Richard Ferguson on 15 Dec 2003 suggested:
> The centers for disease control usually has detailed comments on
> different regions of the various countries, their data is probably
> pretty good. That should give you some idea of which parts of the
> country are higher risk, and whether the country as a whole is high
> risk.
>
> http://www.cdc.gov
>
> I would note that southern Mexico also has Dengue Fever, not sure if
> their are any drugs that you can take to protect you from that.
>
I'm glad you pointed out the dengue fever, caused by a virus, as
it has become a much greater problem in recent years than malaria in
that area. I was about to point this out when I saw your post. Oh, and
it isn't just Southern Mexico anymore, it has crept up both the pacific
and gulf coasts, and I personally know a few people that have recently
been infected in Sinaloa and Sonora.
As you correctly state, there is no preventive for dengue fever,
and even more annoyingly, it is transmitted by DAY-biting mosquitos.
Also, there is no treatment for dengue, except for symptom management.
Oh, and since there are four different known types of dengue virus,
getting it once does not mean you can't get it again, in fact you are at
a much higher risk of getting dengue hemorrhagic fever on a subsequent
infection. So, it's a nasty disease that I'd advise everyone to avoid.
--Douglas |