This list is a simple and incomplete checklist of what to ask your doctor about when planning your trip. The best single source in the world for information on the various bugs and germs is the Center for Disease Control available on the web (http://www.cdc.gov), by phone (404) 639-3311 or reprinted in book form. Always consult with a doctor before traveling to Third World countries, before taking medication and to ensure proper precautions are taken. If you are sick within a country, it is wise to have supplementary medical treatment and or evacuation insurance.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Bartonellosis (Oroya Fever, Brucellosis Chagas' Disease Dengue Fever Filariasis (Lymphatic, Guinea Worm Infection (Dracontiasis, Dracunculiasis) Hepatitis - Hydatid Disease (Echinococcosis) Leprosy Measles Poliomyelitis River Blindness Sandfly Fever Schistosomiasis Tainiasis Tetanus Tularaemia
Deficiency Syndrome)
Carrion's Disease)
(Undulant Fever)
(American Trypanosomiasis)
(Breakbone Fever)
River Blindness)
A, B, Non-A, Non-B
(Hansen's Disease)
(Rubeola)
(Polio)
(Onchocerciais)
(Three-day Fever)
(Bilharzia)
(Tapeworms)
(Lockjaw)
(Rabbit Fever)
(African Trypanosomiasis)
Found: Tropical Africa.
Cause: A tiny protozoan parasite that emits a harmful toxin.
Carrier: Tsetse fly. Tsetse flies are large biting insects about the size of a horsefly found in East and West Africa.
Symptoms: Eastern trypanosomiasis: two31 days after the bite recurrent episodes of fever, headaches and malaise. Can lead to death in two to six weeks.Western trypanosomiasis: produces a skin ulcer within five to 10 days after being bitten. The symptoms then disappear in two to three weeks. Symptoms reappear six months to five years after the initial infection, resulting in fevers, headaches, rapid heartbeat, swelling of the lymph glands located in the back of the neck, personality changes, tremors, a lackadaisical attitude, and then stupor leading eventually to death.
Treatment: Suramin (Bayer 205), pentamidine (Lomodine), melarasoprol (Mel B)
How to avoid: Do not travel to infested areas, use insect repellent, wear light-colored clothing, and cover skin areas.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: Advanced stage of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome), which causes destruction of the natural resistance of humans to infection and other diseases. Death by AIDS is usually a result of unrelated diseases which rapidly attack the victim. These ranges of diseases are called ARC (AIDS-related complex).
Carrier: Sexual intercourse with infected person, transfusion of infected blood, or even from infected mother through breast milk. There is no way to determine if someone has HIV, except by blood test. Male homosexuals, drug users and prostitutes are high-risk groups in major urban centers in the West. AIDS is less selective in developing countries, with Central and Eastern Africa being the areas of highest incidence.
Symptoms: Fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, lymph node problems. Infection by other opportunistic elements such as Karposi's sarcoma and pneumonia are highly probable and will lead to death.
Treatment: There is no known cure.
How to avoid: Use condoms, refrain from sexual contact, and do not receive injections or transfusions in questionable areas. Avoid live vaccines such as gamma globulin and Hepatitis B in developing countries.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A protozoan parasite carried in human fecal matter. Usually found in areas with poor sanitation.
Carrier: Entamoeba histolyica is passed by poor hygiene. Ingested orally in water, air or food that has come in contact with the parasite.
Symptoms: The infection will spread from the intestines and causes abscesses in other organs such as liver, lungs and brain.
Treatment: Metronidazole, iodoquinol, diloxanide furoate, paromomycin, tetracycline plus chloroquinine base.
How to avoid: Avoid uncooked foods, boil water, drink bottled liquids, be sure that food is cooked properly and peel fruits and vegetables.
Found: In valleys of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
Cause: Bartonella bacilliformis, a bacterium.
Carrier: Sandflies that bite at night.
Symptoms: Pain in muscles, joints and bones along with fever occurring within three weeks of being bitten. Oroya fever causes a febrile fever leading to possible death. Verruga peruana creates skin eruptions.
Treatment: Antibiotics with transfusion for symptoms of anemia.
How to avoid: High boots, groundsheets, hammocks and insect repellent.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: Ingestion of infected dairy products.
Carrier: Untreated dairy products infected with the brucellosis bacteria.
Symptoms: Intermittent fever, sweating, jaundice, rash, depression, enlarged spleen and lymph nodes. The symptoms may disappear and go into permanent remission after three to six months.
Treatment: Tetracyclines, sulfonamides and streptomycin.
How to avoid: Drink pasteurized milk. Avoid infected livestock.
Found: Central and South America.
Cause: Protozoan parasite carried in the feces of insects.
Carrier: Kissing or Assassin bugs (Triatoma insects or reduviid bugs). Commonly found in homes with thatched roofs. It can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, breast milk and in utero.
Symptoms: A papule and swelling at the location of the bite, fever, malaise, anorexia, rash, swelling of the limbs, gastrointestinal problems, heart irregularities and heart failure.
Treatment: Nifurtimox (Bayer 2502).
How to avoid: Do not stay in native villages; use bed netting and insect repellent.
Found: Worldwide; primarily developing countries.
Cause: Intestinal infection caused by the toxin Vibrio Cholerae O group bacteria.
Carrier: Infected food and water contaminated by human and animal waste.
Symptoms: Watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and severe dehydration as a result of diarrhea. Can lead to death if fluids are not replaced.
Treatment: Tetracycline can hasten recovery. Replace fluids using an electrolyte solution.
How to avoid: Vaccinations before trip can diminish symptoms up to 50 percent for a period of three to six months. A threat in refugee camps or areas of poor sanitation. Use standard precautions with food and drink in developing countries.
Found: Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Philippines in sporadic outbreaks.
Cause: Alphavirus transmitted by mosquito bites.
Carrier: Mosquitoes who transmit the disease from the host (monkeys).
Symptoms: Joint pain with potential for hemorrhagic symptoms.
Treatment: None, but symptoms will disappear. If hemorrhagic, avoid aspirin.
How to avoid: Standard precautions to avoid mosquito bites: Use insect repellent and mosquito nets, and cover exposed skin areas.
Found: Tropical areas.
Cause: Ingestion of fish containing the toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus.
Carrier: 425 species of tropical reef fish.
Symptoms: Up to six hours after eating, victims may experience nausea, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, abnormal sensation in limbs and teeth, hot-cold flashes, joint pain, weakness, skin rashes and itching. In very severe cases victims may experience blind spells, low blood pressure and heart rate, paralysis and loss of coordination. Symptoms may appear years later.
Treatment: There is no specific medical treatment other than first aid. Induce vomiting.
How to avoid: Do not eat reef fish (including sea bass, barracuda, red snapper or grouper).
Found: North America.
Cause: Arbovirus transmitted by insect or infected blood.
Carrier: The wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni); also through transfusion of infected blood.
Symptoms: Aching of muscles in back and legs, chills, recurring fever, headaches, eye pain, fear of brightly lit area.
Treatment: Since symptoms only last about three weeks, medication or treatment is intended to relieve symptoms.
How to avoid: Ticks are picked up when walking through woods. Wear leggings, tall boots and insect repellent.
Found: South America, Africa, South Pacific, Asia, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean.
Cause: An arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes.
Carrier: Mosquitoes in tropical areas, which usually bite during the daytime.
Symptoms: Two distinct periods. First period consists of severe muscle and joint aches and headaches combined with high fever (the origin of the term "break bone fever"). The second phase is sensitivity to light, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, mental depression and enlarged lymph nodes.
Treatment: Designed to relieve symptoms. Aspirin should be avoided due to hemorrhagic complications.
How to avoid: Typical protection against daytime mosquito bites: using insect repellent with high DEET levels, wearing light-colored long-sleeve pants and shirts.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: There are many reasons for travelers to have the symptoms of diarrhea. It is important to remember that alien bacteria in the digestive tract is the main culprit. Most travelers to Africa, Mexico, South America and the Middle East will find themselves doubled up in pain, running for the nearest stinking toilet and wondering why the hell they ever left their comfortable home.
Carrier: Bacteria from food, the air, water or other people can be the cause. Dehydration from long airplane flights, strange diets, stress and high altitude can also cause diarrhea. It is doubtful you will ever get to know your intestinal bacteria on a first name basis, but Aeromonas hydrophila, Campylobacter, jejuni Pleisiomonas, salmonellae, shigellae, shielloides, Vibrio cholerae (non-01), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Yersinia enterocoliticia and Escherichia coli are the most likely culprits. All these bugs would love to spend a week or two in your gut.
Symptoms: Loose stools, stomach pains, bloating, fever and malaise.
Treatment: First step is to stop eating and ingest plenty of fluids and salty foods; secondly, try Kaopectate or Pepto Bismol. If diarrhea persists after three to four days, seek medical advice.
How to avoid: Keep your fluid intake high when traveling. Follow common sense procedures when eating, drinking and ingesting any food or fluids. Remember to wash your hands carefully and frequently, since you can transmit a shocking number of germs from your hands to your mouth, eyes and nose.
Found: Worldwide
Cause:The bacterium Corynebacterium diptheriae, a producer of harmful toxins that is usually a problem in populations that have not been immunized against diphtheria.
Carrier: Infected humans can spread the germs by sneezing, or contact.
Symptoms: Swollen diphtheritic membrane which may lead to serious congestion. Other symptoms are pallor, listlessness, weakness and increased heart rate. May cause death due to weakened heart or shock.
Treatment: Immunization with the DPT vaccine at an early age (three years) is the ideal prevention; treatment with antitoxin, if not.
How to avoid: Avoid close contact with populations or areas where there is little to no vaccination program for diphtheria.
Found: Among local populations in Congo.
Cause: A very rare but much publicized affliction.
Carrier: Unknown, but highly contagious. In 1989 the virus was found in lab monkeys in Reston, Virginia. The monkeys were quickly destroyed. Outbreaks in the Congo and Central Africa are a risk.
Symptoms: The virus is described as melting people down, causing blood clotting, loss of consciousness and death.
Treatment: None.
How to avoid: Unknown.
Found: Southeast Asia, Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, Eastern CIS countries and Eastern Europe.
Cause: A common viral infection carried by insects.
Carrier: The disease can be carried by the tick or mosquito. The risk is high during late summer and fall.The most dangerous strain is tickborne encephalitis transmitted by ticks in the summer in the colder climates of Russia, Scandinavia, Switzerland and France.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle pain, malaise, runny nose and sore throat followed by lethargy, confusion, hallucination and seizures. About one-fifth of encephalitis infections have led to death.
Treatment: A vaccine is available.
How to avoid: Avoid areas known to be endemic. Avoid tick-infested areas such as forests, rice growing areas in Asia (mosquitoes) or areas that have large number of domestic pigs (tick carriers). Use insect repellent. Do not drink unpasteurized milk.
Found: Africa, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Asia.
Cause: A group of diseases caused by long, thin roundworms carried by mosquitoes.
Carrier: Mosquitoes and biting flies in tropical areas.
Symptoms: Lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), loiasis and mansonellasis all have similar and very unpleasant symptoms. Fevers, headaches, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, inflammation in the legs including the abdomen and testicles, swelling of the abdomen, joints and scrotum, enlarged lymph nodes, abscesses, eye lesions that lead to blindness, rashes, itches and arthritis.
Treatment: Diethylcarbamazine (DEC, Hetrazan, Notezine) is the usual treatment.
How to avoid: Avoid bites by insects with usual protective measures and insect repellent.
Found: Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia.
Cause: The liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) and the lung fluke (Paragonimus westermani) which lead to paragonimasis.
Carrier: Carried in fish that has not been properly cooked.
Symptoms: Obstruction of the bile system, along with fever, pain, jaundice, gallstones, inflammation of the pancreas. There is further risk of cancer of the bile tract after infection.Paragonimasis affects the lungs and causes chest pains.
Treatment: Paragonimasis is treated with Prazanquantel. Obstruction of the bile system can require surgery.
How to avoid: To avoid liver flukes do not eat uncooked or improperly cooked fish-something most sushi fans will decry. Paragonimasis is found in uncooked shellfish, like freshwater crabs, crayfish and shrimp.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A protozoa Giardi lamblia that causes diarrhea.
Carrier: Ingestion of food or water that is contaminated with fecal matter.
Symptoms: Very sudden diarrhea, severe flatulence, cramps, nausea, anorexia, weight loss and fever.
Treatment: Giardiasis can disappear without treatment, but Furazolidone, metronidizole, or quinacrine HCI are the usual treatments.
How to avoid: Cleanliness, drinking bottled water, and strict personal hygiene in eating and personal contact.
Found: Tropical areas like the Caribbean, the Guianas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Cause: Ingestion of waterborne nematode Dracunculus medinensis.
Carrier: Water systems that harbor Dracunculus medinensis.
Symptoms: Fever, itching, swelling around the eyes, wheezing, skin blisters and arthritis.
Treatment: Doses of niridazole, metronidazole or thiabendazole are the usual method. Surgery may be required to remove worms.
How to avoid: Drink only boiled or chemically treated water.
Some of the more well-known hemorrhagic fevers are yellow fever, dengue, lassa fever and the horror moviecaliber Ebola fever. Outbreaks tend to be localized and subject to large populations of insects, or rats. Don't let the exotic-sounding names lull you into a false sense of security; there was a major outbreak in the American Southwest caused by rodents spreading the disease.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: Intestinal worms carried by insects and rodents.
Carrier: Depending on the disease, it can be transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and rodents (in urine and feces).
Symptoms: Headache, backache, muscle pain and conjunctivitis. Later on, the thinning of the blood will cause low blood pressure, bleeding from the gums and nose, vomiting and coughing up blood, blood in your stool, bleeding from the skin and hemorrhaging in the internal organs. Coma and death may occur in the second week.
Treatment: Consult a doctor or medical facility familiar with the local disease.
How to avoid: Avoid mosquitoes, ticks, and areas with high concentrations of mice and rats.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A virus that attacks the liver. Hepatitis A, Non-B and Non-A can be brought on by poor hygiene; Hepatitis B is transmitted sexually or through infected blood.
Carrier: Hepatitis A is transmitted by oral-fecal route, person-to-person contact, or through contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B is transmitted by sexual activity or the transfer of bodily fluids. Hepatitis Non-A and Non-B are spread by contaminated water or from other people.
Symptoms: Muscle and joint pain, nausea, fatigue, sensitivity to light, sore throat, runny nose. Look for dark urine and clay-colored stools, jaundice along with liver pain and enlargement.
Treatment: Rest and a high-calorie diet. Immune Globulin is advised as a minor protection against Hepatitis A. You can be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.
How to avoid: Non-A and Non-B require avoiding infected foods. Hepatitis B requires avoiding unprotected sexual contact, unsterile needles, dental work and infusions. Hepatitis A requires proper hygiene and avoiding infected water and foods.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A tapeworm found in areas with high populations of pigs, cattle and sheep.
Carrier: Eggs of the echinococcosis.
Symptoms: Cysts form in organs in the liver, lungs, bone or brain.
Treatment: Surgery for removal of the infected cysts. Mebendazole and albendazole are used as well.
How to avoid: Boil water, cook foods properly and avoid infected areas.
Found: Tropical and subtropical regions.
Cause: Protozoans of the genus Leishmania.
Carrier: Phlebotomine sandflies in tropical and subtropical regions.
Symptoms: Skin lesions, cutaneous ulcers, mucocutaneous ulcers in the mouth, nose and anus, as well as intermittent fever, anemia and enlarged spleen.
Treatment: Sodium stibogluconate, rifampin, and sodium antimony gluconate. Surgery is also used to remove cutaneous and mucocutaneous ulcers.
How to avoid: Use insect repellent, a ground cover when sleeping and bed nets, and cover arms and legs.
Found: Africa, India and elsewhere
Cause: The bacterium Mycobacterium leprae that infects the skin, eyes, nervous system and testicles.
Carrier: It is not known how leprosy is transmitted, but direct human contact is suspected.
Symptoms: Skin lesions, and nerve damage that progresses to loss of fingers and toes, blindness, difficulty breathing and nerve damage.
Treatment: Dapsone, rifampin and clofazimine.
How to avoid: Leprosy is a tropical disease, with over half the cases worldwide occurring in India and Africa. There is no known preventive method.
Found: West and Central Africa.
Cause: The loa loa parasite.
Carrier: Chrysops deer flies or tabanid flies in West and Central Africa.
Symptoms: Subcutaneous swellings that come and go, brain and heart inflammation.
Treatment: Diethylcarbamazine.
How to avoid: Deerflies are large, and their bites can be avoided by wearing full-sleeved shirts and thick pants. Hats and bandannas can protect head and neck areas.
Found: Worldwide
Cause: A spirochete carried by ticks.
Carrier: The Ixodes tick, found worldwide and in great numbers during the summer. Ticks are found in rural areas and burrow into skin to suck blood.
Symptoms: A pronounced bite mark, flulike symptoms, severe headache, stiff neck, fever, chills, joint pain, malaise and fatigue.
Treatment: Tetracyclines, phenoxymethylpenicillin or erythromycin if caught early. Advanced cases may require intravenous penicillin.
How to avoid: Do not walk through wooded areas in the summer. Check for ticks frequently. Use leggings with insect repellent.
Malaria is by far the most dangerous disease and the one most likely for travelers to pick up in Third World countries. Protection against this disease should be your first priority. As a rule, be leery of all riverine, swampy or tropical places. Areas such as logging camps, shantytowns, oases, campsites near slow moving water, and resorts near mangrove swamps are all very likely to be major areas of malarial infection. Consult with a local doctor to understand the various resistances and the prescribed treatment. Many foreign doctors are more knowledgeable about the cure and treatment of malaria than domestic doctors.
Found: Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East.
Cause: The Plasmodium parasite is injected into the victim while the mosquito draws blood.
Carrier: The female Anopheles mosquito.
Symptoms: Fever, chills, enlarged spleen in low-level versions; plasmodium falciparum, or cerebral malaria, can also cause convulsions, kidney failure and hypoglycemia.
Treatment: Chloroquinine, quinine, pyrimethamine, sulfadoxine and mefloquine. Note: Some people may have adverse reactions to all and any of these drugs.
How to avoid: Begin taking a malarial prophylaxis before your trip, as well as during and after (consult your doctor for a prescription). Avoid infected areas and protect yourself from mosquito bites (netting, insect repellent, mosquito coils, long-sleeve shirts and pants) especially during dusk and evening times.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A common virus in unvaccinated areas.
Carrier: Sneezing, saliva and close contact with infected or unvaccinated humans.
Symptoms: Malaise, irritability, fever, conjunctivitis, swollen eyelids and hacking cough appear nine to 11 days after exposure. Fourteen days after exposure, the typical facial rash and spots appear.
Treatment: Measles will disappear, but complications can occur.
How to avoid: Vaccination or gamma globulin shots within five days of exposure.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: An animal disease (the bacillus Pseudomonas pseudomallei) that can be transferred to humans.
Carrier: Found in infected soil and water, and transmitted through skin wounds.
Symptoms: Various types, including fever, malaise, pneumonia, shortness of breath, headache, diarrhea, skin lesions, muscle pain and abscesses in organs.
Treatment: Antibiotics such as tetracyclines and sulfur drugs.
How to avoid: Clean and cover all wounds carefully.
Found: Africa, Saudi Arabia.
Cause: Bacteria: Neisseria meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. Children are at most risk. There are frequent outbreaks in Africa and Nepal.
Carrier: Inhaling infected droplets of nasal and throat secretions.
Symptoms: Fever, vomiting, headaches, confusion, lethargy and rash.
Treatment: Penicillin G.
How to avoid: Meningococcus polysaccharide vaccine. Do not travel to areas where outbreaks occur (the Sahel from Mali to Ethiopia) in the dry season.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A virus found worldwide. Common in early spring and late winter and in unvaccinated areas.
Carrier: Infected saliva and urine.
Symptoms: Headache, anorexia, malaise, and pain when chewing or swallowing.
Treatment: Mumps is a self-inoculating disease. There can be complications which can lead to more serious lifetime afflictions.
How to avoid: Vaccination (MMR).
Found: India, Vietnam, Africa, South America, the Middle East, Russia.
Cause: A bacteria (Yersinia pestis) that infects rodents and the fleas they carry.
Carrier: Flea bites that transmit the bacteria to humans. Ticks, lice, corpses and human contact can also spread the disease.
Symptoms: Swollen lymph nodes, fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, and gangrene of the extremities.
Treatment: Antibiotics like streptomycin, tetracyclines and chloramphenicol can reduce the mortality rate.
How to avoid: Stay out of infected areas, and avoid contact.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A virus that destroys the central nervous system.
Carrier: Occurs through direct contact.
Symptoms: A mild febrile illness that may lead to paralysis. Polio can cause death in 5 to 10 percent of cases in children and 15 to 30 percent in adult cases.
Treatment: There is no treatment.
How to avoid: Vaccination during childhood with a booster before travel is recommended.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A virus that affects the central nervous system.
Carrier: Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Found in wild animals, although usually animals found in urban areas are most suspect: dogs, raccoons, cats, skunks, and bats. Although most people will automatically assume they are at risk for rabies, there are only about 16,000 cases reported worldwide. The risk is the deadly seriousness of rabies and the short time in which death occurs.
Symptoms: Abnormal sensations or muscle movement near the bite, followed by fever, headaches, malaise, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, sore throat and cough. The advanced stages include excessive excitation, seizures and mental disturbances leading to profound nervous system dysfunction and paralysis. Death occurs in most cases four to 20 days after being bitten.
Treatment: Clean wound vigorously, injections of antirabies antiserum and antirabies vaccine. People who intend to come into regular contact with animals in high-risk areas can receive HDCV (human diploid cell rabies vaccine) shots.
How to avoid: Avoid confrontations with animals.
Found: The louseborne version is found in poor rural areas where infestation by lice is common.
Cause: Borrelia spirochetes.
Carrier: Lice and ticks. Ticks are found in wooded areas and bite mainly at night.
Symptoms: The fever gets its name from the six days on and six days off of high fever. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle pains, weakness and loss of appetite.
Treatment: Antibiotics.
How to avoid: Avoid infected areas, and check for ticks.
Found: Egypt and East Africa.
Cause: A virus that affects humans and livestock.
Carrier: Mosquitoes, inhaling infected dust, contact with broken skin and ingesting infected animal blood or fluids.
Symptoms: Sudden one-time fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, sensitivity to light, eye pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, eye redness and facial flushing. Blindness, meningitis, meningoencephalitis and retinitis may also occur.
Treatment: Seek medical treatment for supportive care.
How to avoid: Avoid contact with livestock in infected areas; protect yourself against mosquito bites.
Found: Equatorial Africa, Yemen, the Sahara and parts of Central and South America.
Cause: The roundworm Onchocerca volvulus.
Carrier: Transmitted by blackflies found along rapidly flowing rivers.
Symptoms: Itching, skin atrophy, mottling, nodules, enlargement of the lymph nodes, particularily in the groin, and blindness.
Treatment: Invermectin or Diethylcarbamazine(DEC), followed by suramin, followed by DEC again.
How to avoid: Insect repellant, long-sleeve shirts and long pants. Avoid blackfly bites.
Found: Found only in the Western Hemisphere.
Cause: A bacterial disease transmitted by tick bites.
Carrier: Rickettsial bacteria are found in rodents and dogs. The ticks pass the bacteria by then biting humans.
Symptoms: Fever, headaches, chills, and rash (after fourth day) on the arms and legs. Final symptoms may include delirum, shock and kidney failure.
Treatment: Tetracyclines or chloramphenicol.
How to avoid: Ticks are found in wooded areas. Inspect your body after walks. Use insect repellent. Wear leggings or long socks or long pants.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A common bacterial infection; Salmonella gastroenteritis is commonly described as food poisoning.
Carrier: Found in fecally contaminated food, unpasteurized milk, raw foods and water.
Symptoms: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, chills and fever usually within eight to 48 hours of ingesting infected food. Salmonella only kills about one percent of its victims, usually small children or the aged.
Treatment: Purge infected food, replace fluids. Complete recovery is within two to five days.
How to avoid: Consume only properly prepared foods.
Found: Africa, Mediterranean.
Cause: Phleboviruses injected by sandfly bites.
Carrier: Transmitted by sandflies, usually during the dry season.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, eye pain, chest muscle pains, vomiting, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, taste abnormality, rash and joint pain.
Treatment: There is no specific treatment. The symptoms can reoccur in about 15 percent of cases, but typically disappear.
How to avoid: Do not sleep directly on the ground. Sandflies usually bite at night.
Bilharzia is one of the meanest bugs to pick up in your foreign travels. The idea of nasty little creatures actually burrowing through your skin and lodging themselves in your gut is menacing. If not treated, it can make your life a living hell with afternoon sweats, painful urination, weakness and other good stuff. There is little you can do to prevent infection, since the Schistosoma larva and flukes are found where people have fouled freshwater rivers and lakes. Get treatment immediately, since the affliction worsens as the eggs multiply and continue to infect more tissues. About 250 million people around the world are believed to be infected.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A group of parasitic Schistosoma flatworms (Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosomajaponicum and Schistosoma haematobium) found in slow moving, tropical freshwater.
Carrier: The larvae of Schistosoma are found in slow moving waterways in tropical areas around the world. They actually enter the body through the skin and then enter the lymph vessels and then migrate to the liver.
Symptoms: Look for a rash and itching at the entry site, followed by weakness, loss of appetite, night sweats, hivelike rashes, and afternoon fevers in about four to six weeks. Bloody, painful and frequent urination, diarrhea. Later victims become weaker and may be susceptible to further infections and diseases.
Treatment: Elimination of S. mansoni requires oxamniquine and praziquantel. S. japonicum responds to praziquantel alone, and Schistosoma haematobium is treated with praziquantel and metrifonate.
How to avoid: Stay out of slow moving freshwater in all tropical and semitropical areas. This also means wading or standing in water.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A spirochete (Treponema pallidum) causes this chronic venereal disease, which if left untreated progresses into three clinical stages.
Carrier: Syphilis is spread through sexual contact and can be passed on to infants congenitally.
Symptoms: After an incubation period of two to six weeks, a sore usually appears near the genitals, although some men and women may not experience any symptoms. Some men also experience a scanty discharge. A skin rash appears in the second stage, often on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. It may be accompanied by a mild fever, sore throat and patchy hair loss. This rash generally appears about six weeks after the initial sore. The third phase of the disease may develop over several years if the disease is left untreated and may damage the brain and the heart or even cause death.
Treatment: Antibiotics are used to treat syphilis, and infected people should abstain from sex until treatment ends. Blood tests should be performed again in three months after the round of treatment. Sexual partners need to be tested and treated. Victims of syphilis should also be tested for other sexually transmitted diseases.
How to avoid: Abstain from sexual activities or use a latex condom.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A tapeworm is usually discovered after being passed by the victim.
Carrier: Ingestion of poorly cooked meat infected with tapeworms.
Symptoms: In advanced cases, there will be diarrhea and stomach cramps. Sections of tapeworms can be seen in stools.
Treatment: Mebendazole, niclocsamide, paromomysi and praziqunatel are effective in killing the parasite.
How to avoid: Tapeworms come from eating meats infected with tapeworm or coming into contact with infected fecal matter.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A bacteria caused by the bacteria Clostridiium tetani.
Carrier: Found in soil and enters body through cuts or punctures.
Symptoms: Restlessness, irritability, headaches, jaw pain, back pain and stiffness, and difficulty in swallowing. Then within two to 56 days, stiffness increases with lockjaw and spasms. Death occurs in about half the cases, usually affecting children.
Treatment: If infected, human tetanus immune globulin is administered with nerve blockers for muscle relaxation.
How to avoid: Immunization is the best prevention, with a booster recommended before travel.
Found: Common in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Cause: A chlamydial infection of the eye, which is responsible for about 200 million cases of blindness.
Carrier: Flies, contact, wiping face or eye area with infected towels.
Symptoms: Constant inflammation under the eyelid that causes scarring of the eyelid, turned-in eyelashes and eventual scarring of the cornea and then blindness.
Treatment: Tetracyclines, erythromycin, sulfonamide, surgery to correct turned-in lashes.
How to avoid: It is spread primarily by flies. Proper hygiene and avoidance of fly-infested areas are recommended.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: Infection of the Trichinella spiralis worm.
Carrier: Pig meat (also bear and walrus) that contain cysts. The worm then infects the new hosts' tissues and intestines.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, prostration and fever. As the worm infects tissues, fever, swelling around the eyes, conjunctivitis, eye hemorrhages, muscle pain, weakness, rash and splinter hemorrhages under the nails occur. Less than 10 percent of the cases result in death.
Treatment: Thiabendazole is effective in killing the parasite.
How to avoid: Proper preparation, storage and cooking of meat.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A disease of the lungs caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria or Mycobacterium bovis.
Carrier: By close contact with infected persons (sneezing, coughing) or, in the case of Mycobacterium bovis, contaminated or unpasteurized milk.
Symptoms: Weight loss, night sweats and a chronic cough usually with traces of blood. If left untreated, death results in about 60 percent of the cases after a period of two and a half years.
Treatment: Isoniazide and rifampin can control the disease.
How to avoid: Vaccination and isoniazid prophylaxis.
Found: Worldwide.
Cause: A fairly rare disease (about 300 cases per year) caused by the bacteria Francisella tularnesis passed from animals to humans via insects.
Carrier: The bite of deerflies, ticks, mosquitoes and even cats can infect humans.
Symptoms: Fever, chills, headaches, muscle pain, malaise, enlarged liver and spleen, rash, skin ulcers and enlargement of the lymph nodes.
Treatment: Vaccination is used. Streptomycin primarily. Tetracycline and chloramphenicol are also effective.
How to avoid: Care when handling animal carcasses, removal of ticks and avoidance of insect bites.
Found: Africa, Asia, Central America.
Cause: The bacterium Salmonella typhi.
Carrier: Transmitted by contaminated food and water in areas of poor hygiene.
Symptoms: Fever, headaches, abdominal tenderness, malaise, rash, enlarged spleen. Later symptoms include delirium, intestinal hemorrhage and perforation of the intestine.
Treatment: Chloramphenicol.
How to avoid: Vaccination is the primary protection, although the effectiveness is not high.
Found: Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, India.
Cause: Rickettsia.
Carrier: Transmitted by fleas, lice, mites and ticks found in mountainous areas around the world.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, rash and muscle pain. If untreated, death may occur in the second week due to kidney failure, coma and blockage of the arteries.
Treatment: Tetracyclines or chloramphenicol.
How to avoid: Check for ticks, avoid insect bites, attend to hygiene to prevent lice and avoid mountainous regions.
Found: Africa, South America.
Cause: A virus transmitted by mosquito bites.
Carrier: The tiny banded-legged aedes aegpyti is the source for urban yellow fever, and the haemogogus and sabethes mosquito carries the jungle version.
Symptoms: In the beginning, fever, headaches, backaches, muscle pain, nausea, conjunctivitis, albumin in the urine and slow heart rate. Followed by black vomit, no urination and delirium. Death affects only 5 to 10 percent of cases and occurs in the fourth to sixth day.
Treatment: Replace fluids and electrolytes.
How to avoid: Vaccination is mandatory when entering or leaving infected areas.
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