[Health] Traveling abroad … Dengue · Tracking Malaria



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Travel abroad has now become a universal holiday culture. The number of Koreans traveling abroad has surpbaded 10 million for the first time in 2005, to 26 million last year and is expected to exceed 30 million this year.

The problem is that the risk of infectious diseases abroad increases as the number of overseas travelers increases. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people infected with fever, diarrhea and respiratory symptoms increased by 2.5 times last year, reaching 250,000 people

. The first cases of cholera have occurred, and measles, which began in Romania in 2016, continues to prevail mainly in Europe, including France, Italy, Greece and Ukraine.

Infectious diseases are immune to travel and can worsen relative to the local population when they become ill. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can have catastrophic consequences. According to CDC's annual report on infectious diseases, the number of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria is the highest, and the number of waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever and bacterial diarrhea is on the rise this year. . However, prevention and preparation for infectious diseases are relatively inadequate. Lee Ji-yong, H +, director of the Department of Internal Medicine Yangji Hospital said: "In recent years, awareness of some infectious diseases has increased through the use of Mersenza viruses, but it seems that "In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey, it is necessary to check in advance the information on the infected disease and prepare it so that it is not exposed to the disease. infection by pre-vaccination and compliance with the rules of hygiene at destination. "

Emerging Infectious Diseases Although there are different types of infectious diseases, mosquito infested diseases and infectious diseases transmitted by water are representative. The main cause of infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes is dengue fever. In 2016, the number of dengue patients was 313, or 57.9% of all 541 infectious diseases. Last year and this year, 171 and 93 respectively were the most important. The number of patients infected with malaria reached 79 in 2016 and 71 in 2017, ranking second after dengue fever.

Dengue fever is a febrile illness with symptoms such as sudden high fever, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and there are no special precautions other than d & # 39; 39, avoid mosquitoes, mediator of infection. For this reason, it is advisable to use a mosquito repellent or wear long clothes to minimize exposure. Malaria depends on the risk of malaria infection in travel destinations and the occurrence of resistant malaria. Preventive medications should be taken one to two weeks before or one day before the trip, followed by a period of travel, and one to four weeks after the malaria epidemic.

Recently, the proportion of infectious diseases of waterborne origin such as bacterial dysentery and typhoid has also increased. Among the outbreaks of infectious diseases this year, 83 bacterial strains and 67 typhoid were recorded, making it the second and third largest total influx. The number of bacterial dysenteries was only 23 in 2016, but it rose to 67 last year, and typhoid has also increased rapidly from 12 to 50 over the last 3 years. Infectious diseases transmitted by water represent a large proportion of tourists in Southeast Asia, which is attributed to the ingestion of water and food in an unsanitary local environment. Cholera is transmitted by seafood products exposed to the cholera virus or poorly cooked. The symptoms of watery diarrhea and vomiting can be serious and lead to death. Prevention and treatment are important.

Although the number of people infected with foreign flu is increasing, knowledge of overseas travelers is relatively low. According to the survey released by the CDC last February, only 66.8% of those surveyed said they want to practice preventative actions before traveling abroad, such as checking information on travel infections, receive vaccinations, etc.

Experts point out that if you want to travel healthy abroad, you must first identify the risk factors for your travel destination and then immunize if necessary. It is also necessary to observe the safety rules to avoid the risks of illness. Infectious diseases carried by water should wash their hands frequently, boil the water and avoid street foods. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue should be avoided by using a mosquito repellent and detergent.

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