Regions Affected: All regions but travellers most often experience Traveller’s Diarrhoea while travelling in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean as well as Nepal and the Middle East.
Transmission: It may be called Delhi belly, Bangkok belly or Bali belly when you’re travelling but each condition is basically the same: diarrhoea caused by bacteria in local food or water. The bacteria may not be harmful to the locals who grew up with it, but backpacker’s stomachs may not fare as well.
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhoea.
Treatment: Stay hydrated. Rehydration salts or solutions can be used to replace electrolytes and fluids. Eat plain food such as toast or bananas. Get plenty of rest and relax until symptoms have passed. If symptoms persist or are getting worse, you can see a doctor to get antibiotics.
Regions Affected: Africa, South America, the Caribbean as well as Nepal and the Philippines.
Transmission: Cholera is spread through people drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
Symptoms: Watery diarrhoea, vomiting, leg cramps, excessive loss of fluids can lead to severe dehydration and shock.
Treatment: Cholera is easily treated with oral rehydration salts. Severely affected patients may require intravenous fluids. Antibiotics can also be used to reduce the duration of symptoms, though widespread administration of antibiotics is not recommended due to the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Vaccination: There is a cholera vaccine though it’s not recommended for all travellers as there is a low risk of getting cholera in most areas. Humanitarian workers in affected countries may be given the vaccine.
Regions Affected: There are sporadic incidents of Hepatitis A worldwide.
Transmission: Through contact with infected faeces, food and water.
Symptoms: Fever, tiredness, lack of appetite, vomiting, dark urine, jaundice (yellow colouring of the eyes and skin).
Treatment: There is no specific treatment for Hepatitis A. People who are affected are recommended to rest, to continue eating small meals and to avoid alcohol and medications which can impact on the liver. Illness usually lasts between one and three weeks.
Vaccination: Immunisation against Hepatitis A is achieved through a single vaccine.
Regions Affected: Hepatitis B is prevalent worldwide, though its particularly prevalent in south-east Asia, the Pacific Basin (excluding Japan, Australia and New Zealand), sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazon Basin, the Middle East, the central Asian Republics and some European countries.
Transmission: Through bodily fluids including blood, semen and vaginal secretions of an infected person. This means it can be spread through the sharing of needles, razors, toothbrushes or sex.
Symptoms: Fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, skin rashes, dark urine, jaundice (yellow colouring of eyes and skin).
Vaccination: The Hepatitis B vaccine is part of the National Immunisation Program Schedule for Australians. Your doctor will be able to check your status regarding the Hepatitis B vaccine through a blood test.
Regions Affected: Africa, Central and East Asia.
Transmission: The disease is usually spread through contact with infected blood. It can be transmitted through sexual contact, although this is rare.
Symptoms: Fever, tiredness, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and joint pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellow colouring of eyes and skin).
Vaccination: There is currently no vaccine for Hepatitis C. Travellers can protect themselves from the disease by using condoms, and not injecting drugs or sharing needles (including for tattoos, piercings and acupuncture).
Regions Affected: South America, Africa and tropical Asia-Pacific regions including the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia.
Transmission: Through the air when a person with the disease coughs, sneezes or speaks, releasing germs in the air.
Symptoms: Fever, weight loss, night sweats, tiredness, persistent cough, blood stained sputum (a combination of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract).
Treatment: TB infection (where the TB germs are present but inactive in the body) is treated through a course of tablets. TB disease (where the germs have become active in the body) is treated through antibiotics over around six months.
Vaccination: The vaccination for TB is not routinely recommended to Australians except under certain circumstances, such as when you’re travelling to a country with a high incidence of TB repeatedly for longer than 3 months at a time.
Regions Affected: Asia (particularly south Asia), Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Latin America.
Transmission: Through the consumption of contaminated food and water.
Symptoms: Fever, weakness and fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sweating, dry cough, loss of appetite and weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation, rash, swollen abdomen.
Treatment: There are antibiotics that can be used to treat typhoid.
Vaccination: Travellers can receive a vaccination for typhoid before travelling to high-risk areas.
Regions Affected: Asia, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia, Central and South America.
Transmission: People can become infected with rabies from being bitten or scratched from an infected animal. Bats and dogs are the primary sources of rabies in humans, however foxes, raccoons, skunks, jackals, mongooses and other wild carnivores can carry the disease.
Symptoms: Fever, muscle weakness, tingling around the bite or scratch. This can later develop into ‘Furious Rabies’, with symptoms including: hyperactivity, insomnia, anxiety, confusion, agitation, fear of water, hallucinations, excess salivation and problems swallowing. Or, it can develop into ‘Paralytic Rabies’ leading to paralysis and coma.
Vaccination: There is a rabies vaccine available for people travelling to high-risk areas. The vaccination may be provided to people who have suspected rabies-infected bites and scratches. There are no other treatments for the disease.
Regions Affected: Africa, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle aches, particularly in your back and knees, sensitivity to light, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, red eyes, face or tongue.
Vaccination: You can get a vaccine before travelling. If you’ve visited countries where there is Yellow Fever, you’ll have to present a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate when you return to Australia.
Regions Affected: South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis, muscle pain, headache.
Vaccination: There are no vaccines for Zika virus, so travellers are recommended to prevent mosquito bites by using repellent with 25-50% DEET, wearing light coloured clothes that cover most of the body and by using a mosquito net at night.
Regions Affected: High risk areas include Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and throughout Southeast Asia. Other destinations in Asia and Latin America may have a low-risk of malaria.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, anaemia, muscle pain, convulsions, bloody stools, coma.
Advice: You can take medication to prevent malaria and this is recommended for some high-risk destinations. Your doctor will tell you whether medication is required or if there is a low-risk. You should take precautions to prevent mosquito bites by using a 25-50% DEET repellent, wearing light coloured clothes that cover as much of the body as possible and use a mosquito net over your bed at night.
Regions Affected: Africa, Asia and South America.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, headaches, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome.
Treatment: There is no treatment or vaccine for dengue fever, so it is important to be prepared with 25-50% DEET repellent, light coloured clothing and a mosquito net for your accommodation.
Regions Affected: Chikungunya is found worldwide, particularly in Africa, Asia and India. There have been a few incidents of transmission to Europe.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, severe joint pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, ash.
Advice: There is no cure for the disease. Take precautions to prevent mosquito bites, including using 25-50% DEET repellent, light coloured clothing and a mosquito net for your accommodation.
Regions Affected: Rural Asia and Indonesia and areas of China, Japan, Korea and Eastern Russia.
Transmission: Mosquitoes.
Symptoms: Fever, headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, brain inflammation, seizures, coma, paralysis.
Vaccination: Talk to your doctor about vaccinations for Japanese Encephalitis.
