Travel Health Lunch-and-Learn
Today's talk in my office was presented by Dr Robin Janke who is trained in family medicine in St. Paul, Minnesota and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Certified by the American Board of Family Physicians and American Board of Preventive Medicine, Dr Janke has a Master's degree in Public Health and served as a medical officer in the United States Air Force before moving overseas with her family.
She has shared with us the routine and travel vaccinations recommended for travel like Diphtheria/Tetanus booster (every 10 years), Polio booster, Measles/mumps/rubella, Varicella (chickenpax), Influenza (yearly), Hep A & B, Typhoid (every 2-5 years), Yellow fever, Rabies and Japanese encephalitis..... as well as the chart of which continent in the world is affected by viruses, bacteria and diseases so that it create awareness to those who are travelling or who is going to travel to those countries to take preventive measures.
From the International Travel & Health, WHO, 1998 source, the estimated monthly incidence of health problems per 100,000 travelers to developing countries are:-
- Any health problem (use med.) - 45-65,000 ppl
- Felt ill - 40-45,000
- Traveler's Diarrhae - 30-80,000
- Consulted physician during travel - 8-9,000
- Malaria - 4,000
- Hepatitis A - 400
- Hepatitis B - 90
- Typhoid - 60
- Poliomyelitis - 3
There are around 100 countries worldwide where a traveller may be exposed to malaria. Do you know what are the 3 golden rules* for preventing illness and death from malaria?
1.) Using insect repellents and wear appropriate clothing to avoid mosquito bites; 2.) Using preventive anti-malarial drugs e.g. doxycycline or malarone; 3.) Dignosing and treating malaria promptly. Any flu-like illness beginning 7 days in, and for up to 6 months after leaving, a malarial region should be presumed to be malaria.
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