Health in Egypt Egypt Travel Plan has taken the greatest care to ensure that the contents of these pages are accurate, but it is your responsibility to visit your local GP or medical facility at least 6 weeks before you depart for full information on health in Egypt.
The general health information and advice provided below is for travellers who are healthy, not pregnant and who are planning to stay in Egypt for less than 1 month. Make sure you also get up-to-date information for your personal situation.
Egypt has a hot and dry climate, and you are therefore at greater risk of becoming ill than you are in Europe. There are more varieties of bacteria in a hot climate, and your body isn't as used to them as you don't live in that area of the world. Although the risk of getting ill must not be exaggerated, and certainly should not spoil the enjoyment of your holiday, it is advisable to be prepared for your trip and to be aware of the health risks in Egypt.
Health precautions... before your trip
You are advised to visit your local GP at least 6 weeks before you depart. They can check your records and advise what vaccinations you already have, what you will need and any other health precautions you may need to take.
If you are currently taking prescription medicines, take the information leaflet with you and some spare medicine.
This can help in two ways :
1) There will be no chance for confusion at customs
2) It will make life much easier if you lose your medication and need to replace it whilst away.
If you wear glasses or use contact lenses, it's a good idea to take a copy of your prescription or a spare pair of glasses/lenses.
Websites:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
http://www.tripprep.com
http://www.who.int
Your health in Egypt
Here is an outline of health information for healthy, non-pregnant travellers planning to stay in Egypt less than one month:
Malaria
Egypt is not a known Malaria area. There are however quite a few mosquitos zooming around between mid-April and mid-September. You can protect yourself from mosquito bites by keeping your arms, legs and feet covered in the evenings, using anti-mosquito spray/cream on exposed areas of skin (the best ones contain DEET), and by sleeping beneath mosquito netting whenever possible. This is especially important when staying in accommodation without air-conditioning. You can also purchase mosquito netting pre-impregnated with insecticide.
VaccinationsVaccinations against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and polio; valid for about 10 years) and Hepatitis A are advised. Most people receive DTP vaccinations as children and can travel safely travel with only booster shot. The general inoculation with Hepatitis A antibodies is only effective for a limited period of time, that's why it's best to get this vaccination a short time before your trip. If you travel to Hepatitis A countries frequently or for a longer period of time, you may want to get a vaccination with an extended validity, such as Havrix. Keep in mind that long-term vaccinations are more expensive and still require a booster after six months. Vaccination against enteric fever is recommended if you plan to stay in Egypt longer than three months. Vaccination against yellow fever is only recommended if you have been in an infected area prior to travelling to Egypt.
Besides getting the vaccinations that apply to you and being in good health before your departure, it's also important to prevent illness abroad. Try to remain alert while on holiday: when in doubt, consult a doctor.
Diarrhoea
A change of rhythm, climate and food (especially spicy food) can cause your stomach to become out of sorts. As long as your only symptom is loose, watery stools and no other symptoms, you should be just fine if you rest a bit and drink plenty of water in small quantities to help flush out the toxins. It may be necessary to take some Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) dissolved in water to prevent dehydration and this is especially important for the elderly and children. Make your own with 1 level teaspoon of salt and 8 level teaspoons of sugar dissolved in 1 litre of clean or boiled water. Only take drugs, such as Imodium, loperamide and diphenoxylate, when entirely necessary such as on a long road journey when you have no access to toilets (not suitable for children under two years old). These drugs prevent the peristaltic action of the intestine, which stops stomach cramps and suppresses the diarrhoea. If diarrhoea persists for more than 48 hours and is also accompanied by headache, vomiting, or blood in the stool or if you’re taking any other medication at the time, you should contact a doctor. The doctor can send a stool sample to a lab for analysis to determine the source of the problem. Diarrhoea can end suddenly, but can leave a lingering feeling of lethargy since your intestines need time to recover.
Diarrhoea prevention
Only consume water and soft drinks from properly closed and sealed tins or bottles, or drink boiled water; such as tea or coffee. Ice is trustworthy in the form of machine-produced ice cubes. Fruit juice is safe, provided no water has been added. Food, particularly meat and fish, must be well cooked. We advise against the western-style salads offered in salad bars (even in expensive hotels). Hamburgers (personal experience) are generally a lot less safe than the normal meat the locals eat. Generally it's safe to eat food prepared at street stalls, even if you wouldn't expect it would be. Eat where it's busy, the time between food preparation and consumption is therefore the shortest, which is good for the hygiene. Take note of how the plates, glasses and cutlery are washed. There is often no running water and only a bucket with soap in it, baking in the sun. If that is the case, it's sensible to find somewhere else to eat. Restaurants where you can see how clean it is are recommended. With regards to street stalls, it’s probably smart not to eat meat at the end of the day; the meat can sometimes have been lying around all day un-refrigerated. Avoid touching your mouth or eating with your hands after handling the local money as this can often be quite old and dirty. You can't really go wrong with washing your hands more often than usual with good old fashioned soap and water as this is always a safer bet than only using hand sanitiser liquid.
Additional (semi-) medical tips: Skin care
- Take all cuts, scratches etc in the tropics seriously: keep a close eye on them, clean them with disinfectant and keep them covered with a plaster during the day. Don't scratch mosquito bites.
- Always use a high factor sunscreen cream on exposed skin, even in the rainy season. Snorkelling with a T-shirt and shorts is not unusual (we do it all the time as a matter of course). The sun is super strong at the equator, even if it's cloudy.
- You can avoid attracting biting insects, by not wearing brightly coloured or black clothing, strong perfume or deodorant or aftershave (try to avoid resembling a flower). If you’re prone to skin irritations, wear cotton or linen clothing. You can help avoid prickly heat by using talcum powder on your body after your morning shower.
- Wash or disinfect your hands after using the toilet, and don't bite your nails.
- During the dry season, in the woods, there’s a slight chance that a tick may land on you (In European woods there is a far greater chance). Check your body for these bugs in the morning and evening; especially behind the knees and in the crotch. Should you find one, don't try to just pull it out, use tick pincers (obtainable from chemists) or seek medical attention. If, after being in the woods, you find a bloody circular skin wound, slowly increasing in size, seek professional medical attention.
Sunstroke
Sunstroke can be prevented by wearing a hat, and sunglasses. Always keep a bottle of water with you, especially if you're in the wilderness and unlikely to come across drinking water. If you suspect sunstroke (feeling light-headed, headaches), you can prevent it from getting worse by drinking water and finding somewhere in the shade to sit and stay there, if possible.
Your health after you return home
Important! If you have a fever, bowel problems or other physical complaints of an unknown nature after you return home (up to several months after your return home), contact your doctor and let him/ her know you've been in Laos and inform him/her on the length of your stay and what you've done there. If you've spent a lot of time with the local population you should have a Mantoux or TBC test done.
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