The Head of State is visiting French Guiana. Like him, do you want to go there? Here is a point on some local diseases and precautions to take.
As with every trip, it is advisable, before leaving, to find out about local health conditions. Some vaccines are indeed recommended, and advice can be very useful. In any case, remember to talk to your doctor before departure.
Viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes
Many diseases transmissible by mosquitoes are present: dengue fever, yellow fever, typhoid fever, leishmaniasis, or even malaria.
Remember to take suitable mosquito repellants, long clothes, and sleep with a mosquito net.
There is a vaccine for yellow fever and typhoid fever. For malaria, if you are traveling outside coastal areas, your doctor will suggest preventative treatment.
Food and water-related infections
Hygiene conditions in some areas should make you be cautious about your diet and the water you drink. Travelers’ diarrhea or hepatitis A would ruin your trip.
For hepatitis A, there is a vaccine recommended for stays in poor hygienic conditions or for people with chronic liver disease or cystic fibrosis.
- Consume sufficiently cooked meats, fish and shellfish.
- Avoid raw vegetables and fruits without a shell and peel other fruits and vegetables before consuming them.
- Wash hands before and after each meal and when leaving the toilet (dirty hands transmit diseases).
Stagnant waters
Watch out for swimming in stagnant water (pond, lake, etc.). Some parasites can expect this, such as leptospirosis or bilharzia (the larvae enter the body through the skin).
- Do not walk with bare feet on muddy or wet soil because many parasites enter the body through this route. For the same reasons, identical precautions should be taken on certain tropical beaches.
- Do not bathe in fresh, hot and stagnant water (in some countries, risk of contamination by parasites penetrating through the skin).
Sexually transmitted infections
Travel is sometimes conducive to meetings of all kinds. Hepatitis B, syphilis, or HIV are not necessarily the kinds of things you want to pack in your luggage. Protection is therefore essential, condoms should always be included in your first aid kit.
In any case, before your departure, go see your doctor to talk with him about the precautions to be taken and the vaccines to be given. You can also inquire about the very complete site of the Institut Pasteur.
A nice journey to all of you.
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