Holidaymakers are ignoring the health risks of going 
to far-flung tourist destinations, with a host of 
infections waiting to strike them down. 
But what exactly is out there - and which ones will 
do more than simply ruin your holiday? 

Tourist Gary Peace thought that an African safari would 
be the trip of a lifetime. 

But he was still feeling the after-effects months later, 
after contracting malaria while on his travels. 

He told the BBC: "It's all rather embarrassing really. 

"I could have quite easily not have had malaria, if I'd 
taken my tablets. 

"It's certainly something I wouldn't want to go through 
again - it is quite a painful experience." 

Malaria is one of the more common diseases which can be 
contracted in many tropical countries. 

It is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes, which 
is passed into the bloodstream of humans when they are 
bitten. 




Typical symptoms include a high fever, chills, sweating 
and lethargy. 

There are two types of parasite - one, found in certain 
countries, causes a milder form of the disease. 

However, the other type of malaria can kill quickly if 
medical attention is not given. 

Drugs taken before, during and after travelling - 
prophylaxis - can reduce the chance of developing malaria 
should the traveller be bitten. 

And many tourists are advised to cover up as much as 
possible to reduce the chance of bites. 

Hepatitis 

There are two forms of hepatitis which pose a threat to 
the unprepared traveller. 

It is said that every flight returning from tropical 
destinations contains at least one person newly infected 
with hepatitis. 

Hepatitis A is the most common, and the virus is spread 
mainly by poor sanitation or kitchen hygiene, particularly 
in developing countries. 

The virus can even be picked up by eating shellfish caught 
from waters contaminated with sewage. 

Doctors believe that people who are not immunised travelling 
long-term in high-risk countries are almost 100% likely to 
pick up the infection. 

The illness is usually severe enough to incapacitate an adult 
for some time, although this may happen after returning from 
holiday, as the incubation period is often a matter of weeks. 

The symptoms are fever, nausea and muscle aches, progressing 
to jaundice, which causes severe fatigue and nausea. 

In older patients, there is a slight risk of "fulminant 
hepatitis", which is usually fatal. 

The other type of hepatitis is hepatitis B. This is normally 
contracted via body fluids, for example during unprotected 
sex or intravenous drug use while sharing needles. 

There is also a risk from unregulated acupuncture and tattooing. 

After a long incubation period, the symptoms are similar to 
those of hepatitis A. 

However, while the vast majority of those wtih hepatitis A 
recover fully, fewer hepatitis B patients do so, and some 
(approximately 5%) may remain infectious for years. 

Immunisation is available against both forms of the disease. 

Typhoid 

Typhoid, or enteric fever, is caused by one of two bacteria, 
Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi. 

It is caught from food or water tainted with faeces from 
infected people, and is more common in countries such as 
India, Pakistan and Nepal. 

Symptoms include prolonged fever, headache, loss of appetite, 
nausea, and fatigue. 

Untreated, the illness can last for three to four weeks and 
is fatal in about ten percent of cases. 

Treatment is with antibiotics, although there are various 
typhoid vaccines on the market. 

Yellow Fever 

Also transmitted from mosquitoes, this illnesses kills roughly 
5% of those infected. 

It can lead to haemorrhagic fever, in which the patient bleeds 
from internal organs. 

High risk countries are those with jungle areas in South America 
and Africa. 

An effective vaccination is available. 

Rabies 

Although rabies is uncommon in developed countries, there are 
still many animals in developing countries carrying this 
deadly virus. 

Getting vaccinated before travelling is uncommon, but if you 
are bitten by an animal while abroad, prompt medical attention 
is vital. 

The virus, instead of spreading into the bloodstream, tends 
to linger and the bite wound for a matter of days before 
attacking the nervous system. 

Once the nervous system is affected, death is rarely avoided. 

Symptoms may include a tingling or numbness around the wound 
site, followed by fever or aching. 

Once more rabies-specific symptoms arise, such as hallucination, 
muscle spasms - particularly affecting the throat muscles, then 
the disease is invariably fatal. 

However, in the few days following the bite, vaccination, either
by one, or by a series of injections, can prevent the disease 
developing.