Lay on the beach and got a rash. How to make a trip to an exotic country safe for your health

June 17, MINSK . Before traveling to exotic countries, it is recommended to consult a DOCTOR, get vaccinated if necessary, and check with a travel agency about the epidemiological situation in the country you plan to go to, Anastasia Leshkevich, HEAD of the department of especially dangerous infections of the epidemiology department of the State Institution "Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health", told journalists, a BELTA correspondent reports.
The expert outlined preventive measures that will help make the trip safe and calm. First of all, when planning a trip, you need to contact your doctor at the clinic. Each person has their own set of somatic diseases: cardiovascular, endocrine, etc., so it would not be superfluous to clarify the specifics of staying in a foreign country specifically for yourself. It is important to assess the immune status. In a number of countries, outbreaks of measles, polio, and other infectious diseases are recorded, against which there is specific prevention.

The travel agency or tour operator that sells the tour should clarify the situation in the country in which the trip is planned. Tourist organizations must have memos about the epidemiological situation and the specifics of preventing individual infectious diseases.

Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Belarusian State Medical University Sergei Zhavoronok spoke in more detail about how to prevent various groups of infections. According to him, it is easy to protect yourself from diseases transmitted by the feco-oral route, that is, intestinal infections - clean hands, clean water and thermally processed food. "The food should be hot, you should be sure that it is heated through," he advised.

Continuing the topic of food hygiene, Anastasia Leshkevich recommended avoiding places of random trade, not buying food from street vendors, and eating only products of guaranteed quality. Seafood must be thermally processed, fruits , berries , greens, vegetables - washed and scalded with boiling water, and if this is not possible - thoroughly washed under running water. Drink only boiled or bottled water. Wash vegetables, fruits, berries, greens with the same water.

The second group is transmissible infections that are transmitted by mosquitoes. In particular, tropical malaria is deadly for visitors: it is a very serious disease. According to Anastasia Leshkevich, when entering countries with a high incidence of infectious diseases transmitted by mosquito bites, it is essential to use repellents, wear clothes that cover exposed areas of the body, and when organizing your accommodation, it is essential to use mechanical means of protection against insects - canopies, protective mosquito nets.

Sergey Zhavoronok urged not to ignore nets-canopies that are hung from the ceiling and cover the bed. Mosquitoes, which carry a lot of severe diseases, fly silently at night and can attack.

Contact infections, in particular, schistosomiasis, are also dangerous. Therefore, you cannot swim in bodies of water not designated for this purpose. According to the professor of the department, several types of schistosomiasis are very widespread, which are detected in individual tourists and are extremely difficult to diagnose.

Sergey Zhavoronok told about a recent case when his consultation was required. The patient, who had recently returned from a resort, had a rash covering the entire front part of his body - his stomach, the front of his legs. It turned out that the person had buried himself in the sand on one of the beaches, and there were helminths there, the live larvae of which penetrate the skin. 

"It is imperative to choose only proven routes for your trips, do not swim in bodies of water that are not marked in the excursion program. It is recommended to wear shoes on the beach and lie on a mat or a sun lounger," added Anastasia Leshkevich.

Tourists should protect themselves from quarantine diseases, against which vaccination is mandatory . In particular, a number of countries require an international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. Immunization is carried out once, based on the results, an international certificate is issued, which is provided for by international HEALTH regulations. The vaccination is valid for life. The certificate must be presented upon entry into a country that requires it. Yellow fever vaccination is also recommended upon entry into countries that do not require such a certificate, but cases of the disease are registered there.

Anastasia Leshkevich advises avoiding contact with wild and domestic birds, especially in markets or nurseries, which will help avoid infection with highly pathogenic bird flu. It is better not to contact wild and stray animals, or better yet, any animals, since they can cause harm, and this is a threat of infection with rabies, which is widespread. Wild animals can carry Marburg fever, monkeypox.

When traveling to Middle Eastern countries, it is important to remember about Middle East respiratory syndrome. Camels can be a source of infection - it is imperative to be careful when interacting with these animals, observe hand hygiene, and not eat thermally unprocessed MEAT or camel MILK .

Sergey Zhavoronok urged tourists to take care of a first aid kit, which should be available to anyone traveling to exotic countries just in case. In a situation where a person suspects infection with some disease, it is better to quickly return home or contact the local medical service. You cannot delay, hoping that the disease will go away on its own - this is often a rather serious case. 

The websites of the Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, as well as the Ministry of Health of Belarus, contain detailed information about countries with unfavorable disease rates, as well as diseases that are registered there.