Travel Health Help

Preventing insect bites by using lightweight treated mosquito nets and effective insect repellants, and making sure you have safe drinkable water by using modern portable water filters and water treatment drops are important considerations whether your are travelling to distant countries, or just going on a camping, fishing, or hiking trip closer to home.

For years, travelers and outdoor enthusiasts have been in a constant battle with bothersome and sometimes dangerous insects. By far, the most dangerous of all insects is the common mosquito. For most people, mosquito bites are just an itchy annoyance but for millions of travelers, they can be a deadly transmitter of malaria, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, and a host of other terrible diseases.

Naturally, we are well aware that a mosquito bite will have us itching like mad. There are a number of methods to soothe the itching like calamine lotion, aloe vera, or simply rubbing an aspirin over the bite. But while we are busy medicating the outside, the same bite can also infect a traveler with a harmful, sometimes deadly virus.

Fortunately, protecting oneself from these pesky and hazardous insects is now easier than ever. Although immunizations and malarial prophylactics are an important part of any backpacker's safety strategy, it's best to avoid the insect bites altogether. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is by carrying a small, lightweight, and inexpensive mosquito net that is treated as per World Health Organization guidelines. Although occasionally places of accommodations in high risk areas may provide you with a mosquito net, you should never gamble with your health. Who knows if these nets are properly treated with insecticide or worse, torn. Owning one's own mosquito net gives the backpacker the peace of mind and assurances he/she needs.

This site will explore the different forms of protection as well as the various diseases a traveler is exposed to. We will also discuss various destinations and forms of prevention to take into consideration before heading out on your adventure.

Mr. McDermott is a board member of Pharmacists without borders - Canada, and regularly sends students nets in Africa.

• Mosquito nets