DREAMSCAPES WINTER/SPRING 2024
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S P E C I A L F E A T U R E
C
anadians lucky enough to be heading to Mexico or
the Caribbean could be in for an unfortunate sur-
prise. From travellers' diarrhea, a condition that
may keep you confined to your room in severe cases, to
mosquito-borne illnesses that may result in health com-
plications upon your return, these are some of the perils
in paradise. Happily, however, the risks of getting sick
from bad food or bug bites can be significantly lowered.
It all begins with education.
Kelly Haggerty, the pharmacist/owner of Bright's Grove
Family Pharmacy near Sarnia, Ontario, recommends
talking to a travel health practitioner at least six weeks prior
to departure. The holder of a certificate in travel health
from the International Society of Travel Medicine, she sees
an uptick in consultations around this time of year.
"Often, people ask what the chances of becoming
ill are in a certain destination, but figuring out the risk
is not that straightforward and is based on a number
of factors."
ASSESSING TRAVEL HEALTH RISKS
Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses that affect
travellers. Assessing the risk of getting diarrhea involves
asking the following questions:
Where are you going?
Not all regions across Mexico or countries in the
Caribbean present the same risk. Generally, lower socio-
economic regions present a higher risk and wealthier
regions present a lower one. If you're travelling to the
Dominican Republic, for example, sanitation systems
and poor-quality water can make a salad bar, packed
with ingredients washed on-site, susceptible to bacteria
How to avoid
everything
from diarrhea to
mosquito-borne
diseases
BY REBECCA FIELD JAGER
THE PERILS
OF PARADISE
