The Hub February 2016 | Page 6

Windsor Essex County Health Unit What not to do on your next tropical vacation... Vacations are a time for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment. Often, though, a vacation may also be a source of illness and injury for travellers. In an attempt to encourage caution for those travelling to a developing country, the following are recommendations of “what not to do” on your tropical vacation. Don’t eat from street vendors. Many travellers want to eat authentic food from the countries they are visiting. Sit-down restaurants have hygiene and food storage facilities that are superior to a street vendor that would reduce your chances of getting sick with a food-borne illness. Don’t drink beverages or water unless it’s from your resort or in a commercially-sealed can or bottle. Unopened and commercially sealed beverages in cans or bottles (pop or beer), and drinks made with boiled water and served steaming hot, such as coffee and tea, are generally safe. Bring bottled water with you for day trips. Don’t get a tattoo. A tattoo may seem like the perfect souvenir to take home. However, it may be dangerous to your health. The risks include exposure to blood-borne infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Don’t touch the animals. Cats, dogs, monkeys, etc. all carry a risk of rabies. Don’t interact with any animals on your vacation. Travellers in areas where rabies is constantly present and where there is limited access to adequate and safe treatment may want to have a rabies vaccine before travelling. Consult a local travel clinic at least six weeks Click below to find out more! Public Health Agency of Canada Travel Health Know someone travelling to the tropics? Share this advice with them! before you travel. Don’t get medical or dental work done. Unless it is a life-threatening emergency, avoid getting medical care or dental work done in a developing country. Don’t swim with marine animals. The water may look clean but could be polluted with animal feces. You can get sick if you swallow contaminated water. Don’t drink too much alcohol. Use alcohol responsibly and drink in moderation. To avoid injuries, stay hydrated with water and stay in control of your actions. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen. Getting a sunburn will put a damper on your trip and put you at risk for dehydration, skin infections and future skin cancers. Try to apply your first layer of sunscreen before you leave your room in the morning and reapply as directed on the bottle. Don’t have sex with someone you’ve just met on vacation. It’s just not a good idea to have sex with someone you have just met on vacation because of the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Condoms will help reduce your risk, but will not eliminate all the risk. As you begin planning your vacation, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Travel Health section of their website to research any travel-related recommendations for your destination and great travel tools. Exercise more caution when travelling with children as they are even more vulnerable if they becom