Travelers guide to avoiding infectious diseases
Alternative names:
avoiding infectious diseases when traveling; infectious diseases and travelers
Information:
Travelers -- Where the diseases are
Different areas of the world have different diseases and different prevalences of disease. Factors that contribute to these differences are climate (tropical, subtropical, temperate, arid, and so forth), native insects, parasites and animals, population density and a myriad of other factors.
Travelers to foreign countries (any country not of the traveler's origin) may encounter diseases to which they have no natural immunity, to which they are not exposed in their own country, and which are likely to have a significant impact on their health.
Below is a listing of countries and diseases that may be encountered at some time during the different season. You may wish to read about the individual diseases listed below that are in areas you are planning to visit.
AFRICA
Northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Tunisia)
General area- insect-borne diseases: insect-borne diseases in this area are uncommon but these may be encountered: leishmaniasis, malaria, relapsing fever, Rifte Valley fever typhus, sandfly fever, West Nile fever
- water and food-borne diseases: dysentery (many organisms), cholera, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, giardiasis, brucellosis, echinococcoisis, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), polio
Nile deltaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaSub-Saharan Africa
General area- insect-borne diseases: insect-borne diseases in this area are very common: malaria, filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), relapsing fever, typhus, plague, yellow fever, hemorrhagic fevers (such as Dengue hemorrhagic fever, etc.).
- water- and food-borne diseases: intestinal worms (helminthic infection), dysentery, giardiasis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, cholera, dracunculiasis, echinococcosis, poliomyelitis
- other: Hepatitis B, trachoma, Lassa fever, Ebola fever, Margburg fever, meningococcal meningitis
Southern Africa
General area- insect-borne diseases: malaria, plague, relapsing fever, Rift Balley fever, tick-bite fever, typhus
- water- and food-borne diseases: amebiasis, typhoid fever
- other: Hepatitis B, rabies
Botswana, Namibia- sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), schistosomiasis
South Africa, SwazilandTHE AMERICAS
North America
General areaCentral America
General area- insect-borne diseases: malaria, cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) Dengue fever, Venezuelan equine encephalitis
- water- and food-borne diseases: amoebic dysentery, dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera, Hepatitis A, intestinal worms (helminthic infection)
- other: rabies
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, MexicoMexico, GuatemalaCosta RicaCaribbean Islands
General area:- insect-borne diseases: see below
- water- and food-borne diseases: Hepatitis A, dysentery, amebic dysentery
- other: see below
Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama- oriental lung fluke (paragonimiasis)
Dominican RepublicCuba- liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica)
HaitiGuadeloupe, Martinique, Saint LuciaTropical South America
General area:- insect-borne diseases: malaria, American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, yellow fever, viral encephalitis, Dengue fever
- water- and food-borne diseases: amebiasis, dysentery, intestinal worms, helminthic infections, hepatitis A
Brazil Colombia, VenezuelaBrazil, Guyana, SurinameBolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, PeruColombia, PeruTemperate South America
General area- insect-borne diseases: American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease)
- water- and food-borne diseases: salmonellosis, tapeworm (taeniasis), typhoid fever, echinococcosis, hepatitis A
- anthrax
ArgentinaChileASIA
East Asia
General area- insect-borne diseases: see below
- water- and food-borne diseases: hepatitis A, diarrheal diseases, oriental liver fluke (clonorchiasis), oriental lung fluke (paragonimiasis)
- other: hepatitis B
China- malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, plague, typhus, poliomyelitis, trachoma, leptospirosis
Mongolia- Korean hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever
Japan, Republic of KoreaEastern South Asia (Southeast Asia)
General area- insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, plague, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever, Dengue hemorrhagic fever, typhus
- water- and food-borne diseases: cholera, dysentery, amebic dysentery, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, giant intestinal fluke (fasciolopsiasis), paragonimiasis, melioidosis
- other: hepatitis B, schistosomiasis, poliomyelitis
Viet NamIncochina, Myanmar, ThailandMiddle South Asia (Indian subcontinent)
General area- insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, sandfly fever, visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, relapsing fever, typhus, dengue fever, hemorrhagic fevers
- water- and food-borne diseases: cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), brucellosis, echinococcosis
- other: Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, trachoma,
Islamic Republic of IranIndia, NepalWestern South Asia (The Middle East)
General area- insect-borne diseases: cutaneous leishmaniasis, typhus, relapsing fever
- water- and food-borne diseases: typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tapeworm (taeniasis), brucellosis, echinococcosis
- other: hepatitis B, schistosomiasis
EUROPE
Northern Europe
General area- insect-borne diseases: rare occurrences of tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
- water- and food-borne diseases: tapeworm, trichinellosis, fish tapeworm (diphyllobothriasis), liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), Hepatitis A
- other: rabies
SiberiaRussian Federation, UkraineSouthern Europe
General area- insect-borne diseases: murine and tick-borne typhus, West Nile fever, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease
- water- and food-borne diseases: dysentery, typhoid fever, brucellosis, echinococcosis, Hepatitis A
- other: Hepatitis B, rabies
Croatia, YugoslaviaOCEANIA
Australia, New Zealand, Antarctic
General area- insect-borne diseases: mosquito-borne polyarthritis, viral encephalitis
- water- and food-borne diseases: amebic meningoencephalitis
Melanesia, Micronesia-Polynesia
General area- insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, typus, Dengue fever
- water- and food-borne diseases: dysentery, typhoid fever, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), Hepatitis A
- other: Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, trachoma
MALARIA
Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world, affecting millions of people on every continent except Australia. Malaria is not a problem in cold climates, and is a lesser problem in temperate climates, but is a threat to those living or traveling in subtropical and tropical climates. The pictures at the end of the document list countries in which malaria can be a problem. Where possible the type of malaria and the at-risk season is listed. Some countries may have only small areas affected by malaria but are included in the list. This listing does not mean that all of the country has malaria. This list should better help travelers prepare for their journey. This information is provided by WHO, the World Health Organization. Resistance of the malaria organism changes rapidly and frequent updating on resistant strains, especially the falciparum, is necessary for safe travel. Travelers should call the CDC (Centers for Disease control and Prevention) for the most up-to-date information on travel and malaria. The numbers are:
(404) 332-4555
(404) 639-3311
YELLOW FEVER
An effective vaccination exists for yellow fever, a mosquito-borne, frequently fatal viral infection that causes fever, jaundice, and hemorrhaging. Travelers to areas endemic for yellow fever should be vaccinated a minimum of 10 days prior to entering a yellow fever zone. Certificates of immunization may be required for entrance into some countries.
SOUTH AMERICA
Bolivia
Brazil
Columbia
Ecuador
French Guyana
Guyana
Panama
Peru
Surinam
Venezuela
AFRICA
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghanna
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome & Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sudan
Togo
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Zaire
Zambia
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The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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