South America (tropic)

Colombia

Colombia is a medium-income country with a diverse economy. Travelers to the capital city of Bogota may require some time to adjust to the altitude (8,600 feet), which can affect blood pressure, digestion, and energy level. Persons with medical conditions related to the circulatory or respiratory system should ask their physician if travel to Bogota or other high-altitude locations is advisable. Tourist facilities vary in quality, according to price and location.

CRIME: The security situation in Colombia is volatile. Violence by narcotraffickers, paramilitary groups, guerrilla and terrorist organizations, and other criminal elements is widespread and increasing in certain areas. Travel by road outside the major cities is especially dangerous because of guerrilla activity in rural areas.

MEDICAL FACILITIES: Medical care is adequate in major cities but varies in quality elsewhere.

Arthropodborne diseases:

• Malaria
• Chagas disease
• Epidemic typhus
• Leishmaniasis
• Yellow fever in the forests

We recommend to prevent Arthropodborne diseases:

• Usage of long-sleeved shirt and long pants to wear whenever possible while outside, to prevent illnesses carried by insects
• Usage of insect repellent containing DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide), in 30%–35% strength for adults and 6%–10% for children. Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened housing
• Usage of a bed net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin.
• Staying and sleeping in air-conditioned houses

Water- and foodborne diseases:

• Travellers diarrhoea
• Hepatitis A
• Amoebiasis

Other diseases:

• Hepatitis B

Vaccinations recommended;

• Yellow fever if visiting is planned to Magdalena river, Cordillera Oriental Urabá, Sierra Nevada, Orinoquia and Amazonia.. And when entering from a yellow fever endemic region.
• Hepatitis A or Immune Globulin
• Hepatitis B or Immune Globulin
• Typhoid fever - vaccination is particularly important because of the presence of S. typhi strains resistant to multiple antibiotics in this region.
• Rabies - if exposed to wild or domestic animals
• A booster for tetanus/diphtheria - if not covered which indicates not vaccinated within th last 10 years.

Stay healthy:

• Wash hands often with soap and water.
• Drink only boiled water, or water and carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans
• Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.
• Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it
• Protect yourself from insects by remaining in well-screened areas, using repellents (applied sparingly at 4-hour intervals) and permethrin-impregnated mosquito nets, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants from dusk through dawn.
• Prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot
• Do not travel at night
• Trafic accidents are frequent, be careful
• Always use latex condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Don’t eat food purchased from street vendors.
• Use chloroquine as malaria prophylaxis in Chocó, Córdoba, Guainía, Guaviare, Putumayo and Vichadarisk areas, mefloquine in Amazonia, Pacífico e Urabá-Bajo Cauca (chloroquine resistance).

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