Preventing

Infections

During

Travel:

A Guide for People

with HIV Infection

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

n Talk to your doctor about your travel

 plans before your trip.

n Take special care with food and water.

n Protect your health (and the health of

others) just as you do at home.

In the United States or abroad? For business or

pleasure? When you travel, you risk coming into

contact with germs you might not find at home.

Many of these germs can make you very sick.

For people with special health needs, travel can

be risky to their health. If you have human

immunodeficiency virus (HIV)the virus that

causes AIDSyou should have all the facts.

Travel, especially to developing countries, can

increase your risk of getting opportunistic infections. (They are called opportunistic because

a person may get the infection when their weakened immune system gives it the opportunity to

develop.) The best thing you can do when you

travel is to know the medical risks and to take

steps to protect yourself.

Before You Travel

n Talk to your doctor or an expert in travel

medicine about health risks in the area

you plan to visit. They can tell you how to

keep yourself healthy when you travel to

places where certain illnesses are a

problem. They also can tell you about

places that might not be safe for you to

visit. Ask them if they know of doctors

who treat people with HIV in the region

you plan to visit.
Plan in advance for problems that might

come up.

n Travelers diarrhea is a common problem.

Carry a 3- to 7-day supply of medicine

(antibiotics) to treat it. A common drug

for travelers diarrhea is ciprofloxacin

(SIP-ro-flocks-uh-sin). If you are pregnant,

your doctor may suggest you take TMPSMX (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [tryMETH-o-prim - sul-fa-meth-OX-uh-sole])

instead.

n Insect-borne diseases are also a major

problem in many areas. Take a good

supply of an insect repellent that contains

30 percent or less Deet with you.

Plan to sleep under a mosquito net,

preferably one treated with permethrin, in

places where there is malaria or dengue

[DEN-gay] fever. Unless you need to go

there, avoid areas where yellow fever is

found.

n Ask your doctor if you need to take medicine or get special vaccinations before

you travel. He or she will know which

vaccines are safe for you. Your doctor will

also know the best ways to protect you

from such things as malaria, typhoid

fever, and hepatitis. Make sure all your

routine vaccinations are up to date. This

is very important for HIV-infected children

who are traveling.

n If you are leaving the United States, make

sure you know if the countries you plan to

visit have special health rules for visitors.

These rules can include vaccinations that

may not be safe for HIV-infected people

to take. Your doctor or local health

department can help you with this.
n If you have medical insurance, check to

see what it covers when you are away

from home. Many insurance plans have

limited benefits outside the United States.

Very few plans cover the cost of flying you

back to the United States if you become

very sick. Make sure your paperwork is in

order, and take along proof of insurance

when you travel.

When You Travel

Food and water in developing countries may

not be as clean as they are at home. These

items might contain bacteria, viruses, or

parasites that could make you sick.

n Do not eat raw fruit and vegetables that

you do not peel yourself, raw or

undercooked seafood or meat,

unpasteurized dairy products, or

anything from a street vendor.

Also, do not drink tap water, drinks

made with tap water, or with ice

made from tap water, or unpasteurized milk.

n Food and drinks that are generally

safe include steaming-hot foods, fruits

that you peel yourself, bottled (especially

carbonated) drinks, hot coffee or tea,

beer, wine,and water that you bring to a

rolling boil for1 full minute. If you cant
boil your water, you can filter and treat

it with iodine or chlorine, but this will not

work as well as boiling.

n Tuberculosis, or TB, is very common

worldwide, and can be severe in people

with HIV. Avoid hospitals and clinics

where coughing TB patients are treated.

When back in the United States, have

your doctor test you for TB.

n In many places, animals may roam more

freely than they do in the area where you

live. If you think animals have left droppings on beaches or other areas, always

wear shoes and protective clothing and sit

on a towel to avoid direct contact with the

sand or soil.

n Swimming can make you sick if you

swallow water. You should never swim in

water that might contain even very small

amounts of sewage or animal waste.

To make sure that you get the most fun

from your trip, protect your health (and

the health of others) just as you do at

home.
n Take all medications as prescribed by your

doctor.

n If your doctor has you on a special diet,

stick with it.

Take the same precautions that you take at

home to prevent giving HIV to others.

For More Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) offers international travel information on the

Internet at www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html and by

telephone at 888-232-3228. This number also

provides an information menu, including how to

receive specific travel advice by fax.

Free referrals and information:

CDC National AIDS Hotline

English (800) 342-AIDS (2437)

[24 hours/day]

Spanish (800) 344-SIDA (7432)

[8 am-2 am EST]

TTY (800) 243-7889

(deaf and hard of hearing)

[Monday-Friday 10 am-10 pm EST]

Free materials:

CDC National Prevention Information Network

(800) 458-5231

1-301- 562-1098 (International)

P.O. Box 6003

Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Free HIV/AIDS treatment information:

AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS)

(800) 448-0440

Project Inform

(800) 822-7422

Drugs undergoing clinical trials:

AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service (ACTIS)

(800) 874-2572

Social Security benefits:

Social Security Administration

(800) 772-1213

(You also may request a personal earnings and

benefit estimate statement to help you estimate the

retirement, disability, and survivor benefits payable

on your Social Security record.)

CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention Internet

address: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/hiv_aids/

dhap.htm

Additional brochures in the Opportunisitic Infections

Series:

Living with HIV/AIDS

Preventing Infections from Pets

Preventing Infections from Food

You can Prevent CMV

You can Prevent Cryptosporidiosis

You can Prevent MAC

You can Prevent PCP

You can Prevent PCP in Children

You can Prevent Toxoplasmosis

You can Prevent Tuberculosis

*Use of trade names does not imply endorsement by the

United States Department of Health and Human Services.

November 1998