International Travel Health Issues
If you are allergic to any kind of medication or food, please let your ISLP Faculty know immediately.
WATER
In areas with poor sanitation only the following beverages may be safe to drink: Boiled water, hot beverages, such as coffee or tea, made with boiled water, canned or bottled carbonated beverages, beer, and wine. Ice may be made from unsafe water and should be avoided. It is safer to drink from a can or bottle of beverage than to drink from a container that was not known to be clean and dry. However, water on the surface of a beverage can or bottle may also be contaminated. Therefore, the area of a can or bottle that will touch the mouth should be wiped clean and dry.
FOOD
Food should be selected with care. Any raw food could be contaminated, particularly in areas of poor sanitation. Foods of particular concern include salads, uncooked vegetables and fiuit, unpasteurized milk and milk products, raw meat, and shellfish. If you peel fruit yourself, it is generally safe. Food that has been cooked and is still hot is generally safe.
Some fish are not guaranteed to be safe even when cooked because of the presence of toxins in their flesh. Tropical reef fish, red snapper, amberjack, grouper, and sea bass can occasionally be toxic at unpredictable times if they are caught on tropical reefs rather than open ocean. The barracuda and puffer fish are often toxic, and should generally not be eaten.
TRAVELER'S DIARRHEA
The typical symptoms of traveler's diarrhea (TD) are diarrhea, nausea, bloating and urgency. 50% of all tourists contract TD and it usually lasts from 3 to 7 days. It is rarely life threatening. An effective over-the-counter medication to prevent Traveler's Diarrhea is Pepto-Bismol. Some common antibiotics used to treat TD are Cipro, Doxycycline, and Bactrim. However, CDC does not recommend use of antibiotics to prevent TD because they can cause additional problems themselves. The best way to prevent TD is by paying meticulous attention to choice of food and beverage. Iced drinks and non-carbonated bottled fluids made from water of uncertain quality should be avoided. Dairy products can aggravate diarrhea in some people and should be avoided.
Most episodes of Traveler's Diarrhea are resolved in a few days. As with all diseases it is best to consult a physician rather than attempt self-medication, especially for pregnant women and children. Travelers should seek medical help if diarrhea is severe, bloody, does not resolve within a few days, if it is accompanied by fever and chills, or if the traveler is unable to maintain fluid intake and becomes dehydrated.
MALARIA
Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted from person to person by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. These mosquitoes are present in almost all countries in the tropics and subtropics. Anopheles mosquitoes bite during nighttime hours, from dusk to dawn. Therefore, antimalarial drugs are only recommended for travelers who will have exposure during evening and nighttime hours in malaria risk areas.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, and malaise. Early stages of malaria may resemble the onset of the flu. Travelers who become ill with a fever during or after travel in a malaria risk area should seek prompt medical attention and should inform their physician of their recent travel history. Neither the traveler nor the physician should assume that the traveler has the flu or some other disease without doing a laboratory test to determine if the symptoms are caused by malaria. Malaria can often be prevented by the use of anti-malarial drugs and use of personal protection measures against mosquito bites. The risk of malaria depends on the traveler's itinerary, the duration of travel, and the place where the traveler will spend the evenings and nights.
Travelers can still get malaria, despite use of prevention measures. Malaria symptoms can develop as early as 6-8 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito or as late as several months after departure from a malarious area, after anti-malarial drugs are discontinued. Malaria can be treated effectively in its early stages, but delaying treatment can have serious consequences.
If you become sick during your stay in Belize let your UofL faculty member know immediately.
