Dear Dr. Dave & Dr. Dee, My family is considering taking an exotic trip to South Africa. However, when I mentioned this to a coworker, he said that he would never go because of all the diseases that we could contract. Do you think that he paranoid or just jealous that we are able to go on such a trip? Signed, Second Opinion Dear Second Opinion, Travel abroad provides an enriching and broadening experience, but some people are just not comfortable with change or the unknown. Any travel, whether overseas or even in your own country requires planning ahead for health and safety precautions. The Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) and World Health Organization (www.who.int) provide up-to-date information on worldwide health issues, outbreaks, and warnings. Many countries require immunizations before entering their country. There is a risk of malaria in South Africa, as well as in many other countries around the world. But, malaria can be prevented by seeing your physician for a prescription anti-malarial drug and by protecting yourself against mosquito bites. The CDC recommends these precautions for protection against mosquito bites: 1. Pay special attention to mosquito protection between dusk and dawn. This is when the type of mosquito whose bite transmits malaria is active. 2. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats. 3. Use insect repellents that contain DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide). 4. Read and follow the directions and precautions on the product label. 5. Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. 6. Do not put repellent on wounds or broken skin. 7. Do not breathe in, swallow, or get into the eyes (DEET is toxic if swallowed). If using a spray product, apply DEET to your face by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully over the face, avoiding eyes and mouth. 8. Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened housing, purchase a bed net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin or deltamethrin. Or, spray the bed net with one of these insecticides if you are unable to find a pretreated bed net. 9. DEET may be used on adults, children, and infants older than 2 months of age. Protect infants by using a carrier draped with mosquito netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit. 10. Children under 10 years old should not apply insect repellent themselves. Do not apply to young children’s hands or around eyes and mouth. 11. For details on how to protect yourself from insects and how to use repellents, see Protection against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods. 12. If you are visiting friends and relatives in your home country in areas where malaria occurs, please read the malaria prevention recommendations for recent immigrants on the CDC malaria site. In addition, the CDC recommends these other precautions to stay healthy: 1. Wash hands often with soap and water. 2. Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through an "absolute 1-micron or less" filter AND adding iodine tablets to the filtered water. "Absolute 1-micron filters" are found in camping/outdoor supply stores. 3. Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it. 4. If you visit an area where there is risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See your doctor for a prescription.) For more information, see www.cdc.gov |
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