What’s dangerous, hidden, has hang-outs all over the world and can hurt you when you’re traveling (besides terrorism)?
That’s right: harmful bacteria.
But the nice thing about harmful bacteria is that there are many safeguards against it. When traveling abroad, it’s important to think about what types of germs you’ll encounter that your system may not be used to handling. Then, come up with a plan for how to avoid these germs and how to treat yourself if you become afflicted. This plan will likely include a supply list of items such as alcohol wipes, sanitizing gel and water purification tablets.
In 2005 alone, about 28,787,000 Americans traveled abroad, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Some engaged in activities as passive as sitting in Viennese bakeshops while others took bigger risks by rafting through remote regions with nothing but oars and a backpack. No matter your range of activity, however, there are precautions to take (such as washing hands frequently).
This travel safety section will help you understand which dangers lurk where, how to protect kids from travel germs, and provides links to the latest information on outbreaks abroad. The good news is that with the right information, a good attitude (and a little luck) you can have a carefree, illness-free trip.
BALTIMORE -- New vaccine requirements will affect anyone who is applying for an immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. and anyone seeking adjustment of status for permanent residence. Applicants must show proof of vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Passport Health, a company that specializes in travel medicine and vaccinations, announced ...
Diarrhea PatchResearchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health have found that patients given a travelers’ diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a study published in this week’s edition of the Lancet. The patch-based vaccine is part of the Phase 2 study in conjunction with ...
As Americans travel to Israel for the Jewish holiday of Passover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises all travelers to ensure they are protected from measles before departing, because of a measles outbreak in Israel. Since September, more than 900 cases of measles have been reported in Israel, with about 700 cases in the cities of Jerusalem ...
DENVER -- Michelle Reesman, RN, executive director of Passport Health Colorado, says far too many international travelers, from business travelers to the more adventurous types, leave home without taking the basic steps she suggests below. "People need to put the same kind of preparation into their health as they do into their destination choice, passport acquisition or flight plans," ...
The millions of Americans who will travel abroad this summer should plan a trip to the doctor as soon as possible, says H. Thomas Johnson, MD, a Saint Louis University family physician, and expert in travel medicine. Ideally, Johnson says, travelers should make an appointment six months before traveling to exotic locations, because some vaccines, such as hepatitis A and ...
A Nevada television station reporter tested two Las Vegas homes for various kinds of disease-causing bacteria, swabbing tile floors, carpeted areas, the soles of shoes, and even the family pet’s paws. The samples were taken to the Silver State Analytical Labs and scientists there found mold, fungus and coliform found ...
BALTIMORE -- New vaccine requirements will affect anyone who is applying for an immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. and anyone seeking adjustment of status for permanent residence. Applicants must show proof of vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Passport Health, ...
As Midwest floodwaters recede and clean-up efforts get underway, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) offers advice to help reduce the risk of infection:Nothing beats hand hygiene – It’s critical to remember to practice basic hand hygiene during the emergency period. Always wash your hands with ...
Georgia Tech associate professor Pinar Keskinocak, graduate student Faramroze Engineer and executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC Larry Pickering (left to right) display the new online tool they developed that allows parents and pediatricians to ensure that the missed vaccines and future vaccines are ...
Research shows that only 20 percent of consumers use thermometers, and a mere 30 percent are aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. Several experts addressed home-based food safety issues in “Consumers’ Refrigerators: A Danger Zone” Monday at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food expo ...
Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!
