Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DRINKING WATER
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Never drink tap water.
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Bottled water is generally safe - but check the seal is intact at purchase.
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Avoid ice unless you know it has been safely made.
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Be careful of fresh juices served at street stalls in particular - they may have been watered down or may be
served in unhygienic jugs/glasses.
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Boiling water is usually the most efficient method of purifying it.
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The best chemical purifier is iodine. It should not be used by pregnant women or those with thyroid problems.
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Water filters should also filter out most viruses. Ensure your filter has a chemical barrier such as iodine and a
small pore size (less than four microns).
Diving & Surfing
Divers and surfers should seek specialised advice before they travel to ensure their medical kit contains treatment for
coral cuts and tropical ear infections. Divers should ensure their insurance covers them for decompression illness - get
specialised dive insurance through an organisation such as
Divers Alert Network
(DAN;
www.danasiapacific.org
). Cer-
tain medical conditions are incompatible with diving; check with your doctor.
Food
Ways to help avoid food-related illness, including diarrhoea:
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eat only freshly cooked food
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avoid shellfish and buffets
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peel fruit
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cook vegetables
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soak salads in iodine water for at least 20 minutes
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eat in busy restaurants with a high turnover of customers
Insect Bites & Stings
Bedbugs
They don't carry disease but their bites can be very itchy. They live in furniture and walls and then migrate to
the bed at night. You can treat the itch with an antihistamine.
Lice
Most commonly appear on the head and pubic areas. You may need numerous applications of an antilice shampoo
such as pyrethrin. Pubic lice are usually contracted from sexual contact.
Ticks
Contracted walking in rural areas. Ticks are commonly found behind the ears, on the belly and in armpits. If you
have had a tick bite and have a rash at the site of the bite or elsewhere, or fever or muscle aches, you should see a doc-
tor. Doxycycline prevents tick-borne diseases.
Leeches
Found in humid rainforest areas. They do not transmit any disease but their bites are often intensely itchy for
weeks and can easily become infected. Apply an iodine-based antiseptic to any leech bite to help prevent infection.
