Avoiding The Mosquito Mayhem In Mexico With Your Health Intact

Most visitors to Mexico know all about Montezuma's Revenge and other diarrhea-type illnesses. But did you know that you should worry about mosquito-borne illnesses as well? Unfortunately, not many people think about this and as a result get sick. Out of sight, out of mind is the general rule that applies because there are no required inoculations necessary to get into the country. That doesn't mean there is nothing to worry about however.

There are some things you can do to avoid contracting mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever. You will want to follow these precautions even if you are not planning trips into any rural or forested areas. As you know mosquitoes are everywhere, so you need to do what you can to avoid getting sick.

1. Medication and inoculations – Even though there is no official rule about needing them, you might want to consider at least a yellow fever inoculation. There are none for dengue fever. With malaria, preventive maintenance through medication taken several weeks before during and after your trip is necessary.

2. Insect repellants – DEET is the industry standard for protection against mosquito bites. Indeed, you will not likely get mosquito-bitten as long as you do not allow the DEET to wear off. Remember to reapply it every few hours as you notice the smell of it dissipating or you notice that you are sweating it off. Please note: most children can also use insect repellant with DEET, only in smaller concentrations. With infants, they cannot have insect repellant applied to them so make sure that their stroller or carrier is completely encased by mosquito netting for protection.

3. Light clothing – Mexico is know for their hot, humid temperatures. However, protecting yourself with clothing, specifically long sleeves and pants is recommended. You can make the heat more tolerable by choosing light, breathable clothing which will wick away your sweat and keep you cool.

4. Mosquito netting – If your accommodations have open air accessibility (meaning you are not in a cushy, air-conditioned hotel room), you will want to make sure that your bed is completely covered by mosquito netting. Inspect it for rips which could potentially let in the little critters.

Not all mosquito-borne illnesses will manifest themselves right away. In fact, you are likely to be back at home before illness strikes. So if you come down suddenly with fever, body chills, headaches, joint pain, uncontrollable shivering, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and any other related symptoms, chances are that you might have contracted one of those mosquito-borne diseases. When you visit your doctor, you will want to inform him that you recently traveled to Mexico. This will help him in diagnosing your problem.

It is important to note that you should follow precautions against the mosquitoes twenty-four hours a day. Mosquitoes feed both day and night. Mosquitoes that fly by day may be more likely to carry one type of illness over the other and the same goes for those that like to hunt for fresh blood donors by night. As long as you protect yourself, you should have a problem free trip to Mexico.

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