Tropical medicine in Malaysia

Tropical medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on infectious and non-infectious diseases, which are usually diseases that thrive in hot and/or humid conditions, particularly in areas with poor infrastructure. Tropical medicine doctors can diagnose, investigate, manage, and treat rare and exotic bacterial and parasitic diseases, as well as a variety of noninfectious diseases. These include:

• Malaria, caused by disease-carrying mosquitoes
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• Tuberculosis
• Dengue fever, caused by a specific mosquito
• Ebola virus disease
• Amoebic dysentery and liver abscesses
• Filariasis (which may cause elephantiasis)
• Leprosy
• Snakebite
• Leishmaniasis (skin disease or kala-azar)
• Typhoid
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Scorpion stings
• Toxin-related cardiac and neurologic manifestations
• Schistosomiasis (an acute or chronic disease caused by parasitic worms).

The following are the general services provided by tropical medicine diseases:

• Diagnose tropical diseases. Tropical medicine doctors use laboratory tests, such as microscopy of blood films for malaria, skin biopsies for leprosy, and stool microscopy for gut parasites. Tropical medicine doctors usually work closely with medical virologists and microbiologists. 
• Develop treatment plants and oversee treatments. Tropical medicine doctors usually prescribe antibiotics or antiviral drugs to treat tropical diseases.
• Identify potential outbreaks of infectious diseases and take steps to prevent these diseases from reaching serious levels. If necessary, they may advise patients to isolate and quarantine to prevent the spread of infectious tropical diseases.
• Order specialized tests to find out the nature of specific diseases.
• Give specialist advice and expertise to public health specialists.

How Long Should I Stay in Malaysia?

Some tropical diseases require hospitalization or even isolation, others do not. In general, it may take around two weeks until you are allowed to travel home. In some cases, however, you may need to stay longer in case the disease returns. Your doctor and/or medical travel team will be able to advise you on this matter.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Recovery times vary widely, depending on your specific disease and your general health. Many tropical diseases, such as dengue and malaria, requires around two weeks of treatment. You will be given a recovery timeline that may include when you can go back to work, resume your normal activity, and take part in strenuous exercises.

What Aftercare is Required?

Your doctor will likely prescribe medicine, make sure to take it as directed. You will also be given specific aftercare instructions that you need to follow to avoid complications and to speed up your recovery period. You may also be asked to make some lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and avoid smoking. For some diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, you may need lifelong management and regular checkups. 

What's the Success Rate?

The continuous research in tropical medicine has given specialists a deeper understanding of tropical diseases and found better approaches to diagnose, treat, manage, and prevent tropical diseases. As a result, the success rates of tropical medicine is higher now than it was before. For example, HIV/AIDS was a life-threatening condition a few decades ago, but it can now be managed as a chronic health condition and the life expectancy of a person living with it has improved significantly. Those with malaria can also be cured and all of the parasites can be cleared from the body. 

Are there Alternatives?

Alternatives depend on the specific disease you have. With infectious diseases, for example, an infectious disease doctor may be the one who oversees your treatments. It is best that you discuss this with your GP.