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What to be afraid during exotic vacations - Leishmaniosis

Malaria Test Malaria Test Creative Common BY

Holidays in an exotic country can leave a lot of beautiful memories, nonetheless they sometimes also involve some unpleasant experiences. It’s not that bad, if we leave them behind in a place, where we were staying, however, it also happens that the consequences of nice holidays persecute us even after a few weeks, manifesting themselves with high fever and other symptoms.

The first threat is a tropical parasitic disease, also known as malaria. Flu-like symptoms can occur even several months after returning from holidays. They cannot be ignored, especially if during holidays we slept in a room with no air conditioning, no mosquito nets, and if we didn’t use mosquito repellents. Insects don’t like moving air, so when choosing an accommodation it’s worth to pay a little bit more for the air conditioning.

Aedes mosquitoes spread dengue fever. They can be found in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, but also in Madeira. The symptoms resemble a mild flu, but they can turn into hemorrhagic fever. The disease is treated by applying a vaccine.

Drawbacks of beautiful beaches

Nonetheless, not only mosquitoes cause threat. In Mediterranean countries, in the Middle East and in Africa lives diptera, whose bite causes leishmaniasis. In order to protect against the insect attacks, use the insect repellent and cover as much skin as possible. If after 3-6 days you notice a fever up to 40 degrees, sustaining for three days, headaches, pain in the eyeballs, joint and muscle pain, you should immediately contact your doctor and start the treatment with antibiotics. Leishmaniasis is fatal if left untreated.

It’s better not to walk in flip flops on the Caribbean beaches, or stay there after dark. Because it’s a time for sand flea, annoying insect biting into the skin, causing tungiasis. Partially hidden under the surface, like a tick, it feeds on blood and lay eggs. It sounds horribly, but it’s not dangerous until you won’t scratch the wound. The secondary infections can lead to gangrene, or even sepsis. If you notice an itchy, reddened skin with a black spot in the middle, you should go to a doctor who will remove the insect and prescribe antibiotics.

Forewarned is forearmed

When we talk about eelworm or tapeworms, there’s no need to mention the exotic countries such as Thailand or Bangladesh - unfortunately, even in Poland we can find pubs and cafes, where fruits and vegetables aren’t thoroughly washed. However, on holidays in a remote country we need to be twice as cautious, because we can come across giardia lamblia cysts or amoebae, which may cause a severe stomach upset. If we’re not sure whether the fruits or vegetables have been disinfected, we should do it ourselves, rinsing them with a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate (they can be bought in a pharmacy and dissolved in water).

It’s not about the resigning from pleasures, but about being cautious. Eventually, we would like to have only good memories from holidays.

Translation: Karolina Strzałkowska

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