Insect borne disease prevention
When travelling overseas, you need to be aware of the dangers of insect-borne diseases, such as malaria, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever, and should take as many precautions as possible to protect yourself. Most mosquitoes bite after dusk and at night. There are a number of things you can do to avoid being bitten by insects.
- Wear protective clothing after dusk; long sleeves and long pants in light colours are best.
- Spray your clothing and mosquito nets with an insect repellent containing permethrin, but be careful not to let the clothing touch your eyes and mouth.
- Use insect repellents containing DEET (preferably more than 20 per cent). These should be applied to exposed areas of skin but be careful to wash your hands after application and do not touch your eyes and mouth.
- Always try to stay in accommodation that has insect screens and mosquito netting over the beds. Mosquito coils can be burned and offer some protection for approximately 6 hours.
- Sleep in air conditioned rooms where possible, as this reduces the risk of mosquitoes.
It is also best to have adequate medical insurance when travelling overseas and you should consider medical evacuation as part of the insurance in case you need to be moved to a location with more advanced medical facilities.
Last Reviewed: 15 October 2004
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