Every
year here in the United States, especially in New York City which many consider
the capital of the world, more than 60 million tourists visit coming from
countries all around the world. It is an incredible number that many would be
surprised to learn about, but considering the 100 million+ people that leave this
country to travel, whether it is for business or for pleasure, sometimes health
concerns and the conditions of the environment they are visiting becomes an
afterthought.
Take Asia for example. Many people are
fascinated by the beaches, the major historical landmarks such as the Great
Wall of China and Tiananmen Square, but many are unaware of their vulnerability
to certain epidemics that are existent. Japanese Encephalitis is one of the
most common viruses that is prevalent throughout most of Asia and certain parts
of Africa (specifically the northeast and the sub-Saharan) and is also one of
the deadliest with no known cure for it. If an individual who is infected does
not seek medical attention of any sorts in time, the virus can become fatal. The
virus is transmitted through mosquitoes. Symptoms that accompany the virus are
flu-like (headaches, fever, malaise) in its first days of infection but this is
during its incubation period which lasts between 5 to 15 days.
Once
the virus advances to the encephalitic stage, the symptoms worsen greatly causing
neck stiffness, cachexia (loss of weight due to loss of appetite, fatigue),
hemiparesis (the complete weakness of one side of the body), convulsions and
increased body temperature to critical levels (100.4 to 105.8 °F). Neurological
damage can be severe as well including swelling of the brain, seizures, and
long-term nerve and brain damage which in turn can lead to mental retardation
and even coma. The risks of Japanese Encephalitis varies depending on the
individual’s destination, duration of visit, season of the year, and planned
activities.
As with many other viruses that have
no cure, vaccination is being highly recommended to prevent infection
especially for travelers. Many of those who take the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination
are bestowed with life-long immunity to the virus. A couple of minutes at an
appointment to receive vaccination is definitely worth it. Especially if you
are traveling this summer to the far-east or are a visitor from Asia or other
countries where the virus is prevalent and are planning to return there at some
point in the summer later in the year.
It
is very important to take the vaccination 6 weeks before you travel so the
vaccine can be given time to work through the body. Side-effects are not severe
and range from swelling and redness in the area of the vaccine shot to fever.
The vaccine’s effects may last between a one to three year duration and there
is no evidence that the effects last beyond that, so boosters are recommended
every three years for individuals at risk.
It is a priority to never let health
risks become an afterthought. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we are all of
sudden going to live in a state of paranoia. On the contrary, this is a means
to take care of your health which as I have said before is the most precious yet
the most sensitive entity we have. Many times, individuals become ill when
least expected and don’t know how or when it occurred. Due to the fact that
many illnesses in their primitive stages display flu-like symptoms, it is hard
to detect whether the illness is a common cold or something else and Japanese
Encephalitis is no different. Vaccination is considered one of the most
important factors in preventing infection. For more info, visit us at our
website at www.travelclinicny.com or call us at 212-696-5900 to schedule an
appointment if you are considering vaccination at a certified NYC travel clinic.
A clean bill of health is always bliss!
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