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Diseases in Kenya - Kenya Travel Guide
Diseases in Kenya
HIV/AIDS
AIDS is a serious disease, you must take the necessary precautions. Some international travelers are endangered if they have sexual contact withpotentially infected people, condoms are widely available and relatively inexpensive, used properly, have proved to be effective reducing the risk of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Medical injections, blood supply are also a possible source, if is necessary a injection, the traveler should be sure that the medical instrument have been sterilized properly. If you want a tattoo, piercing or something like that, must be sure that the instruments used have been sterilized.
There is no risk of acquire HIV from casual contact or sharing means of transport with infected individuals, there is also no evidence that HIV can be acquired from insect bites.
CHOLERA
This diarrhoeal disease is caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O-group 1 or O-group 139, can cause rapid dehydration and death, reports of this disease are periodical in Kenya, the most recent cases were in West Pokot and Turkana in April-May 2007, in the country border with Uganda.
Cholera exists where standards of environmental hygiene are low, the infection is related to contaminated water or food, person-to-person transmission is rare and most travelers are at extremely low risk for infection, but they should be very careful about the food and water.
DENGUE FEVER
Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which bite preferably during daytime, its symptoms includes fever, muscle aches, headaches, nausea, vomiting, there is no direct person-to-person transmission. Dengue is common in densely populated areas, specially in tropical or subtropical countries.
There is no vaccine at this time, in areas where dengue occurs, travelers should take their precautions to avoid mosquito bites both during the day and at night, wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs, and applying insect repellent.
MALARIA
Malaria is a disease spread by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, that bite mainly at dusk and at night, occasionally, transmission occurs by blood transfusion. Malaria epidemics mainly occurs during rainy seasons and its symptoms includes fever, chills, sweating, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pains.
Before your trip, your doctor should prescribe to you the correct anti-malarial medication. In Kenya, insect protection measures are essential, travelers must prevent mosquito bites at all times, visitors should wear light-coloured clothes, long trousers, avoid the use of perfumes, use mosquito repellents and take antimalarial medication.
If medical care is not accessible, malaria tablets can be used, without treatment malaria can quickly become more serious, this disease can be fatal.
YELLOW FEVER
Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease, that infects humans and monkeys, in forest and jungle areas, monkeys are the main reservoir of infection, in urban areas, infection is transmitted among humans by mosquitoes. The risk is lower in the areas of Mombasa and Naoribi than other areas
Symptoms of yellow fever are variable and include fever, headache, muscle pains, abdominal pain and vomiting, yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes, travelers are at risk in all areas where yellow fever is endemic. There is an effective vaccine against yellow fever, this is recommended for all travelers and must be administered at an approved yellow fever vaccination center, you must seek medical treatment if you think you have yellow fever.
TYPHOID
Typhoid is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhi, which infects only humans. Known as enteric fever, this disease is transmitted via consumption of contaminated food and water, the best is to be cautious about eating fresh vegetables
Symptoms include fever, headache, loss of appetite and general malaise other symptoms are constipation and stomach pains. The mainstay of treatment are an injectable polysaccharide vaccine or antibiotics in capsules, is important also a re-hydration therapy if diarrhoea has been a characteristic of the illness.
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