2008 Woodie Awards
Critters, Cancun and "bugging" out over break
Issue date: 3/13/08
Too many of my friends are going to Mexico for spring break, no doubt for the tequila sunrise, sex on the beach, margaritas with tortillas and - for the boys - Brazilian-cut bikinis.
But if you're going abroad for break (especially if you're going to Central America) there are recommended vaccinations for before you leave. The Centers for Disease Control advise you to get your shots and vaccines for:
• Hepatitis A and B
• measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
• typhoid
• rabies
• tetanus-diphtheria
Check your shot record, and make sure you're up to date.
Even if you pump yourself full of helpful viruses and bacteria, it's possible you'll pick up a few bugs in foreign countries - particularly if you're off to South or Central America.
The most common traveler's curse is diarrhea. Traveler's Diarrhea (TD) is actually a real clinical syndrome. When you travel from an area of good sanitation to one of lesser sanitation, the food and water you ingest might include some new microbes and miniscule creepy-crawlies just dying to get in your gut.
The most common cause of TD is E. coli, although a multitude of other bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni can cause more serious versions of diarrhea. The best way to avoid TD is to eat packaged foods, drink bottled (or boiled) water, avoid undercooked meat and raw vegetables and generally avoid eating food that comes from unhygienic-looking street vendors.
If you are visiting the malaria risk regions of Central America (which has several hotspots), use bug spray often. Malaria is carried by mosquitoes infected with parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Symptoms show up 10 to 15 days after infection and include headache, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, chills, sweating and fever.
If not treated quickly, malaria can become serious and is often fatal. Spring break only gives you 11 days - hopefully if you've contracted malaria, you'll be back in America by the time it shows.
But if you're going abroad for break (especially if you're going to Central America) there are recommended vaccinations for before you leave. The Centers for Disease Control advise you to get your shots and vaccines for:
• Hepatitis A and B
• measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
• typhoid
• rabies
• tetanus-diphtheria
Check your shot record, and make sure you're up to date.
Even if you pump yourself full of helpful viruses and bacteria, it's possible you'll pick up a few bugs in foreign countries - particularly if you're off to South or Central America.
The most common traveler's curse is diarrhea. Traveler's Diarrhea (TD) is actually a real clinical syndrome. When you travel from an area of good sanitation to one of lesser sanitation, the food and water you ingest might include some new microbes and miniscule creepy-crawlies just dying to get in your gut.
The most common cause of TD is E. coli, although a multitude of other bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni can cause more serious versions of diarrhea. The best way to avoid TD is to eat packaged foods, drink bottled (or boiled) water, avoid undercooked meat and raw vegetables and generally avoid eating food that comes from unhygienic-looking street vendors.
If you are visiting the malaria risk regions of Central America (which has several hotspots), use bug spray often. Malaria is carried by mosquitoes infected with parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Symptoms show up 10 to 15 days after infection and include headache, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, chills, sweating and fever.
If not treated quickly, malaria can become serious and is often fatal. Spring break only gives you 11 days - hopefully if you've contracted malaria, you'll be back in America by the time it shows.
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