Things you should know… …WHEN TRAVELING ABROAD

The day has arrived for your big trip abroad. You board the plane and take off toward your much-anticipated destination. However, just like in “Home Alone” when Kate suddenly realizes the family mistakenly left Kevin behind while flying to Paris, it is a really bad feeling to land overseas and realize you forgot your bottle of Malarone for malaria as the first Anopheles mosquito nips at your neck at dusk. Here are five things you should know to help you have a happy and healthy trip as you depart to see the world.

obtained all my vaccination records. I go through the CDC recommendations with him before each trip to make sure I am current with my tetanus shots, yellow fever vaccinations, etc.

3. TRAVEL MEDICATIONS

1. PLAN

Failing to plan is equivalent to planning to fail. Just as you do for Santa every December, make a written list of everything you will need before your trip. This is not a problem for you right-brainers (compulsive, attention to detail) out there. However, the left-brainers (creative, artistic) could be in trouble if they don’t do this. For example, my personal list includes travel documents, clothes, health-related details (such as vaccinations, prophylactic medications, analgesics, and antibiotics), photo equipment, and other miscellaneous items.

There are two ways to go about taking care of the health-related part of your trip. The first way requires going to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, locating the country where you will be travelling, and then following their recommendations. The second way (and this is what I do) is to find a doctor that you trust and who has an interest in travel medicine. I have an infectious disease physician in New York whom I have used since 2000 who keeps very good records on my vaccinations. I also currently go to an internist in The Villages who has

Vaccinations provide humoral immunity (antibodies that fight foreign proteins that can get into your system). However, what if you are exposed to an infectious agent (a bug) for which you have not been vaccinated? An example of this is an unhappy experience I had while in Madurai, India. I ate dinner at a local restaurant and by 3a.m. the following morning, I had the worst diarrhea of my life, and I had to drive 10 hours in a van to the next destination that day. Fortunately, I always travel with antibiotics that cover the most common pathogens (such as E. coli, salmonella, shigella). I immediately took my first dose of azithromycin and was completely better within 24 hours.

4. MALARIA PREVENTION

If your trip will be to a malaria zone, as many of mine have been, it is essential you take prophylactic medication to prevent an infection. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by bites from an Anopheles mosquito, which acts as a vector (a bug that carries an infectious agent). The first thing you should do when traveling in one of these zones is to take a drug as detailed in the CDC recommendations. I have always taken Malarone because I have found I do not have side effects to this drug, and it is as (or more) effective than other drugs currently in use. The medication should be started two days before your trip and is continued for five days after you get home.

Avoiding the bite of an Anopheles mosquito is one of the most important means of preventing malaria in the first place. These mosquitos bite at two times of the day: dusk and dawn. You should avoid wearing shorts and going without socks when in a malaria zone. I spray or roll on 30 percent DEET, especially on my neck and ears during these times of day.

These tips can get you started on the right foot as you embark on your big adventure. Happy travels!