Americans  live in the most sanitary country in the world. When we visit developing countries, we become victims because we have no immunities to the diseases that are common in countries with a low level of sanitation and underdeveloped medical facilities. The specialty of Travel Medicine has been developed to prepare travelers for visits to these areas with advice, immunizations and preventive medications.

Before you embark on journeys to such areas, you should make an appointment with a Travel Medicine specialist at least two weeks prior to your departure so that you can be prepared to travel sefely and in good health. If you become ill after your return,  a Travel Medicine specialist is trained to recognize diseases not usually present in the U. S. and to treat these conditions.   

On  this page I will from time to time post any international health warnings from the CDC and the ISTM GeoSentinal reporting service for the advice of travelers to high risk areas of the world.
 
Dr. Overend  is a charter member of the International Society of Travel Medicine, a member of an international committee of this organization and of  GeoSentinal, the international disease-reporting arm of the ISTM. Please feel free to e-mail Dr. Overend at doverend@juno.com