Health

In October 2003, a man who had been working in a rural village in Haiti returned to Pennsylvania and was admitted to a hospital with a severe sore throat and respiratory distress. He was diagnosed with respiratory diphtheria and died. The clinical efficacy of the diphtheria vaccine is 97%, but the man had never been immunized.

Diphtheria is contracted by inhaling the bacteria directly from an infected person. It can lead to heart failure, paralysis and coma. Even death can occur in as little as a week; the mortality rate for diphtheria can be as high as 20%.

Britain’s Department of Health is closing loopholes that allow foreign tourists to take advantage of free medical care in public hospitals. Some were abusing the system, including pregnant women who timed their visits to give birth in British hospitals, where they would not be charged.

As of April 2004, under the new regulations travelers who become ill or are injured during their visit to the U.K. will have to pay for treatment, even in National Health Service facilities. Overseas students studying full time in the U.K. will be exempt from charges for treatment.

The “Directory of Clinical Consultants in Tropical Medicine & Travelers’ Health” is a resource for travelers seeking referral to a specialist in tropical medicine and/or travelers’ health, whether for pretravel counseling and immunization or post-travel evaluation, consultation and treatment. The directory, which lists physicians’ office hours and the services they provide, is available at no charge and can also be accessed at www.astmh.org.

To order a copy, contact ASTMH.

The 12th edition of “Health Hints for the Tropics” is available from the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. The 50-page booklet includes the chapters Preparation for Travel; Immunizations; Malaria Prevention; Travelers’ Diarrhea; Special Health Problems; Advice for En Route and After Returning, and References and Resources. Individual copies are $5, postage included.

Colombia is requiring visitors to the country’s national parks along the Atlantic coast to show proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Going to Europe is exciting, but it can be stressful, too. By arranging a few things while you’re still at home, you’ll greatly increase your chances of having a smooth, enjoyable European vacation.

(Part one of two parts)

As of April 26, the Chinese Ministry of Health had reported a recent eight possible cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with six in Bejing and two in Anhui Province in east-central China. Nearly 1,000 contacts of these patients were under medical observation, and some had been placed in medical isolation after they developed fever.

To date, all diagnosed cases and cases under investigation have been linked to chains of transmission involving close personal contact with an identified case. There is no evidence of wider transmission in the community.

I had already taken two tours with Turtle Tours (Box 1147, Carefree, AZ 85377; phone 888/299-1439 or 480/488-3688, fax 480/488-3406, e-mail turtletours@earthlink.net) when I received the brochure which read, “Join us as a volunteer. Come on a 2-week program as a Health Care Professional or Staff Assistant for which no medical training is required. You will be a great help and get to know our tribal friends.”

Panama is offering all travelers arriving through Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport free medical insurance in case of emergency during the first 30 days of their stay.