The Time Is Now! : Yellow Fever Vaccination On the Rise

Summer may be gone but the door is still opened for mosquitoes to begin making their presence known. One would think that a bite from one of these insects is nothing to be concerned about because it is very common, but mosquitoes have been known to sometimes carry and transmit certain life-threatening diseases to people. One of the most dangerous is yellow fever.

No, this is not an article about mosquitoes but it is about how soon we must combat the threat of yellow fever, which especially in tropical regions around the globe has become more prevalent in recent years. Now, this is not to inflict fear upon anyone who is planning to enjoy a vacation on a nice beach or resort in some tropical region of any sorts but of course, our health is the most precious yet sensitive entity we must take care, especially if we are planning to visit regions where mosquitoes that carry yellow fever are common.

The mosquitoes that carry the virus principally exist in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. Symptoms of the virus become noticeable about three to six days after exposure. Yellow fever in its’ early stages presents flu-like symptoms such as fever, consistent headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches which makes the virus hard to detect and differentiate from other illnesses. Only in its’ later stages do the more critical symptoms appear such as liver damage, bleeding of the gums, bloody urination, the slowing down and weakening of the pulse which leads to the occurrence of jaundice (yellow pigmentation of the skin). If not treated, internal bleeding can worsen which in turn can lead to permanent damage of the liver and ultimately even death. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 200,000 new cases of the virus every year with 30,000 of those cases becoming fatal.

 
According to the Department of Health from New York, there is reportedly no specific treatment for yellow fever but the only solution recommended to prevent infection would be immunization (or vaccination) especially for travelers who are planning to travel to areas where the virus exists. How soon should it be taken? If you are planning to travel this summer, the time is now. If you were considering possibly just taking a repellant against mosquitoes, it is no guarantee that it’ll prevent mosquito bites especially since most repellants wear off after only a couple of hours. 

The yellow fever vaccination is being highly recommended for travelers. No worries should be taken into consideration when pondering about the side effects as they are known to be only minor flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given. It occurs in up to 1 out of 4 persons and wears off after only a couple of days.  

Taking the time to schedule an appointment to receive vaccination would be bliss for you! Why? According to an article published by the World Health Organization in its’ Weekly Epidemiological Record, it is revealed that SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization) has reviewed and concluded that a single dose of the vaccine is sufficient enough to conjure life-long immunity against the virus! The time is now, it is not too late to schedule an appointment at a travel vaccination clinic for a yellow fever vaccination. For more info, visit us at our website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an appointment.

Find Out How You Measure Up Against Meningitis

Meningitis, or inflammation of the meningeal layers that cover the brain and spinal cord, may result from many causes. Due to these multiple means of exposure, meningitis can be contracted both in the United States and abroad. Learn the risk factors for this disease to decide whether you require vaccination.

How could I be exposed?   

There are five types of meningitis: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, and non-infectious, each of which involves a different point of exposure. These diseases also vary in severity and have different treatments.

Bacterial meningitis, or meningococcal meningitis, is the most common and serious form of the disease. It can cause brain damage and is fatal in 50% of untreated cases. Various bacteria may cause meningitis. In the United States, the most common are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Listeria monocytogenes, and especially Neisseria meningitidis. The latter is also common in sub-Saharan Africa. These bacteria are transferred between individuals through respiratory or throat secretions. Therefore, common points of exposure include kissing, coughing or sneezing, and living in close quarters where eating and drinking utensils are shared. Travelers, especially those visiting the “meningitis belt” (Senegal to Ethiopia) of sub-Saharan Africa, or those making a pilgrimage to Mecca, face increased risk.

While the other types of meningitis are less common, they do continue to affect individuals and bear mention. Viral meningitis is the second most common type of the disease and is most often caused by enteroviruses, which are contracted through feces and may be spread through mucus or saliva. Fungal meningitis results when an inhaled fungus spreads through the blood to the spinal cord. This means of exposure is uncommon, and fungal meningitis cannot be passed between individuals, though it can severely compromise already weak immune systems, including those of individuals infected by HIV. The rare parasitic meningitis results from exposure to the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which enters the body through the nose when people swim in freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. Finally, non-infectious meningitis may be the by-product of certain cancers, lupus, head injury, or brain surgery. Parasitic and non-infectious meningitis also cannot be spread between individuals.

What symptoms should I be aware of?

There are several characteristic symptoms of meningitis common to the disease, regardless of the type of exposure. Meningitis often first presents itself as the sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. The typical symptoms that develop within three to seven days after exposure include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Photophobia, a.k.a. increased sensitivity to light 
• Altered mental status, or confusion

Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor immediately for antibiotic or antifungal treatment. Other drug regimens may also be undertaken, depending on the type of meningitis. However, for most individuals, vaccination is the most proactive of treatments.

Should I be vaccinated?

Administration of the meningitis vaccine can come in two forms: the meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4) and the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4). All adolescents should receive MCV4 at the age of 11 or 12. A booster dose should also be given at around age 16, because adolescents aged 16-21 have the highest rates of disease. The vaccine and booster are particularly important for entering college freshmen and military recruits, who will live in a dormitory or close quarters. Adults living in similar situations, or those traveling to countries in which the disease is common, should also seek out vaccination at a certified travel clinic.

Why Rabies is Considered One of the Most Dangerous Viruses and How It’s Combated

Rabies is a zoonotic and viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals and is transferable between species, such as dogs and humans, commonly through bites from the infected.  Once contracted with rabies, the virus infects the central nervous system, which inevitably causes disease in the brain and can induce death.  Rabies is particularly fatal in humans if post-exposure prophylaxis it not administered before some of the more severe symptoms begin to occur. 

The Rabies virus travels to the brain by following the peripheral nerves and once infected, one enters an incubation period, which is common amongst viral diseases.  The incubation period usually lasts a few months for humans, and it depends on the distance the virus must travel to ultimately reach the central nervous system.  Unfortunately, after the virus reaches the central nervous and symptoms become prevalent, the infection becomes essentially untreatable and usually kills within days. Rabies annually causes 55,000 deaths worldwide with close to around 95% of these deaths occurring in Africa and Asia.  Another astonishing fact surrounding the rabies infection is that 97% of those who become infected were bitten and contaminated by dogs.  Rabid Dogs (dogs infected with the rabies virus) are very dangerous and aggressive, which leads to attacks.  Dogs that are infected usually appear with black swollen eyes, and they sometimes secrete a white, bubbly liquid from their mouths.  Because of control and vaccination programs in the United States, rabid dog attacks are nowhere near as high as they are in developing countries that lack proper care. However, it is very important to have your dog checked if it seems to behave more bizarrely than usual and is starting to produce any rabies related symptoms.  

  

After the incubation period, which has been documented to last as low as four days to as long as six years, all depending upon the distance of the bite from the central nervous system and the amount of the virus that enters the body.  Those who become contaminated initially begin to show minor symptoms such as headache, fever, or malaise.  Soon, more symptoms begin to arise such as paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, and agitation, which then leads in to more severe symptoms: mania, lethargy, uncontrolled emotions, hallucinations, and delirium.   After these unfortunate symptoms occur, the infected patient will eventually slip into a coma where he or she will more than likely die from respiratory insufficiency.  Although survival after the incubation period is rare, there are forms of prevention and treatments for those still in the incubation period.  

In terms of prevention, two French scientists, Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux, created the rabies vaccination in 1885.  Consisting of a sample of the virus that was harvested from rabbit, the vaccination actually weakened the virus even after one had become infected.  Recently, other form of the vaccine such as V-RG (recombinant rabies vaccine), which can be taken orally, have been created and administered throughout the world, greatly preventing the spread of the infection.  If one has already been exposed to the virus, he or she is given post-exposure prophylaxis, which is very effective in combating and preventing rabies after a rabid animal has bitten the patient.  This PEP is made from rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin and is administered several times after infection. Contact your local vaccination clinic today to make an appointment to vaccinate yourself against rabies!

Stay Away from Mosquitoes and Aware of Yellow Fever

Are you looking forward to exotic travels, having finally found that chance to make your way to South America or Africa? Well, while you’re deciding what to pack for your next adventure, be sure to consider taking the vaccine for yellow fever before you leave.

What’s Yellow Fever?          

It’s important for travelers to central and western Africa as well as parts of Latin America to be knowledgeable of the risks posed by yellow fever. This illness is transmitted by mosquitoes, which acquire a virus from infected primates or humans and then pass it on to others who are bitten. Yellow fever is marked by three types of transmission cycles, and may be acquired in jungle (sylvan), savannah (intermediate), and city (urban) settings.

How can it affect me?

The majority of individuals infected by the yellow fever virus show no symptoms; but each year, many do suffer signs of the illness following an incubation period of three to six days after infection. Affected individuals often experience a sudden fever, chills, intense headache, back pain, body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Once the virus does develop into the illness, the only course of action is to treat symptoms in order to provide comfort, meanwhile allowing the immune system to fight the fever.

Many patients improve after this “acute” phase, which lasts three to four days; but, 15% of patients go on to develop a more severe hemorrhagic fever after an initial remission period of about 24 hours. The high fever characteristic of the illness returns, and now affects multiple body systems. Yellow fever’s victims quickly develop the jaundice for which the virus is named, and may experience abdominal pain as well as vomiting. Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, or stomach, and appears in the vomit and feces. Kidney function deteriorates, and up to half of all patients who enter this toxic phase expire within two weeks.

How can I protect myself?        

Due to the difficulty of diagnosing yellow fever from its initial symptoms, and the potentially dire effects of disease progression, it is absolutely necessary for at risk travelers to protect themselves against the illness. Mosquito repellent is always recommended, but the best course of action is to get the yellow fever vaccination before embarking! The yellow fever vaccine is safe, affordable, and highly effective. A single dose of the vaccine can provide immunity within 30 days, and remains effective for a lifetime without an additional booster shot!

If you are affected by HIV, have primary immune deficiency, or are engaging in an immunosuppressive therapy, it is not appropriate to receive the yellow fever vaccination. Additionally, the vaccine should not be given to children under six months of age or individuals with allergies to albumin. If you are over 60 years of age, may be pregnant, or are breastfeeding, please consult a doctor before vaccination. In all other circumstances, be sure to visit your closest immunization clinic a month before traveling!

Don’t Get Locked into Tetanus/Lockjaw!

What is tetanus?

 

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is an infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Illness results from a potent neurotoxin that is made during the growth of this bacterium in dead tissues. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person, but can enter the body through many other commonplace means.

How could I be exposed?

The tetanus bacterium, found in dust, soil, and manure, is pervasive in any environment and is therefore almost unavoidable. The most likely points of exposure are as follow:

• Wounds contaminated by dirt, feces, or saliva
• Wounds caused by an unclean object (such as a nail, knife, splinter, or needle) puncturing the skin
• Animal bites
• Burns
• Crush injuries

Dirt can enter the wound in any of these situations, and tetanus is the last thing you want to worry about in addition to an injury.

What are the symptoms?   

The most common initial symptom of tetanus is spasms of the jaw muscles, or “lockjaw.” Those affected by the bacteria also experience jaw cramping, sudden involuntary muscle tightening, painful muscle stiffness throughout the body, difficulty swallowing, spasms of the vocal cords, seizures, fever, headaches, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate.

In addition, these symptoms can lead to other more serious conditions. Muscle spasms and seizures may cause bone fractures. In addition, some patients experience a pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot becomes dislodged from another part of the body and travels to the lungs, resulting in a blockage. Finally, in 10-20% of cases, breathing difficulties result in fatality.

What can I do?      

If you think you may have contracted the tetanus bacterium, you must receive treatment for the symptoms as well as become vaccinated. The average incubation period of the bacteria is about ten days, and the disease is likely to show itself within two weeks of bacterial exposure. It’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

In terms of general protection, immediate and thorough wound care should always be practiced. But, because tetanus can be found nearly everywhere, the best way to be proactive is to receive the vaccine before these bacteria affect you negatively.

I’ve heard there are various forms of vaccination…     

The tetanus vaccine is given as an injection into the shoulder muscle. However, the vaccine administered in children and adults differs slightly.

For children, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends five doses of the diphtheria & tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. One dose of DTaP should be given at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, and 4-6 years. DTaP is a part of regular immunization schedules and may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

However, children who have serious illnesses or suffer negative reactions to DTaP should not receive the vaccine. Parents should consult a pediatrician in the latter case, as some of these children should not get another dose of the pertussis vaccine, but may have a DT shot without the pertussis component. DTaP should not be given to anyone above 7 years of age.

Older children and adults also need protection from tetanus. If you have not received a booster shot in over 10 years, consult a travel clinic to receive the Tdap vaccine, a tetanus booster that also provides protection against pertussis. Expectant mothers should also receive Tdap during the third semester. If you were never vaccinated as a child, you should receive a series of three tetanus shots as soon as possible.