Kristen Watt
Pharmacist
Learn how to stay safe and prevent travel-related health risks before your next tropical vacation.
Zipping away to a tropical destination is the perfect way to escape the Canadian cold — and it’s something that millions of Canadians do each winter. But before you find yourself basking under the tropical sun, sipping on a fresh coconut, and splashing around in crystal-clear waters, it’s essential to take steps to protect yourself and your family from the health risks that often accompany such travel. Getting educated and taking preventative measures won’t just save your vacation from being derailed — it’ll also protect you from the negative health consequences, both short- and long-term, that can accompany travel-related diseases.
Know the risks
From mosquito-borne illnesses to food- and water-related infections, travelling to tropical destinations in particular comes with various risks. “These risks can be viral, bacterial, or parasitic,” says Kristen Watt, a community pharmacist. “Contaminated food and water can lead to hepatitis A, Enterotoxigenic E. coli diarrhea, or typhoid fever. Mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria, chikungunya, Zika, and Japanese encephalitis are also significant health concerns.”
LT-ETEC diarrhea is a type of diarrhea caused by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium that produces heat-labile enterotoxin (LT). It’s typically acquired by ingesting contaminated food, water, or ice. “Symptoms can include watery stools, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, loss of appetite, muscle aches, and blood in the stool,” says Watt. It’s one of the most common causes of diarrhea during travel.
LT-ETEC diarrhea is highly prevalent. “It occurs at a rate of over 10 million cases per year worldwide,” says Watt. “It’s hard to pinpoint exact numbers because the testing rate of symptomatic people is really low.”
High prevalence
To reduce the risk of LT-ETEC diarrhea during travel, Watt recommends that travellers wash their hands frequently, avoid undercooked meat and seafood, eat fruits and vegetables only if they’ve been washed with treated water, and drink safe water.
Another disease to be wary of is chikungunya, a viral mosquito-borne illness. “There have been nearly half a million cases of chikungunya reported throughout Latin America and the Caribbean this year alone, and it began spreading there in 2013, ” says Watt. “Chikungunya causes an abrupt onset of fever, rash, muscle aches, headache, and joint pain, which can be really severe. The arthritis piece is distinctive of chikungunya. It starts in the fingers, knees, ankles, and feet, then spreads to the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, and toes.” Chikungunya can also cause conjunctivitis — pink eye, weakness, chills, lack of appetite, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Prevention is possible
Travelling to tropical and subtropical climate regions of the world — Latin America, the Caribbean, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia — puts travellers at risk of both LT-ETEC diarrhea and chikungunya. “We’re also seeing the risk change due to climate change and viral mutations,” says Watt.
Unfortunately, many travellers underestimate the risk and burden of these diseases. “We get people in for travel medicine consults all the time who haven’t considered the risks of their activities,” says Watt. “What really concerns me is the ongoing risk following infection — the persistent joint pain, specifically for chikungunya, and prolonged tiredness for months or years after the illness.”
Fortunately, prevention is possible. And as the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. “Prevention is easier, safer, cheaper, and less painful than treatment,” emphasizes Watt.
We get people in for travel medicine consults all the time who haven’t considered the risks of their activities.
Planning ahead
Watt recommends planning ahead and consulting your doctor or local pharmacist as soon as you book your tropical vacation. Proactive planning for avid travellers is important for safe and memorable experiences. By taking the time to understand the risks, plan ahead, and take preventative measures to protect your and your family’s health. Travel health is about more than just enjoying your trip without illness or inconvenience — it’s about protecting your health and well-being for years to come. So, before you head off on vacation this winter, make sure to consult a health care professional and take the necessary steps to safeguard your health.
To learn more, visit ixchiq.ca.
Before you head off on vacation this winter, talk to your health care practitioner about the risks of LT-ETEC diarrhea and chikungunya,
and find out how to protect yourself and your family.
