Stay Healthy While Traveling Internationally this Summer

JACKSON, Miss. – If you’re traveling internationally this summer, the Mississippi State Department of Health wants you to bring back souvenirs, not an infection. Follow these recommendations to keep you and your family safe:

Check your destination

Visit Destinations | Travelers’ Health | CDC to view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most up-to-date guidance before your trip. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare before you travel. 

Avoid mosquito and bug bites

In some areas, like Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, mosquitos can spread diseases like malaria, zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.  Ticks can also transmit some diseases, depending on the destination.

• Use mosquito repellents that are Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. Don’t forget your children and babies.
• Keep mosquitos out of your hotel room. Choose one that has air conditioning or window screens.
• Depending on your destination, you may need to sleep under mosquito netting if you will be sleeping outside or where window screens are not available.
• Avoid ticks by staying away from wooded and brushy areas. Treat your clothing and check your body for ticks when leaving a potentially tick-infested area.
• If traveling to an area where malaria is routinely transmitted, ask your doctor about starting a medication to prevent infection before you leave.

Get vaccinated

Some international travel destinations recommend or require certain vaccinations. Also, you may need additional doses for specific diseases spreading in areas like Europe, the Philippines, or Saudi Arabia. Here are some vaccines that may be recommended or required:

• Hepatitis A
• Measles, mumps, rubella
• Meningococcal disease
• Chickenpox
• Typhoid fever
• Yellow Fever (required in certain countries)

Talk to your Doctor

Talk to your doctor before you travel about your destination, planned activities, trip duration, and any health problems you may have. Prepare by reviewing Traveler Advice on the CDC’s Travelers’ Health page.

The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed the first human case of West Nile Virus this year in Rankin County.  An infected mosquito primarily transmits West Nile Virus through its bite.