Travel Safety Information

If you are planning to visit locations higher than 8,000 feet in altitude, you may experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Symptoms include:

Headache
Nausea
Fatigue
Loss of appetite

If you experience these symptoms, go back to a lower altitude. The most important aspect of preventing severe altitude illness or death from altitude illness is to refrain from further ascent until all symptoms have disappeared.

Safe Beverage Choices

Bottled water: Make sure that the seal is intact on all beverages before drinking them.
Boiled water: Boiling kills disease-causing organisms.
Iodized water: Purify your water with iodine crystals, liquid or tablets, which are available in most camping stores. To remove the flavor and odor of the iodine, you may want to add vitamin C, Kool-Aid, Gatorade powder, etc.
Canned, bottled, and carbonated beverages: Make sure the seal is intact. Be careful if the can has been in a cooler of ice: wipe the water off first and drink through a straw.

Avoid Hidden Sources

Avoid brushing your teeth or rinsing your contacts with faucet water.
Avoid ice, and frozen beverages (such as margaritas): The freezing process does not kill the organisms.
Avoid fruit juice or lemonade from concentrate.

The following diseases are transmitted through contact with blood, bodily fluids (including semen, vaginal secretions, and saliva), or the airspace of an infected person. Some infections, including rabies, can be transmitted from animals to people.

View information provided by the CDC by clicking on each topic below:

Prevention

Make sure your tetanus shot is up-to-date. If more than 10 years have passed since your last tetanus shot, you may need an update for travel.
Do not get tattoos, piercings, or acupuncture while traveling. HIV and Hepatitis C are easily transmitted by contaminated needles.
Do not touch or feed animals. They can carry many infections, including rabies which is fatal if not treated. If you are bitten by any animal, wash the area of the bite extremely well and get medical attention within 24 hours.
Bring condoms from home. Sexually transmitted infections, including hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, HPV, and chlamydia are common worldwide. Bringing condoms just in case is a good idea.

Many diseases are transmitted through food and water. If you are traveling to a developing country, bottled water must be used for drinking, tooth-brushing, rinsing contact lenses, and for ice.

The following diseases can all be transmitted through food and/or water. View information provided by the CDC by clicking on each topic below:

Safe Food Choices

Well-cooked meats, fish, veggies: Preferably foods that are served while still hot.
Rice, beans, and breads & other baked goods like tortillas.
Fruits, nuts, veggies with thick skins or shells which you have removed or peeled yourself (such as bananas, cucumbers, peanuts in shells).
Canned foods: They are safe unless the can is dented, swollen or hisses when being opened, which indicate contamination with botulism.

Foods to Avoid (Unsafe Food Choices)

Fruit salads made with fruit that you haven't peeled yourself.
Leafy green salads, such as lettuce, parsley, cilantro, since they have a large surface area for contaminated water to cling to. Avoid salsas as well.
Thin-skinned fruit (peaches) or non-peelable fruit (berries and grapes).
Raw or undercooked meat, fish, or shellfish: Undercooked shellfish are carriers of Hepatitis A.
Unpasteurized dairy products, such as white cheeses, milk and yogurt. Read the label to see if it has been pasteurized.
Food from street vendors: They may not be able to keep food at appropriate temperatures, or keep their hands clean. Flies can transmit diseases if they land on uncovered food.

Prescription Drugs: Take enough to last your entire trip. Bring medication in original package with prescription labels attached and write the generic drug name on the package just in case.

Over the Counter Medicines: Take enough to last your entire trip. Consider medication for diarrhea, cramps, headaches, nausea, allergies, etc.

Allergies: If you have any food allergies, insect reactions, etc., consider wearing a medical alert bracelet. Take any Epi pens or other supplies with you.

Personal Hygiene Items: Bring enough tampons, pads, condoms, or other essential personal items with you. Feminine hygiene products may be hard to find in some parts of the world and condoms may be counterfeit.

Contact Lenses and Glasses: Take an extra pair with you and bring plenty of contact lens solution. Bring a glasses repair kit.

Alcohol and Other Drugs: Find out the laws of the country you'll be visiting. Minimum alcohol age may be younger than in the U.S. but drug laws are often extremely strict.

Many infections can be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing. Wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds after using the restroom and before eating.

In many parts of the world there may not be soap and water available to you in public. Carry with you a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol for those occasions when you cannot wash your hands.

Health Safety Tips

Apply insect repellent containing at least 15% DEET to exposed skin. Concentrations higher than 50% do not improve efficacy and may cause skin irritation.
Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a hat to minimize exposed skin. Wearing long pants and socks is crucial, since mosquitoes often bite below the knees.
Spray or wash clothing, bedding, & screens, but NOT your skin, with permethrin. It can be found in camping stores and pharmacies.
Reduce the amount of time spent outdoors at and after dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
Kill mosquitoes in bedroom before sleeping and use mosquito bed nets, if necessary.
Reduce outdoor activity dusk to dawn, return from rural trips before dark.
View the CDC's Yellow Book to learn about protection from various kinds of insects.

Mosquitoes can transmit several diseases. The best way to prevent mosquito bites is to use insect repellent that contains DEET. Treat clothing, shoes and bed nets with permethrin before leaving on your trip. Pharmacies sell DEET and Permethrin spray.

View information provided by the CDC by clicking on each topic below:

Traveler's Diarrhea is common and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Bacteria are responsible for about 85% of cases.

Prevention

Strict adherence to food and water precautions.
Pepto-Bismol® (pink bismuth): take 4 times per day for no more than 3 weeks (commonly causes blackening of the tongue and stool and may cause nausea, constipation and rarely ringing in the ears).

Treatment

Drink a lot of purified water.
Eat bland foods (BRAT diet): Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast.
Take an oral rehydration solution or rehydration salts mixed in water, usually available in pharmacies or camping stores.
At your Travel Consult discuss prescriptions for antibiotics and use of over the counter medications
Seek medical care if you have severe diarrhea for several hours or mild diarrhea for more than 3 days.

Food & Water Borne Illnesses

Hepatitis A: Vaccine recommended for all travelers to developing countries.
Polio: Adult booster for parts of Africa and Indian Subcontinent.
Typhoid: Vaccine for some travelers to developing countries.
Chlorea: Vaccine available for travelers to high risk areas
Traveler's Diarrhea: No vaccine available. Recommend strict adherence to food and water precautions.

Mosquito Borne Illnesses

Dengue Fever: No vaccine available. Follow recommended insect precautions.
Malaria: No vaccine available. All travelers to infected areas should follow insect precautions and take prophylactic medication.
Yellow Fever: Vaccine for infected areas of Africa & South America. View the CDC's list of countries that require a Yellow Fever vaccine for entry.
Japanese Encephalitis: Vaccine for infected areas of Southeast Asia, Far East, and Indian Subcontinent.
Chikungunya: Vaccine is available for prevention.

Blood, Body Fluid, Air Borne and Other Illnesses

Hepatitis B: Vaccine encouraged by University Health Services for all travelers.
Tetanus: Booster for travelers if longer than 10 years since last injection.
Rabies: Pre-exposure vaccine for travelers at high risk.
HIV: Test required by some countries for stays of 3 months or more.
Meningitis: Vaccine encouraged by University Health Services for all students living in dorms and risk areas in Africa.
Tuberculosis: TB skin test 3 months after your return from a high risk area.
Influenza: Vaccine for all travelers during the flu season.
Covid-19: Updated vaccine recommended.

Travel Safety Information