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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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