Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [365]
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INTERNET RESOURCES
There is a wealth of travel health advice on the internet. The World Health Organization publishes a superb book, International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at no cost at www.who.int/ith. Another website of general interest is MD Travel Health at www.mdtravelhealth.com, which provides complete travel-health recommendations for every country, updated daily, also at no cost.
It’s usually a good idea to consult your government’s travel-health website before departure, if one is available:
Australia (www.smartraveller.gov.au)
Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html)
UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/index.htm)
US (www.cdc.gov/travel/)
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IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
AVAILABILITY & COST OF HEALTH CARE
In general, if you have a medical emergency, the best bet is to find the nearest hospital and go to its emergency room. If the problem isn’t urgent, you can call a nearby hospital and ask for a referral to a local physician, which is usually cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. You should avoid stand-alone, for-profit urgent-care centers, which tend to perform large numbers of expensive tests, even for minor illnesses.
Pharmacies are abundantly supplied, but you may find that some medications that are available over the counter in your home country require a prescription in the USA, and, as always, if you don’t have insurance to cover the cost of prescriptions, they can be shockingly expensive.
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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
In addition to more common ailments, there are several infectious diseases that may be acquired by mosquito or tick bites.
Giardiasis
This parasitic infection of the small intestine occurs throughout North America and the world. Symptoms may include nausea, bloating, cramps, and diarrhea, and may last for weeks. To protect yourself from Giardia, you should avoid drinking directly from lakes, ponds, streams and rivers, which may be contaminated by animal or human feces. The infection can also be transmitted from person to person if proper hand-washing is not performed. Giardiasis is easily diagnosed by a stool test and readily treated with antibiotics.
HIV/AIDS
As with most parts of the world, HIV infection occurs throughout the USA. You should never assume, on the basis of their background or appearance, that someone is free of this or any other sexually transmitted disease. Be sure to use a condom for all sexual encounters.
West Nile Virus
This virus was unknown in the USA until a few years ago, but has now been reported in almost all 50 states. The virus is transmitted by culex mosquitoes, which are active in late summer and early fall and generally bite after dusk. Most infections are mild or asymptomatic, but the virus may infect the central nervous system, leading to fever, headache, confusion, lethargy, coma and sometimes death. There is no treatment for West Nile virus. For the latest update on the areas affected by West Nile, go to the US Geological Survey website (http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_us_human.html).
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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
Bites & Stings
The most effective ways to avoid bites and stings are common-sense approaches: wear boots when hiking to protect from snakes, wear long sleeves and pants to protect from ticks and mosquitoes. If you’re bitten, don’t overreact. Stay calm and follow the recommended treatment.
ANIMAL BITES
Do not attempt to pet, handle or feed any animal, with the exception of domestic animals known to be free of any infectious disease. Most animal injuries are directly related to a person’s attempt to touch or feed the animal.
Any bite or scratch by a mammal, including bats, should be promptly and thoroughly cleansed with large amounts of soap and water, followed by application of an antiseptic such as iodine or