Health - Madagascar - page 488

Symptoms & effects Jaundice and prolonged lethargy. First symptoms include dark urine
and a yellow colour to the whites of the eyes. Sometimes a fever and abdominal pain might
be present.
Prevention Vaccination is available and recommended.
HEPATITIS B
Spread through Infected blood, contaminated needles and sexual intercourse.
Symptoms & effects Jaundice and occasionally liver failure.
Prevention Vaccination is available and recommended.
TRAVELLER'S DIARRHOEA
Although it's not inevitable that you will get diarrhoea while travelling in Mada-
gascar, it's certainly very likely. Diarrhoea is the most common travel-related
illness: figures suggest that at least half of all travellers to Africa will get
diarrhoea at some stage. Sometimes dietary changes, such as increased spices or
oils, are the cause. To avoid diarrhoea, only eat fresh fruits and vegetables if
cooked or peeled, and be wary of dairy products that might contain unpasteur-
ised milk. Although freshly cooked food can often be a safe option, plates or
serving utensils might be dirty, so you should be highly selective when eating
food from street vendors (make sure that cooked food is piping hot all the way
through).
If you develop diarrhoea, drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral rehydra-
tion solution containing lots of salt and sugar. A few loose stools don't require
treatment, but if you start having more than four or five loose stools a day, you
should start taking an antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide) or an antibiotic
(usually a quinoline drug, such as ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin). If diarrhoea is
bloody, persists for more than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever, shaking
chills or severe abdominal pain, you should seek medical attention.
HIV
Spread through Infected blood, contaminated needles and sexual intercourse.
Symptoms & effects Attacks the body's immune system.