The best advice is - DO NOT GET BITTEN BY A MOSQUITO THAT IS CARRYING MALARIA

That might sound silly but there are precautions you can take that dramatically reduce the risk without you being really silly, like refusing to leave the UK.

In general, mosquitoes keep away from the direct sandy seashore line, more because of the breeze than the salt, but the approaches to the sea may have mosquitoes in the bushes, trees or grasses.

This is not true near the river or along the banks of the hundreds of creeks and streams that make up the area round the river. This is prime mosquito territory and you should take precautions.

Mosquitoes tend to be most prevalent and hungry at dusk. It gets dark very quickly in Gambia, so you should always make sure you have time to put on suitable mosquito repellents AND clothes, before dusk descends, start your evening precautions at about 6 o'clock, because it is pretty dark by 7 to 7.30.

First apply a good mosquito repellent all around you ankles, wrists, hands, neck, ears and head, also up your front where your shirt might button - this stage is really important.

We recommend long trousers, the sort that tie or grip round the ankle are the best, put on over good length socks. Wear a top with a highish neck and long sleeves. Your top should button at wrists and neck or be tight fitting and shouldn't have gapping holes down the front.

Rooms where you are staying should be sprayed if possible and left for half an hour to an hour before you use them in the evening. That isn't always possible but I suspect staying in the intense insect killer spray does you no good and should be avoided.

If you are going out all day, spray as you leave and shut all the doors and windows, inside wardrobes should not be neglected. Spray bedrooms half an hour before bed and shut doors and windows, do not leave piles of dirty clothes around where mosquitoes can hide and avoid the spray, do not leave your bed unmade or your mosquito net wide open, this is an open invitation.

Round the coastal area there are fewer mosquitoes than up river, but still take all the precautions - getting Malaria is very unpleasant.

Up river is a similar story but you really need to keep covered up more often during the day time and apply insect repellent in the morning, at lunch and in the evening. It is probably not enough to just spray your room up river, you should always use a mosquito net to sleep under and also apply insect repellent.

The cost of all this protection can be quite significant, so many people don't bother, most don't get malaria, but for those who do it can be very unpleasant even life threatening on your return from holiday if you get flu like symptoms, contact your doctor and explain you have been to Gambia, especially if you didn't take any tablets.

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