UK holiday-makers urged to check their vaccinations are up-to-date

August 18 2010 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #8weekstogo, #Bali, #disease, #DiverseTraveller.com - Women Who Travel, Write, Snap & Share, #eat pray love, #holiday-makers, #Rabies, #Recommendations & Rants (tips, links and reviews), #Travel Beyond the UK, #travel health, #travellers, #vaccinations

Planning to follow in the footsteps of American author Elizabeth Gilbert, and create your very own Eat, Pray, Love experience? Well, stop fantasizing, and take a moment to consider the following urgent travel health advice, particularly if you plan to visit Bali.

Sorry to be a spoilsport, but along with sun, sea and sand, there's also a rabies outbreak in Bali. Two years ago Bali was considered rabies-free (1), but since August 2008, there have been 77 reported human exposures to the disease leading to 27 confirmed deaths from rabies (1). This on-going rabies outbreak has prompted health experts to urge holiday-makers to check their vaccinations are up-to-date before travelling overseas.

Reliable online travel health advice

As part of the 8 Weeks To Go travel health awareness campaign, developed and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health, UK travellers are being advised to visit their GP surgery, travel health clinic or pharmacy for expert, up-to-date, personal advice six to eight weeks before every overseas trip.

Dr. Jane Wilson-Howarth, campaign spokesperson, GP and travel health author, says:

Rabies is one of many vaccine preventable diseases, yet more than 55,000 people die from the disease each year – a rate of one person every ten minutes. Once the signs and symptoms of rabies start to appear there is no treatment and the disease is often fatal.

I can’t stress enough the importance of seeking reliable, up-to-date, expert advice from a GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic/pharmacy before travelling overseas.

Bali is just one of a number of countries where rabies is endemic. It is important to remember that it’s not only long haul destinations that pose health risks. Even countries only a few hours away have very different health risks to the UK.

She continues:

There are many myths circulating which can put travellers at risk. Some believe, for example, that friendly dogs don’t carry rabies. This is simply untrue as the rabies virus stimulates a number of behavioural changes in an infected animal. The medical advice is never to play with friendly strays as even a tame dog could be infected.

Cate Riley, 8 Weeks To Go campaign spokesperson, nurse and travel health expert, adds:

Although dog bites carry the majority of infections, any mammal such as cats, bats and monkeys can carry the disease. Always be prepared in case you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal. Take a sterile medical pack including syringes and needles as medical and hygiene standards may differ to those in the UK - in some parts of the world hospitals may re-use needles.

The government of Bali is taking measures to remove all stray dogs from the island and the Bali Animal Welfare Association continues to vaccinate as many dogs as possible (1).

Better safe than sorry

Travellers should be aware that health risks within a country are ever-changing and this does not apply only to the situation in Bali.

Tajikistan, for example, has recently seen a re-emergence of poliomyelitis. Since January 2010 there have been 374 confirmed cases of polio (wild polio virus type 1) and 12 confirmed deaths as a result of the infection (2).

So be sensible, and seek expert, up-to-date, personal advice specific to your destination well before you travel. Here's wishing you the Eat, Pray, Love experience you are hoping for, rather than a Bite, Pray and Ill one.

For more information and sources of authoritative travel health advice visit: www.8 Weeks To Go.

References
1. Fit For Travel [Accessed 14 June 2010]
2. Fit For Travel [Accessed 01 July 2010]