Nobody wants to get sick on an overseas holiday! Much as travel insurance has freed us to truly enjoy other countries, including their rivers, food and people without the risk of coming home tens of thousands of dollars in debt from medical bills, prevention is always better than cure. The health landscape worldwide is constantly changing, as new strains of disease evolve and find resistance to current treatments, so it is important to check out current events in the world health arean before you leave the country. Today we look at what you should be aware of, for travel insurance and vaccination purposes, if you are travelling overseas during summer 2009/2010.

General Travel Health, Summer 2009/10

Managing your health varies widely from place to place in the world. A lot of us tend to assume that because the local people have survived relatively unscathed, that we will too. This is sometimes right – however in many cases local people have built up years of immune resistance to particular bugs. In some cases, the people that could not survive the pathogens in a particular area simply died as children. Here is some general health advice for travelling overseas in summer 2009/2010:

Always see a doctor several months prior to leaving and get all recommended vaccinations for the region you are travelling to.
Always get medical travel insurance
If you have a pre-existing condition, have a checkup with your doctor and devise a written management plan
If you need to take your own medication overseas, you will need a letter of authority to carry it from your host country.
Apply insect repellent regularly, stay away from local domestic animals, and follow rules for safe eating and drinking and safe sex.
Dengue Fever
Queensland has seen a major dengue outbreak over summer 2009/2010, and Cape Verde and Senegal have seen their first ever dengue outbreak (up to 1000 cases per day have been reported). If you are travelling from Queensland, it may be wise to carry a certificate of vaccination for dengue even if the country you are travelling to doesn’t usually have it. This will help you avoid logistics-related travel insurance claims.

Rabies

A rabies outbreak has been recently reported in Bali, and in Ghana several people have died from the disease. A post exposure vaccination is not available, and even people simply spending time bicycling and walking in rural areas could contract the disease.

Cholera

In Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, there have been several cases of cholera reported. In Malaysia one source is thought to be contaminated fish used to make crackers – what would usually be assumed to be a safe food. Six ice factories have also been ordered closed. This disease is vaccine preventable – if you have your needle you’ll be saved the hassle of claiming on your travel insurance.

Yellow Fever

Yellow fever has gained a foothold in Brazil, where seven people have so far died and dozens more have been diagnosed with the disease. While Brazil doesn’t require that travelers into the country are vaccinated against yellow fever, it is strongly recommended. Holiday insurance might cover your pocketbook, but it won’t stop your trip being ruined!

Swine Flu Update

Some countries might impose quarantine measures if you are travelling with flu-like symptoms – a level of travel insurance cover that provides protection against logistical events is advisable if you have a cold or flu, so that you don’t lose out by missing a booking. You can be vaccinated against swine flu in Australia if you wish.

ROSWELL, GA, October 13, 2009 – Workplace Spanish(R), developer of America’s most widely-used job-specific Spanish learning programs, announced today the release of its new ‘Click It(TM) Mini-Program’ featuring clickable Spanish terms, expressions, and pronunciations, that enable health care workers to examine and communicate with Spanish-speaking patients about Swine Flu.

“We wanted to give health care providers an easy-to-use Spanish tool that would enable them to question, examine and discuss Swine and regular flu diagnoses without having to take classes or lengthy training sessions,” said Tom Sutula, President of Workplace Spanish. “The anxiety and concern about this disease is high. Not being able to examine and communicate with Hispanic patients raises their fears even higher and creates a climate of frustration for the health care provider.”

The mini-program is available by download from the company’s website at www.WorkplaceSpanish.com. It is delivered in the easy-to-use Click It(TM) format developed by Workplace Spanish that utilizes PDF files with embedded sound bites so users click on English terms to hear the Spanish and phonetic pronunciations spoken aloud. Users can either repeat the phrase or play it loud enough for a Spanish-speaker to hear. “MP3 files for iPod and music player are also available for download”, Sutula added.

The ‘Swine Flu Patient Examination’ mini-program is priced at only .00 per user and the MP3 audio files are .50 per user. Multi-user purchases can also be made from the company’s website and organizations of 100 or more users can obtain a site license to use the program on their internal network. Commenting on the reasonable price, Sutula said “we felt this was extremely useful material and did not want price to become a purchase obstacle.”

Detailed information and samples are available on the company’s website at www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/SwineFlu and www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/SwineFlu_sample.pdf

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish® materials help people English and Spanish speakers communicate simply and effectively in various work situations. Designed for time-stressed professionals, managers and associates, the company’s materials are easy to use and non-academic. They do not teach grammar and no prior Spanish training is required to use them. Users learn Spanish pronunciation and how to say “bite-size” terms and expressions, in Spanish, that are relevant to their work environments and everyday conversation.

Swine flu may infect 2 billion people: World Health Organization :::(click the link & find more under main heading)
http://thejourneytime. com/2009/05/swine-flu-may-infect-2billion-people-world-health-organization/
Treatment for Swine Flu :::(click the link & find more under main heading)
http://thejourneytime. com/2009/05/swine-flu-may-infect-2billion-people-world-health-organization/

Swine flu does not occur due to eating pork. But, certainly the flu is highly contagious and is spreading throughout the globe. It is believed that swine flu is different from other types of influenza and was not exposed to humans earlier. Because of this there is no drug that can prevent causing H1N1. This is the main reason why elderly people, young children and people who suffer compromised immune systems are advised to be very careful so that they can avert from getting the flu, as the transmission of this disease is from human to human. Swine flu was renamed as H1N1 to avoid having any direct connection to pigs, however it is identical to some flu and is proving sometimes to be fatal. The outbreak is serious and might become a global concern as many people do not have full immunity to this influenza. Swine flu virus gets easily spread by touching contaminated surfaces, coughing or sneezing. This can result in fever, headache, cough, sore throat, sneeze, joint or muscle pains. It is strictly suggested that people experiencing any such symptoms should immediately consult their doctors. The symptoms are identical to the standard flu bugs. Swine flu affected people experience initially high fever and extreme fatigue in association with muscle aches. People also at times experience diarrhea and vomiting. Seeking medical attention is a must so that the treatment towards recovery may take place. Swine flu is recognized after sending the swab sample of nose and throat for testing. It represents a respiratory ailment caused by influenza A. At present time, there is no availability of vaccine, but doctors have confidence on the anti-viral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu to be considered an appropriate treatment. Mostly, people get over swine flu in a few days and those who have suffered this virus will certainly have immunity even in the future to this particular strain. Tamiflu is a popular drug prescribed and helps in preventing and treating influenza type A. Tamiflu cannot be taken directly without a doctor prescription. Conversely, people suffering with swine flu have to initially go to a doctor and undergo the lab tests. Only with the approval of a doctor and valid prescription, people can buy Tamiflu from licensed drugstores. This medicine can also be purchased over the internet conveniently. The recommendation of the doctor is best followed as the doses for treating and preventing flu varies. Generally, adults are advised to take one capsule two times a day for five days as treatment. On the other hand, the same medicine Tamiflu is taken one capsule everyday for a period of ten days as preventive measure. Tamiflu is a drug that may cause side effects to patients suffering with swine flu. The side effects caused are vomiting, rash, nausea, lack of sleep and abdominal pain. The patients are advised to take this medication with food so that the intensity of causing side effects is lower. However, besides taking anti-viral medication, it is best to avoid contacts and to use mask. The wise measure is to maintain good personal hygiene as it protects from spreading harmful germs. Also avoiding touching nose, eyes and mouth prevents the risk of spreading germs.

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