See a doctor before traveling

As the 2005 travel season swings into high gear, the American Society of Travel Agents, Alexandria, Va., announced survey results showing that, while 56% of U.S. travelers plan an itinerary for vacation, just 19% seek advice from a health care professional prior to departure, interestingly, 69% of survey respondents say safety and health are major considerations when choosing an international travel destination.

More than 20,000,000 people will travel abroad this year to places where they may contract a potentially serious disease. According to the survey, many travelers do not know which countries carry which disease risks. In fact, a majority of people are unaware that maladies such as malaria and hepatitis can be contracted in many popular destinations. In addition, a large number are unsure or misinformed about how some common travel diseases are transmitted.

"Because many travelers don't realize that they may be at risk for certain diseases while traveling, it's important that they see their health care professional before they embark on their trips to learn more about how to protect themselves," recommends Karl Neumann, director of Travel Medicine Clinic in Forest Hills, N.Y.

The World Health Organization named malaria one of the most serious threats to international travelers, yet only 8.4% of those surveyed who had traveled to malaria-endemic countries took medications to protect themselves. In addition, a large number of people who had visited countries with a risk of vaccine-preventable hepatitis, hepatitis A and hepatitis B, were not immunized against these diseases, which seriously can damage the liver and potentially may be disabling or fatal.

In unprotected individuals who travel abroad, hepatitis A occurs 100 times more often than typhoid fever or cholera. It is spread by the fecal-oral route by ingesting contaminated food or water, or through close person-to-person contact. Hepatitis A can result in jaundice, weakness, and liver failure.

Hepatitis B, meanwhile, is spread through infected blood and body fluids--for example, through sexual contact, intravenous drug use, contaminated medical devices (such as injection needles and dental instruments), body piercing, and tattooing. In certain settings it can be 100 times more contagious than HIV. Hepatitis B can lead to chronic liver disease and cancer.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group