been sprayed with DDT. Rather not lick 'm. Malaria is pretty much under control in SA, and will hopefully soon be eradicated.

South Africa winning malaria fight with DDT help.

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has turned the tide on malaria, cutting mortality rates by 85 per cent over the last 12 years and hope to soon eliminate the disease, a report stated Wednesday amid controversy over the use of highly controversial DDT.

Last year, only 70 people died from the mosquito-borne disease, compared to 460 deaths recorded in the year 2000, said the report delivered at a Pan African Malaria conference in Durban.

The number of people who caught malaria has come down to about a 10th of the cases recorded that same year.

Source

Four or five tourists got malaria in Kruger in 1996, one of the worst malarial years on record, and in the highest risk month of the year. Almost 20 years later, the risk at least a magnitude of order lower.

So, I reiterate: the risk of conrtacting malaria on a brief tourist visit to the KNP is so tiny that it is not even worth thinking about. Besides, if you do get malaria, so what? See a doctor, get some medicine and you will be fine again in no time. Yeah, malaria kills. It kills small children mired in poverty in areas without proper medical facilities, it can kill the weak or sick. If you are hale and healthy, it will only kill you if you are also stupid. Or if your family doctor is stupid, of course.

Now stop worrying about malaria in Kruger, everyone. Even better, just stop worrying period. Life is just so much more fun that way.

Johan