Sponsored Listings:
Travelling should be a wonderful experience; however, it can end up being the opposite if you end up contracting a disease. Being aware of the illnesses you can catch and the preventative measures you should take is vital, no matter where you’re travelling to. Here are eight of the travel diseases you really need to look out for, and what to do in order to prevent catching them.
- Malaria
Malaria is mainly found in Africa, Central and South America, Asia and the South Pacific. It is caused by parasites carried in the saliva of infected mosquitoes, and is contracted by humans when bitten by an infected mosquito. The parasites then get into the bloodstream from where they can attack the red blood cells and the liver.
Symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue; some sufferers also experience vomiting and diarrhoea. If it is not promptly treated, malaria can be fatal.
There is a high risk of contracting malaria if you’re travelling to a country where it is prevalent. Taking antimalarials before you travel can reduce this risk by about 90%, as long as you take the correct dose and finish the course. If you are travelling to high malaria risk countries, you need to compare travel insurance policies to make sure you are fully covered.
- Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection which is transmitted through coughs and sneezes. It mainly affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of the body including the bones, glands and nervous system. TB can be fatal if untreated.
TB is mainly found in Europe, Africa and Asia. Symptoms include a persistent cough, possibly bringing up blood, weight loss, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and persistent swellings. Most cases can be cured, with treatment usually being a six-month course of antibiotics; however, some strains are now drug-resistant. The BCG vaccine is recommended, which will protect around 80% of people.
- Ebola
Ebola is only found in parts of Africa, namely Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where it remains a significant threat. It is spread by coming into contact with the blood, bodily fluids or organs of someone infected with the virus, which is why care-givers are at a particularly high risk.
Typical symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pain, muscle weakness, sore throat and headaches. There is no known cure. If you experience any of the symptoms after returning from an at-risk country, you should stay at home and dial 999 rather than visiting your doctor.
- Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever, found in Africa and South America, is transmitted to humans via bites from infected mosquitoes. Symptoms sometimes do not occur at all, but when they do, the most common ones are fever, backache, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and sometimes jaundice. In most cases, the symptoms will disappear after a few days; however, some sufferers then enter a second more toxic phase of the disease which is fatal in around 50% of cases.
There is no cure for Yellow Fever, so prevention is crucial. This is a vaccine which lasts ten years and is recommended for everyone travelling to an at-risk country.
- Typhoid
Typhoid is a bacterial infection transmitted by coming into contact with the stools or urine of an infected person. It is most common in parts of the world with little or no access to clean drinking water, and poor sanitation, with most cases being seen in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, but a risk also present in Africa and South America.
Common symptoms of Typhoid are a very high temperature, stomach pains and constipation or diarrhoea. If these are left to worsen, the condition can damage the internal organs and be fatal. Vaccination is strongly advised if you are travelling to an at-risk area.
With prompt treatment, almost all sufferers in well-sanitised environments can recover. Treatment is a course of antibiotics; in milder cases this will be a one or two-week course that can be taken at home. However, more serious cases require hospitalisation.
- Dengue
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in many parts of the world including Central and South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. In some people the condition is so mild that they experience no symptoms at all. Where symptoms do occur, the most common ones are a fever, a red rash starting on the torso and spreading to the limbs and face, pain behind the eyes and in the muscles and joints, headaches and nausea. In rare cases, it can cause severe dehydration, loss of consciousness and vomiting blood, which obviously requires hospital treatment.
There is no preventative vaccine or known cure for Dengue, so it’s vital to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites if you are travelling to a country with a known risk.
- Lyme Disease
This is most commonly found in Europe and North America, and is transmitted by tiny arachnids called Black Leg Ticks or Deer Ticks. The tick has to be attached to the skin for 36 to 48 hours to infect a human, so spotting them early negates your risk. Even if you do become infected, cases that are diagnosed quickly can be treated with antibiotics.
Initial symptoms include a distinctive circular rash that looks like a bullseye on a dart board. Other indications of infection include flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and pain in the muscles and joints. Most cases are treated; however, if symptoms are ignored the infection can spread to your heart and nervous system and be fatal.
- Schistosomiasis
Also known as Bilharzia, Schistosomiasis occurs in Africa, the Middle East, South America and South-East Asia. It is caused by a parasitic worm living in fresh water in tropical and subtropical climates.
The infection is not contagious and can only be contracted through washing in contaminated water. The parasitic worms in the water then burrow into your skin and lay eggs inside your body. While most of these eggs are either attacked by the immune system or expelled with bodily waste, in the long run the organs where the eggs have been laid can be permanently damaged.
Many people experience no symptoms; when they do occur, the most common ones are an itchy rash, high temperature, cough, diarrhoea and pain in the abdomen, muscles and joints. It is treatable with a medicine called praziquantel, which kills the worms. However, there is no preventative vaccine, so it’s important to avoid contact with untreated water in at-risk countries.
The post 8 Travel Diseases to be Scared Of appeared first on Pommie Travels.
Source: pommietravels.com