Avoid Disease When You Travel Overseas

U.S. health officials recently quarantined an Atlanta man with a rare form of tuberculosis which is extremely resistant to treatment or XDR after he traveled on two trans-Atlantic flights. According to officials at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) , the passengers in direct proximity to the man, as well as crew members servicing him may have been infected with the rare disease.

Tuberculosis specifically is spread through the air, and the CDC recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to known tuberculosis patients. In this case, a couple questions of your fellow passengers can go a long way.

When traveling on an airplane, the CDC has these tips for travelers:

• Before traveling, carefully consider your destination, and the illnesses waiting for you when you arrive. This CDC map is a great place to start.
• For traveling abroad, you should set up an appointment with a healthcare professional 4-6 weeks in advance, as most vaccines require that long to take effect.
• To be fully prepared, it is best to bring a travel health kit containing these items: prescribed medications, medication to prevent diarrhea, sunscreen, insect repellent, and alcohol-based hand gels containing at least 60% alcohol to wash your hands when soap and clean water are not available.
• Hand washing is one of the most important ways to stop the spread of infectious disease. Travelers exposed to foreign substances and in close quarters with other passengers should remember to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water.

For more information about preventing disease when you travel, check out The Centers for Disease Control’s website.