Health
Information for Travelers to the Indian Subcontinent
Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka
NOTE: Please
check the Outbreaks section
for important updates on this region. |
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- To
find out about current U.S. Department of State travel warnings
and public announcements, see http://travel.state.gov
Food and waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness in
travelers. Travelers diarrhea can
be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which are found throughout
the region and can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause
diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera,
and parasites), fever (typhoid
fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). Make sure
your food and drinking water are safe. (See
below.)
Malaria is a serious, but
preventable infection that can be fatal. Your risk of malaria may be
high in these countries, including cities. Prevent this deadly disease
by seeing your health care provider for a prescription
antimalarial drug and by protecting yourself against mosquito bites
(see below).
Travelers to malaria-risk areas, including infants, children, and
former residents of the Indian Subcontinent, should take an antimalarial
drug. NOTE: Chloroquine is NOT an effective antimalarial drug in
the Indian Subcontinent and should not be taken to prevent malaria
in this region. For additional information on malaria risk and
prevention, see Malaria
Health Information for Travelers to the Indian Subcontinent.
See also Preventing Malaria in the
Pregnant Woman (Information for the Public) and Preventing
Malaria in Infants and Children (Information for the Public).
Dengue, filariasis, Japanese
encephalitis, leishmaniasis,
and plague are diseases
carried by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself
against insect bites (see below) will help to
prevent these diseases.
If you visit the Himalayan Mountains, ascend gradually to allow time
for your body to adjust to the high altitude, which can cause insomnia,
headaches, nausea, and altitude sickness. In addition, use sunblock
rated at least 15 SPF, because the risk of sunburn is greater at high
altitudes.
Because motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury among
travelers, walk and drive defensively. Avoid travel at night if possible
and always use seat belts.
There is no risk for yellow fever in the Indian Subcontinent.
A certificate of yellow
fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain of these
countries if you are coming from countries in South America or sub-Saharan
Africa. For detailed information, see Comprehensive
Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements. Also, find the nearest authorized
U.S. yellow fever vaccine center.
CDC recommends
the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):
See your doctor at least 46 weeks before your trip to allow
time for shots to take effect.
- Hepatitis A or immune globulin
(IG).
- Hepatitis B, if you might
be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual
contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or
be exposed through medical treatment.
- Japanese encephalitis, only
if you plan to visit rural areas for 4 weeks or more, except under
special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese
encephalitis.
- Rabies, if you might
be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
- Typhoid vaccination
is particularly important because of the presence of S. typhi strains
resistant to multiple antibiotics in this region. There have been
recent reports of typhoid
drug resistance in India and Nepal.
- As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles,
and a one-time dose of polio for
adults. Hepatitis B vaccine
is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 1112
years who did not receive the series as infants.
To
stay healthy, do...
- Wash hands often with soap and water.
- Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks
in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.
If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through
an absolute 1-micron or less filter AND adding iodine
tablets to the filtered water. Absolute 1-micron filters are
found in camping/outdoor supply stores.
- Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have
peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
- If you are going to visit areas where there is risk for malaria,
take your malaria prevention
medication before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See
your doctor for a prescription.)
- Protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Pay special attention to mosquito protection between dusk
and dawn. This is when the type of mosquito whose bite transmits
malaria is active.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
- Use insect repellents that contain DEET
(diethylmethyltoluamide).
- Read and follow the directions and precautions on the product
label.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin.
- Do not put repellent on wounds or broken skin.
- Do not breathe in, swallow, or get into the eyes (DEET is
toxic if swallowed). If using a spray product, apply DEET to
your face by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully
over the face, avoiding eyes and mouth.
- Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened
housing, purchase a bed
net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin or deltamethrin.
Or, spray the bed net with one of these insecticides if you
are unable to find a pretreated bed net.
- DEET may be used on adults, children, and infants older than
2 months of age. Protect infants by using a carrier draped
with mosquito netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit.
- Children under 10 years old should not apply insect repellent
themselves. Do not apply to young children’s hands or
around eyes and mouth.
- For details on how to protect yourself from insects and how
to use repellents, see Protection against
Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods.
- If you are visiting friends and relatives in your home country
in areas where malaria occurs, please read the malaria
prevention recommendations for recent immigrants on the
CDC malaria site.
- To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and
dry, and do not go barefoot.
- Always use latex condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually
transmitted diseases.
To avoid getting
sick...
- Dont eat food purchased from street vendors.
- Dont drink beverages with ice.
- Dont eat dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized.
- Dont share needles with anyone.
- Dont handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats),
to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague).
(For more information, please see Animal-Associated
Hazards.)
- Dont swim in fresh water. Salt water is usually safer. (For
more information, please see Swimming
and Recreational Water Precautions.)
What
you need to bring with you:
- Long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat to wear while outside
whenever possible, to prevent illnesses carried by insects (e.g., malaria, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis,
and onchocerciasis).
- Bed nets impregnated with permethrin. (Can be purchased in camping
or military supply stores. Overseas, permethrin or another insecticide,
deltamethrin, may be purchased to treat bed nets and clothes.)
- Flying-insect spray or mosquito coils to help clear rooms of mosquitoes.
The product should contain a pyrethroid insecticide; these insecticides
quickly kill flying insects, including mosquitoes.
- Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to take if you have diarrhea.
- Iodine tablets and water filters to purify water if bottled water
is not available. See Dos above for more detailed information
about water filters.
- Sunblock, sunglasses,
hat.
- Prescription medications: make sure you have enough to last during
your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s).
After you return
home:
If you have visited a malaria-risk area, continue taking your antimalarial
drug for 4 weeks (doxycycline or mefloquine) or seven days (atovaquone/proguanil)
after leaving the risk area.
Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If
you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness either while traveling
in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year),
you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell
the physician your travel history.
For more information:
Ask your doctor or check the CDC web sites for more information about
how to protect yourself against diseases that occur in the Indian Subcontinent,
including the following:
Diseases carried
by insects |
Diseases carried
in food or water |
Diseases from person-to-person
contact |
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For more information about these and other diseases, please check the Diseases
page and CDC
Health Topics AZ.
This document is not a complete medical guide for travelers to this region.
Consult with your doctor for specific information related to your needs
and your medical history; recommendations may differ for pregnant women,
young children, and persons who have chronic medical conditions. In addition,
you may also check the following CDC sites:
Be sure to read the information about all the regions you are planning to visit.
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