Travelling round the world always brings some risk to health. However,
by taking certain – often simple – steps, you can minimise your exposure
to almost every major health hazard. See Our Products List Here!

Eat and Drink... Safely

Wherever you are in the world, be careful what you eat and drink.
Food and water may be contaminated in a variety of ways – and that includes
the water in swimming pools, lakes, rivers and the sea, so try not to swallow
water when you are bathing. Travellers' diarrhea is very common, especially
in hot countries. Travellers' diarrhea, as well as diseases such as cholera,
typhoid and hepatitis A, can be caught from contaminated food and water.

Take care in the Sun

Many people travel from this country in search of the sun. The sun should
be enjoyed, but overexposure can cause sunburn, leading to premature skin
ageing and an increased risk of skin cancer. It is the ultraviolet rays
which cause this; and UV is much more powerful the nearer to the equator
you go. A separate risk of overexposure to the sun is sunstroke or heatstroke,
caused simply by overheating. Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours,
and make sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids to balance the
loss of body fluid through perspiration. What you drink must be safe -
either soft drinks from sealed cans or bottles, or water which has been
boiled or is bottled.

Avoid Insect and Animal Bites

To avoid insect and animal bites, use insect repellent preparations and
cover arms and legs when advised. Tick-borne diseases such as tickborne
encephalitis and borreliosis (Lymes disease) are prevalent in temperate
climates. It is therefore not only in tropical areas that one needs to
take precautions . Animal bites can set up infections which can be serious
and sometimes fatal. BE WARY OF EVEN APPARENTLY TAME ANIMALS.

Some major diseases and the precautions to take:

+ Malaria
-A parasitic disease, spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes, malaria
produces fever and, in some cases, complications affecting the kidneys,
liver, brain and blood. It can be fatal.
-Malaria is a major health problem throughout the tropics – a country-by-
country checklist can be found via the link below – and some forms are
particularly life threatening. If you live in a malarial region, you may
build up some immunity to the disease, but this can be quickly lost.
Children born in the United Kingdom will have no immunity at all.

+ Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is an infection of the liver which can cause jaundice.
There are several forms of the disease; including hepatitis A, sometimes
called infectious hepatitis; hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Hepatitis A
Usually caught by consuming contaminated food or water, this can also be
spread from person to person, since the virus is present in faeces. Travellers
to places where sanitation is primitive need to be especially aware of the
risk of infection. The main precautions are care over what you eat and drink,
and washing your hands after going to the lavatory and before handling food.
There is a vaccine against hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B
This occurs worldwide and is spread in the same ways as HIV/AIDS, that is through:
- intimate person-to-person contact;
- sharing contaminated needles or syringes;
- transfusions of contaminated blood or the use of inadequately sterilised
equipment in medical treatment, tattooing and ear-piercing.
There is a vaccine, which gives good protection against the disease. However,
it can take six months to become effective. The best way to prevent infection
is to avoid the high-risk activities listed above and also to take a travel
kit for use in medical emergencies (see the section on 'Emergency medical
travel kits' from the link below).
Hepatitis C
This is being increasingly recognised worldwide and is spread in the same
way as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B. There is no vaccine. The best way to avoid
infection is to take the precautions recommended against HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B.

+SARS
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) SARS is a severe respiratory infection
which started in southern China in November 2002 and subsequently spread in
East and Far East Asia and to many other countries. In July 2003 SARS was
declared ‘contained' but it is not certain whether it may recur.

If you develop a high fever with one or more respiratory symptoms (for example,
cough, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing) within ten days of travelling
in an affected or previously affected area, you should contact your doctor for advice.

Advice on infection risks for people returning from the regions affected
by south Asia earthquake and tsunamis:

Following the earthquake and tsunamis in South East Asia the risk of serious
infectious disease to those returning from the region is likely to be low.
There is however a greater risk of gastrointestinal infections which are the
most common diseases associated with travelling in these regions. If those
returning from the affected regions experience any of the following:

fever or flu like illness
sickness
vomiting
diarrhoea
wounds which do not heal properly or get worse .

Now pack your bags and enjoy a safe trip!