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You don’t have to travel to exotic corners of the world and drink puddle water to contract a serious disease. On the contrary: viruses, bacteria and parasites lie in wait for travelers in completely ordinary places.
My dad, an avid traveler, returned from Portugal with no appetite, but with a sharp stomach ache. A few weeks later, his eyes turned yellow and his nose and taste buds revolted in the presence of certain smells and flavors. The doctor diagnosed hepatitis A (hepatitis A). After some thought, my dad came to the conclusion that the mussels he had eaten in Lisbon had done him.
Although we usually associate diseases with developing countries, tourists can get infected in Quebec (legionellosis) or Baltimore (norovirus). This summer, hundreds of tourists came into contact with the hantavirus in Yosemite National Park. Three people died. Unfortunately, they slept in a cabin at the popular Curry Village Campground.
How to defend yourself against a microscopic enemy? David Parenti, an infectious disease specialist at George Washington University, recommends simple strategies familiar to most preschoolers: wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing and coughing, and refrain from putting anything in your mouth. He also recommends adults to be immunized with Di-Per-Te (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus) and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines.
Here’s what about the most common viruses and bacteria, and how to avoid the dangers of them, Parenti said. Information was also obtained from the websites of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
What, Where, How: Rodent-borne disease – the virus is present in their faeces, saliva and urine. Man becomes infected by breathing air containing its particles.
Prevention: Before you settle in for the night, check that there are no traces of rodents in the room. If you notice them, change the room. (The faeces can be swept away, but the activity itself is risky.) Store food in closed containers, seal holes in the room.
Symptoms: With the exception of fever, symptoms resemble how you feel after a long trek: fatigue, pain in your muscles, especially in your calves, hips and back. Stomach problems, difficulty breathing.
West Nile fever
What, where, how: Primary reservoirs are birds. Mosquitoes that mate with them transmit viruses to humans. The current strain appeared in Tunisia and Israel in 1999; it has since spread to Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Canada, West Asia and 48 US states.
Prevention: Use insect repellent, cover the skin. Be careful at dawn and dusk, it is mosquito feeding time. Avoid stagnant water tanks, check the insect nets on windows and doors for holes.
Symptoms: None, mild (fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea) or severe (acute headache, impaired coordination and consciousness, paralysis, encephalitis).
Norovirus
What, where, how: A highly contagious virus associated with cruise ships because it suits the conditions in which people are like canned sardines. Infection occurs through contact with a contaminated person, object, food or water.
Prevention: Wash your hands. It’s easy on ships, in hotels and resorts, because antibacterial soaps are available everywhere. If you are in doubt about the sanitation of a restaurant, have dinner elsewhere. The virus is resistant to heat and cooking.
Symptoms: The virus hits the stomach and attacks the digestive system. Symptoms of food poisoning last for several days.
Legionellosis (Legionnaires’ disease)
What, where, how: The bacteria causing Legionnaires’ disease multiplies in stagnant hot water tanks, e.g. in air conditioners, fountains, hotel SPAs. Infection occurs through droplets – a tourist inhales contaminated water vapor, e.g. in a bathtub or shower cabin – after a few days symptoms resembling severe pneumonia appear. In August, three guests of the Chicago Marriott Hotel died of legionellosis (source: fountain in the lobby). In summer, its prevalence has been reported to increase in Quebec, Edinburgh and Stoke-on-Trent.
Prevention: Follow the news in the media (e.g. on the WHO website) about the epidemic where you are going. In endangered areas, avoid jacuzzis and saunas, and avoid shower cabins.
Symptoms: The mild form is Pontiac fever (fever, headache and muscle pain), the acute form is Legionnaires’ disease (diarrhea, vomiting, confusion, high fever, weakness, cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, hallucinations, etc.)
Giardiasis
What, where, how: Parasitic disease of the intestine caused by protozoa living in and around water, especially where the sanitary conditions are not the best: e.g. in developing countries or Central Europe. The traveler becomes infected by eating giardias with contaminated food, swallowing water while swimming, drinking ice drinks from contaminated water.
Prevention: Drink bottled water, use water treatment tablets. In field conditions, filter the water through a cloth, then use a traditional filter. Cooking kills parasites, but hot tap water is not enough.
Symptoms: Nausea, loss of appetite, flatulence, abdominal cramps and all other gastrointestinal disorders.
Influenza A / H1N1
What, where, how: Influenza is a real globetrotter, in 2009 one of its strains caused the so-called pandemic. swine flu. It intensifies seasonally, most often it attacks the respiratory system in winter. The virus is spread by airborne droplets (coughing, sneezing). Due to the ease of transmission, you should be vigilant in places frequently visited by tourists.
Prevention: Vaccinate each fall. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. If you are fragile, wear a mask.
Symptoms: As in the paracetamol ad: that sniffling, tired, coughing person with a fever and sore throat is you.
bird flu
What, Where, How: Avian influenza occurs worldwide, all wild birds are susceptible to contracting the virus. A person’s life is threatened when it spreads among poultry. The virus multiplies in bazaars where live poultry are traded, e.g. in Asia.
Prevention: Avoid areas where there is an epidemic (new strains have emerged in Indonesia and Egypt this summer). When visiting a poultry farm, wear a mask, shorten the stay to a minimum and thoroughly scrub your hands.
Symptoms: Common to flu: fever, cough, sore throat and sore muscles. Some strains cause conjunctivitis, pneumonia, and respiratory problems.
Hepatitis A and E virus
What, where, how: Both types of viruses are infected via the gastrointestinal tract. Tourists can catch hepatitis A by drinking fecal-contaminated water, eating raw food or clams caught in water contaminated with sewage. The risk also occurs in metropolitan areas. Tourists living in luxury hotels, who care about hygiene and what they eat and drink, can become infected. You can contract hepatitis E by eating undercooked pork, deer meat or clams. A particular risk of hepatitis A occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. You should watch out for hepatitis E in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Middle East.
Prevention: Vaccination against hepatitis A, but hygiene is the most important thing.
Symptoms: hepatitis A and E cause fever, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, pain in the liver and stomach. The skin takes on a yellow tinge.
Tuberculosis
What, where, how: Mycobacteria attack the lungs, but other organs are also at risk. They spread in the air (coughing, sneezing, spitting, but also talking and singing). Tuberculosis occurs all over the world, 2010 percent in 82. cases were recorded in 22 countries. Travelers in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable. The risk of contamination in an aircraft is low, although it increases on flights of more than 8 hours.
Prevention: Favorite places for TB bacilli to multiply are crowded hospitals, prisons, and shelters for the homeless. When visiting such places, respiratory protection should be protected and the stay should be kept to a minimum. There is a vaccine, but its effectiveness is low.
Symptoms: Severe cough, fever, chills, haemoptysis, chest pain, weakness, weight loss, night sweats.
Whooping cough
What, where, how: An acute infectious disease caused by whooping cough bacteria that affects the respiratory system. The infection is spread by droplets (coughing, sneezing). It is most common in developing countries: this year, its increase has been reported in 48 countries.
Prevention: Repeat immunization in adults.
Symptoms: Recurrent bouts of violent coughing and shortness of breath.
Tekst: Andrea Sachs