Mauritius Health

Health

Mauritius is a risk area for infection with dengue fever (also known as "breakbone fever" from the muscular paroxysms sometimes induced). No vaccine is available. Since 2005 during the high season a certain type of mosquito called the Aedes aegypti causes the viral illness Chickungunya and the insect is more likely to be around in the daytime. It is important to use anti-mosquito protection at all times. It is more prevalent in rural areas but I caught it at the beach in the tourist zone and had swollen joints and a rash on my legs. It lasts from one week up to several months depending how you are affected. Some people recover quickly but it took 5 months for me to recover completely. It shouldn't put you off visiting Mauritius. Just take good care to cover yourself completely in the best mosquito repellant you can find and reapply again after swimming. Sleep under a mosquito net. Spray the bedroom well before going to bed with a good repellant and take an electric repellant to plug into the power supply. You can buy plenty of repellants of all types locally in mauritius quite cheaply including bracelets for kiddies. In 1991, 86% of the population had antibodies indicating that they had been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, following an epidemic of the disease in 1989. Hepatitis A vaccination is generally recommended for travel in East Africa (and most other places) by the CDC. Due to recent efforts transmission of schistosomiasis in Mauritius has been "virtually eliminated", according to the WHO. Reef fish in Mauritius have been found containing a ciguatoxin similar but not identical to that found in Caribbean reef fish. It is important not to eat peanuts or take alcohol if you eat coral or reef fish like sea bass, snapper, mullet, grouper, there are many more. The fish eat the toxic algae that grows on the coral reefs. Don't eat intestines or testes of the fish as higher concentrations of the toxin collect here. The symptoms include gastrointestinal upset, vomiting and diarrhoea and sometimes numb feelings of the arms and legs

[ World Health Orginisation ]

[ Hospital of Tropical Diseases ]