Anyone traveling to Africa from Central Europe must always be aware that the hygiene situation in the destination country can never be compared to ours! Even in hospitals and with doctors, the same standard as in Central Europe is not to be expected.
Take precautions
Tap water is not drinking water. Boiling and/or filtering is absolutely necessary, even for things like brushing teeth or the like. Appropriate filters are available for purchase in outdoor supply stores in various sizes and price ranges.
Be especially careful with ice cubes in drinks! Water from sealed bottles is usually safe. Milk must always be boiled well. Always wash or peel fruit well. A foreign health insurance with repatriation option is highly recommended!
Infection through contaminated food, drinking water, hands, insufficiently cooked or cold food, unpasteurized milk.
- Liver disease (hepatitis A) – vaccination possible and advisable!
- Diarrheal diseases (bacterial, viral, parasitic gastrointestinal infections), also cholera and typhoid fever.
- Polio (poliomyelitis) – vaccination possible and advisable.
- Worm infections such as liver and lung fluke possible (undercooked fish dishes).
- Fox and dog tapeworm infections.
Infection by insects (mainly in seasons with heavy rainfall).
- Malaria (nocturnal mosquitoes, Anopheles), depending on the area low to high risk – use repellents (mosquito repellent), medical prophylaxis possible and in areas with high risk also advisable!
- Yellow fever
- Dengue fever
- Lyme disease (transmitted by ticks)
- Sleeping sickness (transmitted by tsetse flies).
- Rare in travelers: Leishmaniasis (transmitted by sand flies) and filariasis (worm diseases, diurnal and nocturnal mosquitoes) and other specific infections, some of which are very rare – use repellents!
Infection through sexual contact
- Transmission of viruses (hepatitis B, HIV and others), bacteria , fungi and many others possible – condoms are strongly recommended
Infection in the event of poor hygiene during medical procedures.
Infection through close contact with sick people: Droplet infection
- Bacterial meningitis – meningococcal meningitis.
- Influenza (influenza, seasonal) and other very rare diseases.
Infection through skin contact
- Bathing in fresh water: worm disease (schistosomiasis / bilharzia), and various bacterial infections – do not bathe in stagnant water such as lakes or river arms, prefer chlorinated facilities in hotels
- Sea water: red algae (“red tide”), jellyfish.
- Walking barefoot on dirty ground: sand fleas, hookworm infection.
- Dirty wounds: Tetanus – vaccination possible and advisable.
Infection through animals
- Rabies (throughout Africa, beware of stray dogs and cats, vaccinate as soon as possible if in contact with animals suspected of rabies); WHO information on rabies.
