Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
indicate
giardia
, for which the treatment is again
metronidazole. If you suspect you have any of
these, seek medical help. It would be wise to travel
with a supply of antibiotics if you are going off
the beaten track for several weeks, but you should
only take them if there is definitely blood in your
diarrhoea and it is impossible to see a doctor.
significantly since the 1990s when it seemed that
the epidemic was getting out of control. Indeed,
the Brazilian anti-AIDS programme is considered
by the UN to be the most successful in the devel-
oping world. There are many reasons for this: free,
universal provision of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs);
a dramatic increase in the awareness of, and avail-
ability of, condoms, spurred by government
programmes (especially and controversially
within the sex worker community); and needle
exchange programmes.
Brazil also has some of the funniest and most
imaginative safe-sex campaigns anywhere, parti-
cularly in evidence during Carnaval.
The best preventative for transmission is to
use a
condom
, which is also a sensible way to avoid
catching other STDs. They are widely available in
pharmacies, where you should ask for a
camisinha.
A
majority of Brazil's HIV carriers are concentrated in the
big cities, and the gay community is the highest risk
group. As anywhere else, anal sex or sex with a prosti-
tute are high-risk activities. The situation with blood
and blood products has now improved enormously,
but in more remote parts of the country, especially
the Amazon, make sure that if you have an injection it
is with a needle you see being removed from its
packaging, or carry your own needles with you.
Food and water
Many diseases are directly or indirectly related to
impure
water
and
contaminated
food
, and care
should be taken in choosing what to eat and drink.
You should, of course, take particular care with
seafood, especially
shellfish
- don't eat anything
that's at all suspicious. Fruit and salad ingredients
should be washed in bottled or purified water or,
preferably, peeled. Ultimately, you are going to run
some risks with all food, so if you're going to enjoy
your stay to the full, you can't be too paranoid.
Even in the most remote towns and villages
mineral water
(
água mineral
), either sparkling (
com
gás
) or still (
sem gás
), is easily available and cheap.
As with food, it's di
cult to be on guard all the time
while drinking; be aware that fruit juices are often
diluted with water, and ice is rarely made with
filtered water outside a smart hotel.
In many Brazilian cities
tap water
is clean enough
to drink (and locals do so all the time); though it will
be free of diseases, you may still get mildly sick from
any bacteria in the water supply that your body is
not used to. If you are travelling in remote areas,
consider taking a water purification agent, such as
iodine, with you. To avoid dehydration be sure to
drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids, always carry a
bottle of water on long trips and check that the seal
on any bottled water you use is intact.
Malaria
Malaria
is endemic in northern Brazil:
Amazônia
,
Southern Pará
and much of rural
Rondônia
are
the riskiest areas. It may be advisable to avoid some
areas entirely if you are travelling with
children
as
malaria can be a much more serious issue for them.
In recent years rates have climbed as mosquitoes
have become more resistant to insecticides and
drugs, and a small number of tourists die avoidably
every year. However, with simple precautions you
can minimize the chances of catching it, even in
highly malarial areas. Make no mistake, though,
without the correct
precautions
and
prophylaxis
,
malaria can kill.
There are two kinds of malaria in Brazil:
falci-
parum
, which is more serious but less common,
and
vivax
. Both are transmitted by anopheles
mosquitoes, which are most active at sunrise and
for an hour or so before sunset. Even in very
malarial areas, only around five percent of
anopheles are infected with malarial parasites, so
the more you minimize mosquito bites, the less
likely you are to catch it.
Make sure that you use
insect repellent
: the
most commonly used in Brazil is
Autan
, often in
Hepatitis A
Wherever you go in Brazil, protection against
hepatitis
A
is a sensible precaution. The disease is
transmitted through contaminated water and food,
resulting in fever and diarrhoea, and it can also
cause jaundice and liver damage; good food and
hand hygiene are the best preventatives. Gamma-
globulin injections are the traditional protection
but require regular boosters. A newer vaccine -
Havrix - is very effective and lasts for up to ten years
if you have a booster jab after six months.
HIV and AIDS
Brazil has a relatively high number of people with
AIDS
and
HIV
, though the number has declined
