Traveler's guide to avoiding infectious diseases

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

Infectious diseases and travelers

Malaria

Infectious diseases and travelers; Avoiding infectious diseases when traveling

Different areas of the world have different diseases and different prevalence rates of disease. Factors that contribute to these differences include climate (tropical, subtropical, temperate, arid, and so forth), native insects, parasites and animals, and population density.

Travelers to foreign countries (any country not of the traveler's origin) may encounter diseases to which they have no natural immunity, to which they are not exposed in their own country, and which are likely to have a significant impact on their health.

Below is a listing of countries and some of the diseases you may encounter there. The risk of infectious diseases varies in different countries, and depends on local conditions, including local outbreaks of particular diseases. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) routinely updates information on the risk of particular diseases for travelers planning to visit different countries. This up-to-date information (called the "CDC Yellow Book") can be obtained by calling the CDC at 1-800-311-3435. In addition, the Yellow Book and additional information for travelers is found on the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/travel). This information is updated frequently. Prior to traveling, you may want to read about the individual diseases that are common in the areas you are planning to visit.

Northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Tunisia)

• Insect-borne diseases (uncommon here, but may be encountered): leishmaniasis, malaria, relapsing fever, Rift Valley fever, typhus, sandfly fever, West Nile fever
• Water and food-borne diseases: dysentery (caused by many different organisms), cholera, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, giardiasis, brucellosis, echinococcosis, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), poliomyelitis (polio)
• Rabies

Nile delta

• Filariasis, schistosomiasis

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

• Plague

Sub-Saharan Africa

• Insect-borne diseases (very common here): malaria, filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), relapsing fever, typhus, plague, yellow fever, hemorrhagic fevers (such as Dengue hemorrhagic fever, etc.)
• Water- and food-borne diseases: intestinal worms (helminthic infection), dysentery, giardiasis, typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, cholera, dracunculiasis, echinococcosis, poliomyelitis
• Other: Hepatitis B, trachoma, Lassa fever, Ebola fever, Marburg fever, meningococcal meningitis