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Destination
Health Precautions for
Australia and the South Pacific
Australia
and the South Pacific - Australia,
Christmas Island, Cook Island, Federated
States of Micronesia, Fiji, French
Polynesia (Tahiti), Guam, Kiribati,
Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia,
New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana
Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea,
Pitcairn, Samoa, American Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna The
preventive measures you need to take
while traveling in this region depend
on the areas you visit and the length
of time you stay. You should observe
the precautions listed in this document
in most areas of this region. However,
in highly developed areas of Australia
and New Zealand, you should observe
health precautions similar to those
that would apply while traveling in
the United States.
Travelers’ diarrhea, the number one
illness in travelers, can be caused
by viruses, bacteria, or parasites,
which can contaminate food or water.
Infections may cause diarrhea and
vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera,
and parasites), fever (typhoid fever
and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage
(hepatitis). Make sure your food and
drinking water are safe.
Malaria is a preventable infection
that can be fatal if left untreated.
Prevent infection by taking prescription
antimalarial drugs and protecting
yourself against mosquito bites. Travelers
to all areas of Papua New Guinea,
the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu will
be at risk for malaria; no malaria
risk in other countries in this region.
Dengue, filariasis, Ross River virus,
and Murray Valley encephalitis are
diseases carried by insects that also
occur in this region. Protecting yourself
against insect bites will help to
prevent these diseases.
There is no risk for yellow fever
in Australia and the South Pacific.
A certificate of yellow fever vaccination
may be required for entry into certain
of these countries if you are coming
from countries in South America or
sub-Saharan Africa.
CDC recommends the following vaccines
(as appropriate for age):
See your doctor at least 4 - 6 weeks
before your trip to allow time for
shots to take effect.
- Hepatitis
A or immune globulin (IG) (except
for Australia and New Zealand).
- Rabies,
if you might be exposed to wild
or domestic animals through your
work or recreation.
- Typhoid
(except for Australia and New Zealand),
particularly if you are visiting
developing countries in this region.
- As
needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria
and measles, and a one-time dose
of polio for adults. Hepatitis B
vaccine is now recommended for all
infants and for children 11 - 12
years of age who did not receive
the series as infants.
All travelers should take the following
precautions, no matter the destination:
- Wash
hands often with soap and water.
- Because
motor vehicle crashes are a leading
cause of injury among travelers,
walk and drive defensively. Avoid
travel at night if possible and
always use seat belts.
- Always
use latex condoms to reduce the
risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted
diseases.
- Don’t
eat or drink dairy products unless
you know they have been pasteurized.
- Don’t
share needles with anyone.
- Eat
only thoroughly cooked food or fruits
and vegetables you have peeled yourself.
Remember: boil it, cook it, peel
it, or forget it. Never eat undercooked
ground beef and poultry, raw eggs,
and unpasteurized dairy products.
Raw shellfish is particularly dangerous
to persons who have liver disease
or compromised immune systems.
Travelers visiting undeveloped
areas should take the following precautions:
To stay healthy, do...
- Drink
only bottled or boiled water, or
carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans
or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain
drinks, and ice cubes. If this is
not possible, make water safer by
BOTH filtering through an "absolute
1-micron or less filter" AND
adding iodine tablets to the filtered
water. "Absolute 1-micron filters"
are found in camping/outdoor supply
stores.
- If
you visit an area where there is
risk for malaria, take your malaria
prevention medication before, during,
and after travel, as directed. (See
your doctor for a prescription.)
- Protect
yourself from insects by remaining
in well-screened areas, using repellents
(applied sparingly at 4-hour intervals),
and wearing long-sleeved shirts
and long pants from dusk through
dawn.
- To
prevent fungal and parasitic infections,
keep feet clean and dry, and do
not go barefoot. To avoid getting
sick...
- Don’t
eat food purchased from street vendors.
- Don’t
drink beverages with ice.
- Don’t
share needles with anyone.
- Don’t
handle animals (especially monkeys,
dogs, and cats), to avoid bites
and serious diseases (including
rabies and plague).
What you need to bring with you:
- Long-sleeved
shirt and long pants to wear while
outside whenever possible, to prevent
illnesses carried by insects.
- Insect
repellent containing DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide),
in 30% - 35% strength for adults
and 6% - 10% for children, as well
as a bed net impregnated with the
insecticide permethrin. (Bed nets
can be purchased in camping or military
supply stores.)
- Over-the-counter
antidiarrheal medicine to take if
you have diarrhea.
- Iodine
tablets and portable water filters
to purify water if bottled water
is not available.
- Sunblock,
sunglasses, hat.
- Prescription
medications: make sure you have
enough to last during your trip,
as well as a copy of the prescription(s).
After you return home:
If you have visited a malaria-risk
area, continue taking your antimalarial
drug for 4 weeks (Lariam®, doxycycline)
or seven days (Malarone™) after leaving
the risk area. Travelers who become
ill with a fever or flu-like illness
while traveling in a malaria-risk
area and up to one year after returning
home should seek prompt medical attention
and should tell the physician their
travel history.
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