Page 41 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

HealtH BASICS 39
seriously ill it’s best to contact your close proximity to farm animals are at particular
embassy for help. As always, it is risk of contracting Japanese encephalitis from
important to travel with insurance that mosquitoes that have bitten infected livestock.
covers medical care and emergency Rabies spreads to humans through the saliva of
evacuation – international-quality care is infected mammals, typically from feral dogs, as
expensive and in certain situations you well as monkeys and bats, although all mammals
may need to be moved to Thailand or are at risk. Both Japanese encephalitis and rabies
Singapore for treatment. can be fatal.
a yellow fever vaccination certificate is only
Vaccinations and prophylaxis required to enter Myanmar if you are travelling from
a region where the disease is endemic (i.e. parts of
Besides ensuring that any routine immunizations africa or South america) or if you have been in
are up to date, your doctor may recommend that airport transit in such an area for more than twelve
you be vaccinated against hepatitis a and typhoid hours. For more information visit Wwho.int/media
before travelling to Myanmar, as well as taking centre/factsheets/fs100/en.
malaria prophylactics while in the country. Immuni-
zation against hepatitis B, cholera, Japanese Diarrhoea
encephalitis and rabies is often also suggested.
Malaria is a risk throughout Myanmar, except for the most common health hazard for visitors to
in Yangon and Mandalay and areas above 1000m Myanmar is travellers’ diarrhoea, usually a mild
elevation. the strain of malaria found along form while your stomach gets used to the
Myanmar’s eastern borders from Kachin State to unfamiliar food and drink. In more serious cases,
tanintharyi is resistant to chloroquine and diarrhoea is accompanied by stomach cramps and
proguanil (Malarone), and doctors may recommend vomiting, indicating food poisoning. In both cases,
that you take mefloquine or doxycycline instead, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water and use oral
but preventing insect bites is important regardless rehydration salts (ORS) to replace lost fluids – this
of your anti-malarial regimen (see below). is particularly important when treating young
Hepatitis A is a viral infection spread by contami- children. take a few sachets of ORS with you, or
nated food and water, whereas the rarer hepatitis make your own by mixing half a teaspoon of salt
B is spread through unprotected sexual contact, and three of sugar to a litre of bottled water.
unscreened blood transfusions and dirty needles. While you’re suffering from diarrhoea, avoid spicy
Both diseases cause inflammation of the liver, with and greasy foods, milk, coffee and most fruit in
symptoms including lethargy, fever and pains in the favour of plain rice, bananas and clear, bland soup. If
upper abdomen, and lead to yellowing of the eyes symptoms persist, or if you notice blood and mucus
and skin if left untreated. in your stools, consult a doctor as you may have
Typhoid and cholera are infections spread by dysentery, which requires medication to cure.
food and water that have been contaminated by to avoid upset stomachs, eat at places that look
bacteria from another infected person, typically in busy and clean, and stick – as far as possible – to
localized epidemics. typhoid fever is the more fresh, thoroughly cooked food and only eat fruit
common of the two, with symptoms usually that you have peeled yourself. Drink boiled or
appearing up to three weeks after exposure. they bottled water and hot drinks, and avoid untreated
start with extreme fatigue, fever and headaches, tap water. Ice is generally made with treated water
with some people also suffering from constipation in dedicated ice factories, but may not be trans-
or diarrhoea. travellers have a lower risk of ported or handled hygienically – travellers with
contracting cholera, which begins with a sudden sensitive stomachs may want to avoid ice cream
but painless onset of watery diarrhoea, later and ice cubes in drinks.
combined with vomiting, nausea and muscle
cramps. Rapid and severe dehydration, rather than Insect bites
the infection itself, is the main danger, and
patients should be treated with constant oral Mosquitoes are not only responsible for spreading
rehydration solutions. malaria and Japanese encephalitis (see opposite) –
Japanese encephalitis and rabies are both they also transmit dengue fever, for which there is
zoonoses – animal diseases that can spread to no vaccination or cure. the symptoms of dengue
humans. those living and working in rural areas in fever include a high fever and severe headache,

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