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The Yellow Book - Health Information for International Travel, 2003-2004
 
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Animal-Associated Hazards

Animals in general tend to avoid human beings, but they can attack, particularly if they are protecting their young or territory. Travelers should be reminded that, in areas of endemic rabies, domestic dogs, cats, or other mammals should never be petted, handled, or fed. Wild animals should be avoided; most injuries from wild animals are the direct result of attempting to pet, handle, or feed the animals.

Poisonous snakes are hazards in many locations, although deaths from snakebites are relatively rare. The Australian brown snake, Russell's viper, and cobras in southern Asia; carpet vipers in the Middle East; and coral snakes and rattlesnakes in the Americas are particularly dangerous. Most snakebites are the direct result of handling or harassing snakes, which bite as a defensive reaction. Attempts to kill snakes are dangerous. The venom of a small or immature snake can be even more concentrated than that of larger ones; therefore, all snakes should be left alone.Fewer than half of all snakebite wounds actually contain venom, but travelers should be advised to seek medical attention any time a bite wound breaks the skin. Immobilization of the affected limb and application of a pressure bandage that does not restrict vascular flow are recommended first-aid measures while the victim is moved as quickly as possible to a medical facility. Tourniquets that impair blood flow to the affected limb are contraindicated. Specific therapy for snakebite is controversial, and should be left to the judgment of local emergency medical personnel. Snakes tend to be active at night and in warm weather. As a precaution, boots and long pants should be worn when walking outdoors at night in areas possibly inhabited by venomous snakes.

The bites and stings of and contact with some arthropods cause unpleasant reactions. Travelers should be advised to seek medical attention if an insect bite or sting causes redness, swelling, bruising, or persistent pain. Many insects also transmit communicable diseases. Some insects can bite and transmit disease without the traveler's being aware of the bite, particularly when the traveler is camping or staying in rustic or primitive accommodations. Travelers should be advised to use insect repellents, protective clothing, and mosquito netting when visiting many parts of the world. (See Protection Against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods.) Stings from scorpions can be painful, but seldom are dangerous, except possibly in infants. In general, exposure to scorpion envenomations can be avoided by sleeping under mosquito nets and by shaking clothing and shoes before putting them on, particularly in the morning.

— Paul Arguin, Timothy Davis, Richard Waxweiler


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