Also, don't walk around with flashy jewelry and don't count money in a public place. Since we primarily send our clients to South America during the dry season, the insect population is very low at that time of year. Many of our traveling anglers report that they encounter more insects in their back yards during the summer months then they do on a fishing excursion. While the risk of contracting a tropical disease is rare, the possibility does exist. The majority of the diseases that are serious are associated with more densely populated areas.
Mosquitos transmit diseases like malaria and yellow fever from one host to another.
Because you are fishing in areas with very little human population, this lowers your risk. Hepatitis A is probably the most prevalent disease that confronts any traveler, be it a luxury vacation to the Caribbean or a fishing expedition. This disease can be contracted by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food and is very commonly associated with improper food handling and preparation. Although we advise that you consult a travel medicine clinic prior to your trip, if you plan on traveling extensively to South America, we recommend Hepatitis A and B vaccines, yellow fever vaccine, malaria prophylaxis and a tetanus booster for your trip. Although the thought of traveling to the Amazon conjures up visions of giant anacondas ambushing unsuspecting travelers from their lairs in the jungle canopy, this is more hype than reality.