Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
such as malaria tablets, mosquito
nets and water filters. Regardless of how well
prepared you are,
medical insurance
is essential
(see p.35).
If you're
pregnant
or taking an oral contraceptive,
you'll need to mention this when seeking health
advice on travel medicine, as some vaccines and
drugs can have harmful interactions or side effects.
cases do occur each year, so you should still take
precautions. Ask your travel clinic about the current,
recommended malaria medicine. Avoiding bites in
the first place is the best prevention: sleep in
screened rooms or under nets, burn mosquito coils
containing permethrin, cover up arms and legs
(especially around dawn and dusk when mosqui-
toes are most active) and use repellent containing
over 35 percent DEET (15 percent for children).
Keeping mosquitoes at bay is also important in
the case of
dengue fever
- a viral infection trans-
mitted by mosquitoes. The first symptom is a fever,
accompanied by severe joint and muscle pains. If
you think that you've contracted malaria or dengue
fever, it's imperative to get checked by a medical
professional; some cases can be fatal.
Vaccinations
The only obligatory inoculation for Belize is against
yellow fever, and that's only if you're arriving from a
“high-risk” area (northern South America and
equatorial Africa); carry your
vaccination
certificate
as proof. However, there are several
other inoculations that you should have anyway,
particularly if you intend to spend time in remote,
rural areas. At least eight weeks before you leave,
check that you're up to date with diphtheria, polio
and tetanus jabs, and arrange for typhoid and
hepatitis A inoculations. Both typhoid and hepatitis
A are transmitted through
contaminated food
and water
. Although the risk of contracting
hepatitis B is low unless you receive unscreened
blood products or have unprotected sex, travel
clinics often recommend inoculation; a joint
hepatitis A and B vaccine is available from GPs and
travel clinics.
Rabies
exists in Belize, and vaccination is
recommended for anyone travelling to Latin
America for over thirty days.
Intestinal troubles
A bout of
diarrhoea
is the medical problem you're
most likely to encounter in Belize, generally
caused by the change of diet and exposure to
unfamiliar bacteria. Following a few simple
precautions should help keep you healthy: be sure
to drink clean water (any bottled drinks, including
beer and soft drinks, are already purified), steer
clear of raw shellfish and don't eat anywhere that's
obviously dirty. If you do go down with a dose, the
best cure is also the simplest: take it easy for a day
or two, eat only the blandest of foods -
papaya
is
good for soothing the stomach and is also packed
with vitamins - and, most importantly, ensure that
you replace lost fluids and salts by drinking lots of
bottled water and taking
rehydration salts
. If you
can't get hold of these, half a teaspoon of salt and
three of sugar in a litre of water will do the trick. If
diarrhoea lasts more than three or four days or is
accompanied by a fever or blood in your stools,
seek immediate medical help.
Malaria and dengue fever
Malaria
is endemic to many parts of Central
America, especially the rural lowlands. Though it
poses no great threat in Belize's tourist areas - due
to an effective nationwide control programme -
WATER PURIFICATION
Contaminated water
is a major cause of illness amongst travellers in Central America, due to
the presence of pathogenic organisms: bacteria, viruses and cysts. In Belize, however, water in
most hotels and resorts is treated, and bottled water is available pretty much everywhere; you
will only need to consider treating water if you travel to remote areas. Bottled water is also
easy to find in Flores and Tikal in Guatemala. While boiling water for ten minutes kills most
micro-organisms, it's not the most convenient method. Chemical sterilization with either
chlorine or
iodine tablets
or a tincture of iodine liquid is effective (except in preventing
amoebic dysentery or giardiasis), but the resulting liquid doesn't taste very pleasant, though it
can be masked with lemon or lime juice. Iodine is unsafe for pregnant women, babies and
people with thyroid complaints. Purification, involving both sterilization and filtration, gives
the most complete treatment, and travel clinics and good outdoor equipment shops stock a
wide range of portable water purifiers.
