Lassa Fever is a relatively obscure disease. It is endemic to West Africa, and you won't find it anywhere else in the world. It produces an estimated 300,000 - 500,000 cases every year. Approximately 5,000 of those cases are fatal. Lassa Fever is a type of acute viral hemorrhagic fever (pretty much the last words [...]
The Lab
This category provides information about specific diseases, parasites and viruses that a traveler may encounter on their journey. In addition to information about prevention and treatment, you can find information on travel vaccinations and immunizations.
UPDATE 7/26/14: More bad news. A case of Ebola was confirmed in Lagos, Nigeria, Africa's most populous city. A man had arrived by plane from Lagos and collapse at the airport. He was immediately taken to the hospital, but anyone he came in contact with is at risk, including the other passengers on his flight [...]
If you are a short-term traveler, this question may not be relevant, but for long-term travelers or expats, knowing whether immunity from foreign bacteria can be "earned" is an important topic. We have written about traveler's diarrhea, probiotics, and various parasitic infections on this site, but we have not talked about whether exposure, particularly long-term [...]
Look at that little cluster of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. A couple of microscopic purple pom poms. No big deal. Right? No. The bacteria known as MRSA is responsible for a large number of serious infections, cases of which are potentially fatal. Staph bacteria are quite common. The bacteria can be found on [...]
Have you traveled to an area where malaria is endemic? Do you think you are in the clear once you get home? Wrong. Malaria symptoms can emerge up to 25 days after initial infection. In other words, you could find yourself coming down with malaria a few weeks removed from your vacation. There are several [...]
We have now seen several incarnations of Avian Bird Flu. Back in 1997, H5N1 got the avian influenza party started, but there are now multiple strains and it's likely that more will develop as industrialized farming of poultry will continue and humans will remain a part of that process. This post will discuss the threat [...]
UPDATE (5/14/14): The latest from the WHO has the MERS virus rising in urgency, but it still falls short of a global health emergency. There is more information in this article. UPDATE (5/3/14): We are still seeing cases of MERS. In fact, an American traveler was recently diagnosed after returning home. It's important to note [...]
With talk of yet another incarnation of Avian Bird Flu, there is much speculation as to whether we will soon see a pandemic. In this post, we will take a look at possible pandemic scenarios in an attempt to understand how likely they are to occur. A pandemic refers to a disease outbreak that effects [...]
Not long ago, we wrote in our malaria myths and facts article that malaria cannot be treated or prevented with herbal remedies. Now we have articles surfacing in the press that suggest wormwood tea may be an effective weapon against malaria. So what is the deal? Are herbal remedies legit? In this post, we will [...]
One of the most common fears among travelers to developing world countries is that they have (or will acquire) an intestinal parasite. This is in part because parasites can have vague symptoms, or none at all. In this post, we will talk about some of the more common parasites, their symptoms, and how to go [...]
