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The Travel Doctor TMVC Homepage News
Homepage news articles from The Travel Doctor TMVC in Australia

• Safe Himalayan Trekking a Reminder
  With an improvement in the political situation Nepal is beginning to see a welcome increase in the number of tourists. October and November offer the best weather conditions for trekking and climbing in the Himalayas but the French Embassy in Kathmandu has expressed concern at the fact that six fatalities have been reported since the end of September, five French citizens and one Iranian. Three of these deaths resulted from accidents but three were attributed to altitude sickness. Most Australasian tourists who undertake trekking in the Himalayas do so under the auspices of reliable tourist companies who impose strict standards of safety but there remain a number of more adventurous climbers who prefer to “do their own thing” hiring guides, who may or may not be reliable, on the spot. Both types of tourist would be well-advised to discuss their plans with experienced health professionals at a Travel Doctor-TMVC clinic before embarking on what is a highly exciting but potentially hazardous adventure
• An unlikely but possible blessing from bedbugs
  Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the UK have reported to a conference of the Royal Entomological Society on a unique “immune” organ in female bedbugs which may yield some answers in the understanding of biological defense reponses. Speculatively and hopefully this might ultimately lead to techniques for preventing infections such as sexually transmitted disease or even mosquito-borne disease like dengue or malaria. The organ has been known to entomologists for a couple of centuries but its function has been unknown until current research showed it to be a sort of reservoir of white blood cells acting as a first line of defense against micro-organisms Such an organ has not been found elsewhere and has apparently evolved to protect female bedbugs from being infected by a mating male. The violent method of fertilisation used by the male bedbug whereby the penis acts like a dagger and stabs the female randomly is not unique to bedbugs - it also occurs in some arachnids where the male has to act quickly to avoid being attacked and consumed by the female, but the unsanitary conditions in which bedbugs flourish means that this somewhat strange reproductive act would be just as likely to convey potentially fatal infection to the female as it would to fertilise her eggs. The “immune organ” reduces mortality. Futuristically knowledge about bedbug defenses may one day lead to reduced human mortality.
• Let the buyer beware A warning from Hong
  Standard medications and even prescription drugs are widely available, and often cheaper, from unlicensed (and even from some licensed) purveyors in many overseas destinations, and also via the Internet. However, time and again we have reports of sub-standard drugs being purchased by travellers and the World Health Organisation has repeatedly warned about the trade in counterfeit drugs. (See for instance the posting on this site of 13th May). Of equal importance as a potential danger is the inclusion of unusual or dangerous ingredients in a preparation, unbeknownst to the customer. An example of this is a herbal preparation for treatment of arthritis which contains cortisone. A further example has recently come to light in an alert from the Hong Kong Department of Health about a preparation - Nangen Zengzhangsu - sold for erectile dysfunction which contains an ingredient used for the treatment of diabetes. This could lead to a life-threatening situation of low blood sugar. Travellers must not rely on obtaining safe and reliable medication overseas so it is best to take sufficient supply of prescribed drugs for the duration of travel. To cater for the treatment of common ailments associated with travel the Traveldoctor-TMVC clinics have a range of prepared kits designed to suit the type and duration of your itinerary as discussed with the clinic doctor who can also provide a prescription for any necessary preparation not included in a kit.
• Is First World Food Hygiene always First Class?
  When visiting “Western” countries like in Europe and Nth America, can we just assume that all food is safe to eat? Quite simply the answer is ‘No, not always.’ The developed nations rely on a sophisticated public health service together with widespread public knowledge of the principles of food hygiene to protect consumers. But consider the number of outbreaks of Salmonella food poisoning reported in the press in the USA and Europe. Often this occurs inadvertently somewhere along the chain of food production, preparation and presentation or when problems with storage and preparation occur at the point of consumption. More concerning , however, is a report from France earlier this month where the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries stated that one in four cafes, snack bars and seafront restaurants in tourist hotspots across France are breaking hygiene rules or serving food unfit for consumption, thirty-seven establishments were shut down altogether, for failing to meet basic hygiene and food conservation rules, and allowing staff to work in dirty clothes. Such reports emphasise the fact that travel to Europe or other “developed” countries is not necessarily hazard free. This is consistent with our travellers’ reports of the rate of diarrhoeal illness while visiting Europe, and the reason we have developed our special “Tour” medical kit. It reminds travellers that a pre-travel consultation at a Traveldoctor-TMVC clinic is a wise precaution for any destination overseas.
• Kokoda trail is not a walk in the park
  Following the track of the World War II Australian armed forces across the Owen Stanley ranges in Papua New Guinea has become a popular adventure. There are a variety of tours organized by a variety of agents and most – but not all - of the organisers arrange for some form of preparatory instruction on risks and precautions. A recent news item describing the rescue by US Navy helicopter of an Australian hiker, reportedly unconscious from a low blood sodium level, from a remote village on the track does illustrate the fact that are definite health risks in undertaking the tour. The journey is a strenuous one and apart from muscle and joint problems dehydration is a major challenge, but replacement of lost fluids with plain water only is not good enough without replacement of salt lost as well. At Traveldoctor-TMVC clinics our experienced health professionals can discuss this and all other related issues and problems posed by walking the Kokoda trail as well as providing the necessary immunizations and antimalarials. Traveldoctor-TMVC also has a Fact Sheet on the Kokoda Trail available on this website under Frequently Asked Questions in the Personal Traveller section Walking the Kokoda trail is a great adventure. It provides an understanding of an important part of Australian history. Let us help you prevent it becoming a part of your personal medical history.
• AIDS infection linked to parasites
  In an article published by the Public Library Of Science journal researchers have shown that experimental animals infected with the schistosomiasis parasite have a very much greater chance – 17 times greater than animals without the parasite - of being infected if subsequently exposed to the HIV/AIDS virus. These results go some way to explaining the ease and rapidity with which AIDS has spread in African countries where a high percentage of the population carry the schistosoma parasite. Schistosomiasis is disease caused by a parasite in water which can penetrate the unbroken skin or mucous linings of humans. Water becomes infected by contamination with urine or faeces and the parasite is conveyed through an intermittent stage carried by snails. Most of the waterways and streams in Africa are infected and although there is a treatment for individuals infected re-infection by re-exposure is more common than not in the local population. Most travelers who have acquired schistosomiasis have done so by swimming in Lake Malawi or similar waterways. Infection only occasionally produces early symptoms and diagnosis can be made by examination of urine or faeces, or by demonstrating antibodies in the blood. Although treatment is simple it is not always 100% effective and it is much better not to risk being exposed to the infection while travelling. Prevention against HIV/AIDS involves not participating in unprotected sexual encounters and it would be a foolhardy traveler indeed who runs the risk of being exposed to both the schistosoma parasite and the AIDS virus, but this study suggests the possibility that parasite infections may have indirect and unpredictable effects on the defense mechanisms of the human body. If nothing else ts study reinforces the advice not to swim in freshwater streams, rivers or lakes in Africa (or southeast Asia were schistosomiasis also occurs).
• Australians travelling to the Olympics- Health Preparation
  There will be many Australians lucky enough to attend