Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MD Travel Health
(
www.mdtravelhealth.com
)
Travel-health recommendations.
Availability of Health Care
Lima has high-quality 24-hour medical clinics, and English-speaking doctors and dentists.
See the guide at the website for the
US embassy
(
lima.usembassy.gov/acs_peru.html
)
.
Rural areas may have the most basic medical services. You may have to pay in cash, re-
gardless of whether you have travel insurance.
Life-threatening medical problems may require evacuation. For a list of medical evacu-
ation and travel insurance companies, see the website of the
US State Department
Pharmacies are known as
farmacias
or
boticas,
identified by a green or red cross. They
offer most of the medications available in other countries.
Infectious Diseases
Many of the following diseases are spread by mosquitoes. Take precautions to minimize
your chances of being bitten (
Click here
)
. These precautions also protect against other
insect-borne diseases like Baronellois (Oroya fever), Leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease.
Cholera
An intestinal infection, cholera is acquired through contaminated food or water, resulting
in profuse diarrhea, which may cause life-threatening dehydration. Treatment includes or-
al rehydration solution and possibly antibiotics.
Dengue Fever
A viral infection, dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes which breed primarily in puddles
and artificial water containers. It is especially common in densely populated, urban envir-
onments, including Lima and Cuzco.
Flu-like symptoms include fever, muscle aches, joint pains, headaches, nausea and
vomiting, often followed by a rash. The body aches may be quite uncomfortable, but most
cases resolve in a few days.
Take analgesics such as acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol) and drink plenty of flu-
ids. Severe cases may require hospitalization.
