Experiencing the local flavor sometimes comes at a cost—violent illness. Travel + Leisure lists ways to avoid the world's most unwelcome travel surprises:
- Malaria: To avoid this dangerous parasite take prophylaxis before traveling—usually mefloquine or chloroquine; and wear long sleeves and a repellent containing DEET.
- Giardiasis: A menace in the city or wilderness, stick to bottled or boiled water and be wary of uncooked vegetables.
- Hepatitis: Hepatitis A vaccine and immune globulin are very effective, so it’s a good idea to be up-to-date on shots.
- Montezuma's revenge: Stick to bottled or boiled drinks and avoid raw foods. Pepto-Bismol can also help as a preventive measure.
- Yellow fever: Vaccine is effective and relatively safe; otherwise, avoid mosquito bites.
- Dengue: To avoid sever flu-like symptoms, all you can do is not get bit.
For how to avoid other nasty bugs, click the link below.