Before setting off, you might want to check the illnesses described below
that occur here. The information is from the
CDC and should be pretty
accurate, but if you really think you have something, go see a doctor. If
you're not sure where to find good medical attention, check with a the
nearest international hotel, they are usually in the know (though the
facilities they refer to might charge you a little bit more)Cholera
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by toxigenic Vibrio
cholerae O-group 1 or O-group 139. The infection is often mild and
self-limited or subclinical. Patients with severe cases respond
dramatically to simple fluid- and electrolyte-replacement therapy.
Infection is acquired primarily by ingesting contaminated water or food;
person-to-person transmission is rare.
[more]
Dengue Fever
I worked for a year as a physician in Belize and had Dengue myself.
Ibuprofen works well for the fever and aches, and, in my opinion, is not a
risk for hemmorhagic fever (which has never been seen in Belize, as far as
I know).
[more]
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The clinical manifestations of HBV infection range in severity from no
symptoms to fulminant hepatitis. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B may
include fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea, and abdominal discomfort,
followed within a few days by jaundice.
[more]
Hepatitis e
[more]
Japanese Encephalitis
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a common mosquito-borne
viral encephalitis found in Asia. Most infections are asymptomatic, but if
clinical illness develops, the case-fatality rate can be as high as 30%.
Neuropsychiatric sequelae are reported in 50% of survivors. In endemic
areas, children are at greatest risk of infection; however, multiple
factors such as occupation, recreational exposure, gender (possibly
reflecting exposure), previous vaccination, and naturally acquired immunity
alter the potential for infection and illness. A higher case-fatality rate
is reported in the elderly, but serious sequelae are more frequent in the
very young, possibly because they are more likely to survive a severe
infection.
[more]
Malaria
Malaria in humans is caused by one of four protozoan
species of the genus Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P.
vivax, P. ovale, or P. malariae. All species are
transmitted by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Occasionally, transmission occurs by blood transfusion or congenitally from
mother to fetus. Although malaria can be a fatal disease, illness and death
from malaria are largely preventable.
[more]
Polio
Poliomyelitis (Polio) is an acute infection that
involves the gastrointestinal tract and, occasionally, the central nervous
system. It is acquired by fecal-oral transmission.
[more]
Rabies
[more]
Tuberculosis
[more]
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