Zagrożenia związane z podróżami do krajów tropikalnych

Abstrakt

In recent years, Polish people are showing more willingness to travel to the tropics. Year in, year out, richer offers from travelling agents, business contacts as well as private passions and more curiosity for the world, cause thousands of tourists wish to visit African countries or the Near- and Far-East. The universal phenomenon of travelling has often accompanied man for centuries and was initially associated with the movement of peoples due to wars, natural disasters, the quest for better life and earnings, but now with tourism and intercontinental communication. The risk of falling ill during travel to the tropics is not only as a result of the danger associated with transportation, sudden change in climate, change of time zone, local political and social situations, but above all as a result of the actual epidemiological situation in a given region of the world with regard to the prevalence of exotic diseases. Effective prophylaxis for people travelling to tropical and sub-tropical zones ought to take three areas into account: anti-malarial prophylaxis, required and recommended vaccinations for international travel as well as obeying the principles of tropical hygiene.