Do Not Let an Illness Ruin Your Trip: Consider the Risk and Take Precautions

The National Public Health Centre (NPHC) reminds of communicable diseases that pose a threat when travelling to other countries, although the causative agents are not found in Lithuania. Some of the diseases may be prevented by vaccination, others are avoided by safe behaviours and other preventive measures. Below you will find some information about the communicable diseases, the areas where they are widespread and preventive measures against them.

The risk of imported polio remains

In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the European region polio-free. However, there is still a risk of contracting the disease when travelling to the countries where its causative agent is still widespread. On  3 May 2023,  WHO convened the 35th meeting of the Emergency Committee on the international spread of poliomyelitis. In February this year, one case of wild poliovirus was reported in Pakistan. There have been 3 environmental surveillance positive samples: two in India, in the Punjab region, and one in Pakistan. Two of them were linked to viruses circulating in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, no cases of the disease have been recorded; however, there have been 18 positive environmental samples to date in 2023. There have been no new cases reported in southern Africa, with the most recent case having onset of paralysis in August 2022 in Mozambique, but the risk of international spread of poliovirus still remains, the WHO says.

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection, manifested by a two-wave course of the disease and acute muscle paralysis. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route, also through food, water, and unclean hands.

The most effective preventive measure against poliomyelitis is vaccination. In Lithuania, children are vaccinated according to the children's vaccination schedule. The vaccination schedule consists of five doses of the vaccine administered at ages of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, and 6-7 years. If the child was not vaccinated on time, the doctor can draw up an individual vaccination plan to catch up with the vaccination scheduled.

If you do not remember whether you / your child have been vaccinated against polio, it is recommended to contact your family doctor. If there is no record of vaccination, vaccination is recommended.

Take medication and avoid mosquito bites

Another disease that poses a risk when traveling to more than 100 countries is malaria. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever. Malaria is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America. African region accounts for almost 95 percent of all malaria cases and deaths. More than half of them have been reported in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Tanzania.

Antimalarial  medicines are critical to malaria, as there is no vaccine against it. It is also very important to take care of protection against mosquito bites: do not walk outdoors at dusk or dawn, do not be near water at such times; wear light-colored clothing that covers arms and legs; wear shoes that cover ankles; use mosquito repellents; use nets on windows and doors.

Dengue is another mosquito-borne viral disease

Imported cases of dengue fever have been registered in Lithuania. The disease is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, in more than 100 countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific Region. Aedes aegypti mosquitos that transmit dengue fever, are active during the day and usually live and breed near human dwellings.

Specialists advise to shun their bites: use insect repellents, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to cover up, use mosquito nets on windows, doors, and bed rooms. Although most people experience mild symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, rash, and pain, or moderate illness, some cases progress to severe disease. After returning from a trip to the endemic areas, if such symptoms like fever, pain in joints and muscle, headache, bleeding, etc. appear within 3-14 days, seek medical help immediately and inform the doctor about the trip.

Marburg virus disease

In February 2023, an outbreak of Marburg fever was registered in Equatorial Guinea. A total of 17 cases of the disease and 12 deaths were reported. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, no new cases of Marburg virus disease have been reported in Equatorial Guinea since the end of April, but the epidemiological surveillance and contact tracing efforts are ongoing. This year in March, an outbreak of Marburg fever was also registered in Tanzania. 8 confirmed cases of the disease and 6 deaths were reported.

NPHC specialists warn that there is no vaccine against Marburg hemorrhagic fever. Persons traveling to areas affected by Marburg hemorrhagic fever should take the following precautions: avoid direct contact with persons who are ill or have died from Marburg hemorrhagic fever; in areas where cases of Marburg hemorrhagic fever have been reported, avoid visiting visit caves, pits, avoid contacts with wild animals and do not consume their meat; avoid unsafe sex, use protective measures; wash your hands often with soap or use hand sanitizer.

For destination-specific vaccine recommendations, search  https://nvsc.lrv.lt/skiepai-keliautojams
also CDC’s Destination pages

Last updated: 19-05-2023

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