Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
YELLOW FEVER
Tanzania (including Zanzibar) requires you to carry a certificate of yellow-fever vaccin-
ation only if you are arriving from an infected area (which includes Kenya). However, it
is a requirement in some neighbouring countries (eg, Rwanda, Burundi). Yellow fever is
spread by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms range from a flu-like illness to severe hepatitis
(liver inflammation), jaundice and death. The yellow-fever vaccination must be given at a
designated clinic and is valid for 10 years. It is a live vaccine and must not be given to im-
munocompromised or pregnant travellers. Self-treatment: none.
Travellers' Diarrhoea
It's not inevitable that you'll get diarrhoea while travelling in Tanzania, but it's certainly
likely. Diarrhoea is the most common travel-related illness, and sometimes can be triggered
simply by dietary changes. To help prevent diarrhoea, avoid tap water, only eat fresh fruits
or vegetables if cooked or peeled and be wary of dairy products that might contain unpas-
teurised milk. Although freshly cooked food can often be a safe option, plates or serving
utensils might be dirty, so be selective when eating food from street vendors (make sure
that cooked food is piping hot all the way through). If you develop diarrhoea, be sure to
drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral rehydration solution. A few loose stools don't re-
quire treatment, but if you start having more than four or five stools a day you should start
taking an antibiotic (usually a quinoline drug, such as ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin) and an
antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide) if you are not within easy reach of a toilet. If
diarrhoea is bloody, persists for more than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever, shaking
chills or severe abdominal pain, seek medical attention.
AMOEBIC DYSENTERY
Contracted by eating contaminated food and water, amoebic dysentery causes blood and
mucus in the faeces. It can be relatively mild and tends to come on gradually, but seek med-
ical advice if you think you have the illness as it won't clear up without treatment (which
is with specific antibiotics).
GIARDIASIS
This, like amoebic dysentery, is caused by ingesting contaminated food or water. The ill-
ness usually appears a week or more after you have been exposed to the offending parasite.
Giardiasis might cause only a short-lived bout of typical travellers' diarrhoea, but it can
also cause persistent diarrhoea. Seek medical advice if you suspect you have giardiasis. If
you are in a remote area you could start a course of antibiotics, with medical follow-up
when feasible.
