5 Diseases You Don’t Want To Catch
If you travel for long enough you will catch something. While the majority of travellers overseas will suffer nothing more than traveller’s diarrhoea an unlucky few may end up with something more serious and it’s not just the tropics that has a monopoly on exotic diseases. These 5 diseases are not as common as the serious threats of malaria and dengue fever, but are out there.
5. African Eye Worm
Caused by the bite of the large Chrysops fly, the first sign you are infected is the uneasy sight of the small worm crawling across the surface of your eye. The infection is usually caused by swimming in shaded African lakes/pools where this beasty fly likes to bite. Cure is via painful injections. Try to avoid swimming anywhere in Africa!
4. Weils Disease (The Infamous Rat Catchers Yellows)
Many English rivers are contaminated with large amounts of rat urine. Otherwise picturesque kayaking trips have ended with a bout of Weils. Any swimmer in an English river is can be at risk. Weils is caused by the bacteria in Rats urine. Kidney failure can be an outcome of even a short time in the water.
3. Lassa Fever
A disease endemic to West Africa Lassa fever is thought to cause 5,000 deaths per year in the region. While in 80% of infections symptoms can be minor, the other 20% can suffer horrendous fever, swelling and seizures. Infection is thought to be through contact with a rat calling the sub-Saharan region of Africa home. Treatment is through serious drugs and there is no guarantee of cure. Many travellers fear this disease when heading to West Africa, yet malaria and other nasties are usually more of a risk.
2. The ghastly ‘Leishmaniasis’ skin infection
Found in parts of the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe, this is a parasitic disease that you can catch via the bite of an infected sand fly. This disease is fairly common and effects up to 2 million people per year. The disease causes skin lesions that can end up looking like the top of a volcano (google image search if you dare). The disease is not fatal and even without treatment will eventually go away, though it can leave horrid scars. The best prevention is not to get bitten by sandflies.
1. ‘Changas’ disease
Another parasitic disease, this nasty is contracted via the bite of the blood sucking triatomine bug. This bug is most commonly found living in huts made from mud, adobe, straw or palm thatch in poverty stricken areas of Latin America. At night the bugs emerge to gorge on people’s faces then the bug proceeds to defecate on the poor person in question. It’s the ingestion of the bug’s faeces that causes the infection (through breaks in the skin or the eyes). Millions in Latin America are affected by this disease. The disease can end up chronic lifelong affliction and is often life threatening. Travellers can try and avoid sleeping in the type of dwelling mentioned and always try to prevent bites via netting and serious bug spray.
Malaria and Dengue fever are by far the greater risks to travellers than these diseases. Despite this try to take precautions, like not swimming in Africa and not getting bitten!
For more great travel tips topics check out our site aussietraveladvice.com. It contains great travel advice for anybody going overseas.
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