Malaria risk in Roatan Honduras?

I was told by the American Red Cross this weekend that they could not take my blood donation because I had been in Honduras within a year. They are very careful of course and they have listed Honduras as malaria risk along with a few cities in Mexico. Upon further investigation they determined I could give because I hadn't been there more than 24 hours. But by that time they had already "blacklisted" me until October 2019!

My questions: Is a port like Roatan Honduras really a malaria risk? If so, what difference does it make if I was in port 25 hours or 5 hours? One mosquito is all it takes, right?

Also, FYI, if you donate blood and are asked if you have been out of the country, be sure to mention you were on a cruise and in port less than 24 hrs. It might make a difference.

I think it has to do with how far inland you go and whether you are there overnight. Traveling in land being there in the evening when the mosquitoes really come out is probably a lot higher risk than being on a beach for a few hours in the middle of the day.

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This has come up for me too when I have donated in the past. I had been to Labadee Haiti on RCCL but it was ok cause it was just for the day. And the mosquito risk is lower during the day most risk comes from early morning and dusk.

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Ha, my local blood center deferred me for a year after I said I'd been to Honduras, Belize and Mexico on a cruise. (I'm not sure which country actually deferred me) But it hasn't stopped them from calling me wanting me to donate plasma.

But it hasn't stopped them from calling me wanting me to donate plasma.

That is because the malarial parasites live inside the red cells, not present in the plasma. Thanks for donating - it really does save lives. From a career transfusion medicine geek.

Upon further investigation they determined I could give because I hadn't been there more than 24 hours. But by that time they had already "blacklisted" me until October 2019!

 

My questions: Is a port like Roatan Honduras really a malaria risk? If so, what difference does it make if I was in port 25 hours or 5 hours? One mosquito is all it takes, right?

In government speak, you don't travel to or through a malaria zone in less than 24 hours.

Travel to a malaria-endemic area - Any travel to or through a malaria-endemic area or areas, as identified by CDC (see definition above). The duration of travel to a malaria-endemic area is defined as more than 24 hours to less than 5 years. Note that a passage greater than 24 hours through a malaria-endemic area while on route to a malaria-free area is considered a sufficient possible exposure to trigger donor deferral. Common examples of such possible exposure include passage through a malaria-endemic area to visit a tourist resort in a malaria-free area, or passage through a malaria-endemic area to board a cruise ship, or on-shore excursions into a malaria-endemic area when traveling on a ship. Travel to or through a malaria-free area within a malaria-endemic country does not constitute travel to a malaria-endemic area.

You might ask if your donor center can override your one year deferral, Daffydk1.

OP Thank you for your post Very good information.

Theres over 100 countries on the Malaria risk map apparently and this is an old map...it has probably grown since then. I imagine some are minimal risk but still make this list and are not shown here: