Travel is the act of moving people between various distant geographical locations. Travel can sometimes be one way, either round trip or one way with additional stops along the way, and may be one method of travel or a combination of various ways. Travel may be for pleasure, business, academic, political, cultural or any other purpose, be it for pleasure, leisure or for any other purpose. With advances in technology, traveling has become much easier over the years, and the need for travel does not always imply an emotional connection to the destination. Today, even work travel is possible, especially for those who may have personal business or other demanding responsibilities at home or in the workplace.
Although the traveler may be physically healthy, travel can also expose you to risks of serious illnesses, diseases and conditions that you would normally be protected against by staying at home or avoiding travel altogether. Travelers to developing countries should have a vaccination for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, as well as a tetanus shot, if they are traveling to places in the Middle East that are regularly affected by hepatitis B outbreaks. Travelers to certain parts of the United States should have a vaccination for chicken pox before leaving their home to avoid contracting the disease when they travel to areas of Mexico and Central America where large numbers of illegal drug users live. If travelers have never had a tetanus shot, they should get one soon after arriving in such areas.
Travelers traveling to parts of the globe that are known to have contaminated with dangerous infectious disease cases should get tested before setting off on their trip. If these cases are recent, the traveler may not have a current certificate of vaccinations, and in such cases, he or she could cause more harm than good to himself or herself and those around them. Travelers should get tested for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, if they are traveling to countries in Asia where AIDS is widespread. Those who are on extended travel, often staying for a month or longer, should also get vaccinated against Hepatitis C.
Travelers who are on long travel abroad should have a current copy of their immunization records before they leave their destination. In the case of Hepatitis C, travelers must quarantine themselves for ten days after receiving treatment. The same goes for any other Hepatitis C-related medical treatments, including boosters for the drugs n the treatment. Anyone traveling to a foreign country with Hepatitis C will also need to be evaluated for another Hepatitis C vaccination. The FDA has been updating travelers’ manuals about Hepatitis C since the disease first began to epidemic in the United States in nineteen-seventy-three.
Hepatitis C is one of the most deadly diseases of our time. With an incubation period of up to two weeks, people with Hepatitis C can spread the disease to others during their travel. Hepatitis C viruses circulate through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, and breast milk. However, there is an easier way to spread the virus. If you develop symptoms during your travel, such as nausea, loss of appetite, or chills, you should get tested immediately.
Travelers who do not get tested when they return home or within ten days of their departure may become contagious again during the next twenty-four hours. Those who do get tested can potentially be exposed to Hepatitis C virus longer than the period of time recommended by the CDC. And, as noted above, those who do not get tested can infect others during the next twenty-four hours. Don’t take risks.
