The Diseases You Are Most Likely to Pick Up Abroad
With international travel back on the cards, most of us have already started planning our next vacations. After almost 2 years of border closures, most Australians are looking forward to stepping out of the country, whether on a vacation during the Christmas break or to visit family.
But when going abroad, it is important to remember that you may be exposed to a wide range of infectious diseases. Get in touch with Prime Medic and have a live chat with a doctor well before you go to find out any vaccinations you may need to get. Because some vaccinations take at least 6-8 weeks to work, now’s the perfect time to get yourself covered before your Christmas holiday.
Preparing to travel
Your doctor will likely recommend a complete blood count (CBC) test to determine if you have any health conditions that may worsen by travel. If it’s been a while since your last immunisation shot, they may also recommend a few vaccinations to update you. If you’re headed to a location where a particular disease is transmissible, your doctor may ask you to get vaccinated against that disease before you travel. Some countries may even require you to show proof of immunisation for certain diseases before you are allowed to enter it.
It is always better to protect yourself before you travel, as according to the law, your Prime Medic doctor cannot help you while you are abroad. To access Prime Medic’s services, you need to be within Australian borders.
Get travel insurance well before you travel. This ensures that in the event that you have a medical emergency, or need a medical evacuation, you are thoroughly protected and don’t have to suffer from exorbitant out-of-pocket costs. Your travel insurance may not cover non-urgent medical care, so make sure you know exactly what’s covered before you head to a doctor in your destination country.
The Diseases You Are Likely to Pick Up Abroad
Waterborne and foodborne diseases:
Some common waterborne and foodborne diseases you may encounter in foreign countries include:
- Traveller’s diarrhoea - Typhoid - Cholera - Hepatitis A - Giardia - Polio - Campylobacteriosis.Most of these diseases are caused by viruses or bacteria that are transmitted through contaminated food and water. When abroad, take care when eating and drinking, or even using tap water to rinse your mouth. Only use bottled, boiled or treated water to be on the safe side. If getting a drink at a restaurant, skip the ice, as often, restaurants may use water straight from the tap. Avoid street food stalls, buffets, fresh salads or uncooked foods like shellfish or sashimi unless you’re eating at a restaurant.
Insect-borne diseases:
The main culprit of most insect-borne diseases is the mosquito. Common diseases spread by the mosquito include:
- Malaria - Dengue fever - Zika virus - Yellow fever - Chikungunya - West Nile virus - Japanese encephalitisOther diseases that may be transmitted by insects include:
- Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks - Plague, transmitted by fleas - Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), also transmitted by ticks - Leishmaniasis, transmitted by the sandfly.In order to protect yourself from insect-borne diseases, wear long-sleeved shirts with long pants. Ensure any exposed areas of skin are thoroughly covered in insect-repellent and sleep in a screened or airconditioned room. If your windows do not effectively keep mosquitoes out during the night, consider getting a bed net to protect you through the night. Carry a first aid kit with appropriate over the counter ointments and creams to treat insect bites. You may also want to talk to your doctor about getting antimalaria medication.
Airborne diseases:
Some diseases may spread through direct contact with an unwell person that is coughing or sneezing. They may also spread indirectly, by touching something an infected person used after blowing their nose or coughing. Some examples of these diseases include:
- COVID-19 - Influenza - Measles - Bronchitis - SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) - Tuberculosis - Chickenpox - Pertussis - Mumps - DiphtheriaTo reduce your risk of contracting these diseases or facing severe symptoms, make sure you are updated on your vaccines, especially for measles, diphtheria, influenza, COVID-19 and pertussis. Avoid contact with people who are visibly sick and regularly wash your hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser.
Before heading on to your exciting vacation, have a live chat with a doctor at Prime Medic and ask them for an immunisation-for-travel plan. Australians are more at risk of contracting various diseases abroad because we have been away for almost 2 years and any previous immunisations we may have gotten could have worn off. For some diseases like malaria or COVID-19, you may not experience any symptoms up to 1-2 weeks after infection, which means you may already have returned home by the time you start feeling sick!
If you’ve recently returned from a trip abroad and are feeling unwell, don’t risk transmitting your disease to others in a doctor’s waiting room. Come to us instead! Offering a safe way of having an online video consultation with a GP, getting pathology and specialist referrals and quick prescriptions, Prime Medic is your gateway to a revolutionized healthcare system. No more travelling to a GP and waiting up to an hour even with an appointment for a specialist referral, or to get a repeat prescription. Simply pick up your phone, log in to your Prime Medic account and book an appointment whenever you please!
