Staying healthy while travelling means you can spend more time enjoying yourself so take precautions.Xavier Mouton Photographie on Unsplash
With the news of the coronavirus, a flu-like illness that started in Wuhan, China, making headlines, falling ill abroad is top of mind for many. And while this and other past viruses, like SARS and swine flu, can cause serious outbreaks and cause for concern, there other more common illnesses that you can still easily catch while travelling.
Read on to discover five of the most common illnesses you can get abroad, plus some advice on how to avoid them in the first place.
Where: Anywhere, though places with poor food handling and sanitation are higher risk
Theres no mistaking that rumbling feeling that strikes your lower guts before a bout of travellers diarrhea. Its the most common sickness people face when travelling. Generally, you wind up with travellers diarrhea by eating or drinking something thats been contaminated with a variety of bacteria, including E. coli or salmonella. Symptoms include sudden diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, fever and vomiting. Usually, it will clear up on its own within two days to a week.
How to avoid it: Always choose a safe water source (avoid tap water in certain places) and ensure that the spots youre dining at are preparing food safely. Wash your hands with soap and water often to avoid the spread of gems. Opting for hot/cooked foods and skipping undercooked meats can also help.
Where: the Caribbean, Central and South America, Southeast Asia and even parts of the United States, like Hawaii
Mosquitoes arent just worth avoiding because of the relentless itching caused by their bites. Dengue fever is the number one mosquito-borne virus, despite zika getting more media play as of late. Dengue symptoms, which include headache, body pain (and specifically eye pain), nausea and vomiting come on rapidly once youve been bitten by an infected mosquito. Following infection, a rash will also present itself.
How to avoid it: Use bug spray when in mosquito-dense areas and cover up at dusk and dawn when theyre most active. In some cases, sleeping beneath a bug net can also keep the pests at bay while you rest.
Where: Parts of the Caribbean, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Africa and parts of the Middle East
Malaria is another sickness that you can get from mosquito bites. It causes unpleasant flu-like symptoms including chills, sweating, headache, nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain.
How to avoid it: Like dengue, malaria can be avoided by using mosquito repellent and covering your skin. Some people might choose to use prescription medication that provides protection from the disease, which can be taken orally two days before you arrive in an at-risk area and for four weeks after you get home.
Where: Worldwide
Tetanus, also known as lock-jaw syndrome, is a bacterial infection that you get from cutting yourself on a dirty metal or stepping on an old, rusty nail and puncturing your skin. It will cause severe stiffness of the jaw and neck muscles, tremors and difficulty swallowing and in many cases, death.
How to avoid it: Stay vaccinated. If youre unsure when you had your last tetanus shot, visit your medical practitioner to determine whether you need a booster or fresh round of vaccinations.
Where: Most common in South and Central America, Asia and parts of AfricaTuberculous, also known as TB, is a bacteria that can be spread by coughing, sneezing or even speaking, which makes it incredibly contagious. It causes a persistent cough that result in coughing up blood, as well as chest pain, weight loss and chills. Many people die from TB.
How to avoid it: The Bacillus CalmetteGurin (BCG) vaccine, which is most commonly administered during childhood here in Canada, is the best form of protection against TB.
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The 5 most common travel-related illnesses and how to avoid them - Regina Leader-Post
