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Title – Cave warning on Uganda bat virus
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 12th July 2008
Many people will not have heard of the ‘Marburg Virus’ and there is no particular reason they would have done.
Marburg is a very rare disease, even most travel clinics will look blankly at you if you ask after it, but then there really is no reason to ask; there is after all no known cure, no vaccine and this is the first case of a tourist being infected. However mention the closely related Ebola virus and it does invoke fear in people being known as a highly contagious disease with a very high mortality rate.
Travellers should not be worried, this is an isolated case and Marburg is not a disease encountered by travellers generally. For now simply follow the WHO’s recommendation and avoid caves in Uganda that are inhabited by bats; this seems to have been the most likely cause of the infection.
The difficulty with tropical diseases in general and with very rare diseases such as Marburg in particular, is in the diagnosis. Diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting could represent almost anything from food poisoning to Rabies and it is not until some of the truly unpleasant and later symptoms are displayed that the full extent of the more serious illnesses present themselves. The important thing to remember when you have been travelling and return home is that if you feel ill in anyway and have to visit your doctor, always inform them where you have just (anytime in the last year) visited. Some diseases have long incubation periods and your travels may seem like a lifetime ago by the time you visit your doctor, yet your travel could still be where you contracted your illness.
During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we examine the diseases that may affect your travels, how to recognise the symptoms and most importantly how to protect yourself from them in the first place. You should always seek the advice of your doctor or travel clinic with regard to the vaccinations and prophylactics you may require, however rarely will your doctor be able to spend as much time as they would like with you, to examine all the best ways of avoiding infection in the first place. During our workshop, we consider all the equipment required for your travel, how your behaviour (the activities you take part in) can expose you to insect bites that carry some of the most virulent diseases and what protection you should build into your travel plans to protect yourself and reduce the exposure to the various diseases out there awaiting your arrival.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 12th July 2008
Many people will not have heard of the ‘Marburg Virus’ and there is no particular reason they would have done.
Marburg is a very rare disease, even most travel clinics will look blankly at you if you ask after it, but then there really is no reason to ask; there is after all no known cure, no vaccine and this is the first case of a tourist being infected. However mention the closely related Ebola virus and it does invoke fear in people being known as a highly contagious disease with a very high mortality rate.
Travellers should not be worried, this is an isolated case and Marburg is not a disease encountered by travellers generally. For now simply follow the WHO’s recommendation and avoid caves in Uganda that are inhabited by bats; this seems to have been the most likely cause of the infection.
The difficulty with tropical diseases in general and with very rare diseases such as Marburg in particular, is in the diagnosis. Diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting could represent almost anything from food poisoning to Rabies and it is not until some of the truly unpleasant and later symptoms are displayed that the full extent of the more serious illnesses present themselves. The important thing to remember when you have been travelling and return home is that if you feel ill in anyway and have to visit your doctor, always inform them where you have just (anytime in the last year) visited. Some diseases have long incubation periods and your travels may seem like a lifetime ago by the time you visit your doctor, yet your travel could still be where you contracted your illness.
During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we examine the diseases that may affect your travels, how to recognise the symptoms and most importantly how to protect yourself from them in the first place. You should always seek the advice of your doctor or travel clinic with regard to the vaccinations and prophylactics you may require, however rarely will your doctor be able to spend as much time as they would like with you, to examine all the best ways of avoiding infection in the first place. During our workshop, we consider all the equipment required for your travel, how your behaviour (the activities you take part in) can expose you to insect bites that carry some of the most virulent diseases and what protection you should build into your travel plans to protect yourself and reduce the exposure to the various diseases out there awaiting your arrival.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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