Here is one thing you do know: it takes exactly one mosquito in your room for you to have a sleepless night. You are also probably aware that mosquitoes transmit diseases, including malaria, one of the deadliest infectious diseases on the planet. I would put money down, however, that you don't know most of the [...]
The third largest island in the Caribbean, Jamaica regularly attracts tourists from all over the world. Beaches are the main draw, but rum, reggae and jerk chicken may do it for other folks. On the windward side of the mountains in Jamaica, you can expect a tropical climate. Tropical climates typically carry certain travel health [...]
You may have seen this difficult-to-pronounce disease show up in the news recently. That's because there have been over 4,000 confirmed cases in the Caribbean in the past several months. Most people have never hard of this virus. We'll break it down for you in this post. While the Chikungunya Virus is making waves in [...]
There may be many good reasons to avoid a country that has been designated high-risk by your own government. In some cases, however, certain areas of a "high-risk" country may be perfectly safe. Mali, for example, has been in the red zone for the past couple of years, despite the fact that there have not [...]
Brazil. Amazon river, gorgeous women in thongs, samba, carnival, football. Right? I don't know. I do know that Brazil is not your backyard. It is a tropical developing world country with certain travel health risks. Whether you are heading to Brazil for the World Cup, or you plan on visiting the country for other reasons, [...]
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 [...]
When it comes to packing our suitcases for holiday, we are often guilty of leaving it until the last minute and cramming in as much as possible in something of a frenzy. By doing this, we often end up taking far too much – much of which is unsuitable for the destination we’re visiting. We [...]
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 [...]
A protein commonly found in wheat, gluten has been implicated in a variety of GI disorders, from basic intolerance to celiac disease. Any of these conditions can make it difficult to travel as gluten is an ingredient found in many staple products around the world. In this post, we will break down a few strategies [...]
Scuba diving is a popular recreational activity for travelers, which has been made increasingly accessible over the years through affordable dive courses abroad. Considering the amount of dives that happen every day all over the world, it should be said that serious accidents, medical issues and fatalities are relatively rare. If you don't follow certain [...]
