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TRAVEL HEALTH
Travel Smart and Stay Healthy
Take these steps for a safe holiday
By Mark Stachiew
There are plenty of souvenirs to bring home from sunny places like the Caribbean, Mexico or destinations farther afield, but tropical diseases shouldn’t be among them. Fortunately, a few smart steps taken before and during your trip can reduce your chances of getting sick, so your vacation stays fun and carefree.
Tara Lombardo, an Ontario-based nurse who’s specialized in travel health for over 15 years, wishes more travellers were proactive. “Travel medicine has been evolving in Canada for 25 years, but many travellers don’t know clinics like ours even exist,” she said. “That’s why raising awareness about travel medicine is so important. Prevention is key.”
Beware the Revenge
When people think of travel diseases, they often worry about serious ones like malaria, dengue, yellow fever or chikungunya.
But the most common issue travellers face is actually plain old traveller’s diarrhea. It’s usually just an unpleasant inconvenience, treatable with over-the-counter medication like Imodium and electrolytes. But sometimes it can escalate.
“If someone is solo backpacking in a remote area, staying at a hostel, not hydrating, it can lead to serious dehydration and even heart issues,” Lombardo warned. That’s why it’s important to take steps to prevent traveller’s diarrhea, like drinking bottled water, avoiding raw or undercooked foods and washing your hands often.
A potentially more dangerous disease called typhoid fever that can also cause diarrhea is also vaccine preventable. A healthcare professional may also recommend oral vaccines for cholera and LT-ETEC to help reduce your risk of diarrhea that can potentially ruin your trip.
Lombardo advises seeing a physician, pharmacist or travel clinic four to six weeks before departure.
Mosquitoes: Small, But Mighty
It’s not just diarrhea that travellers must protect themselves against.
The World Health Organization and other global health experts report that climate change is significantly impacting mosquito-borne diseases by creating more favourable conditions for both the mosquitoes and the viruses they carry. As a result, illnesses like chikungunya, known for causing debilitating joint pain and high fever, are now appearing in regions where they were not previously found.
The mosquitoes responsible for spreading chikungunya, as well as other illnesses such as dengue fever and ZIKA, are also expanding their range beyond traditionally affected areas. Locally acquired cases of chikungunya have been reported in France.
With seven million Canadians travelling last year to countries where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic, Lombardo believes it’s important for them to be informed of the risks and to take steps to avoid mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and others.
The most basic precaution is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Ideally, this could be accomplished by wearing long pants and clothing with long sleeves, but that’s not always practical in warm climates. Lombardo recommends wearing light-coloured clothing and liberally applying Health Canada-approved insect repellents containing either 30% DEET or 20% icaridin. She reminds travellers that it’s important to reapply insect repellent as directed, especially when spending extended time outdoors.
Don’t Skip the Shots
Smart travellers insure their trips—why not insure your health? Health Canada has approved vaccines for yellow fever, typhoid, LT-producing ETEC diarrhea, cholera, and Japanese encephalitis. More recently, a vaccine to prevent chikungunya has been approved and is available to protect against this life-altering disease. Lombardo’s clinic tailors vaccine recommendations to each traveller based on their destination, trip length, planned activities and itinerary.
While these vaccines aren’t covered by provincial health care, some private insurers may reimburse the cost. Since vaccines are not available for every disease travellers may encounter, it is essential to take preventive measures, such as avoiding insect bites and practising good hygiene to reduce the risk of illness while travelling.
Remember the three food rules
- If it’s not cooked, peeled or boiled, don’t eat it.
- Drink only bottled water—even to brush your teeth.
- Skip salads and raw vegetables. Stick to peeled fruits and cooked food.
Travel Planner
To find a travel clinic nearest you, visit vaccines411.ca/en
