Bug's Blog

Latest News and Tips from TravelBug Health
5 Ways to Avoid Norovirus on a Cruise
July 20, 2015
Try a fist bump instead of a handshake

“Cruise Ship Returns to Port Early due to Norovirus Outbreak” reads one of many recent headlines.

Noroviruses are very common and a leading cause of gastroenteritis (commonly called stomach flu) worldwide. Outbreaks are often associated with settings where people live in close quarters,... Read More

Passport Renewal Made Easy
June 19, 2015
Don't be a D'oh. Keep your passport up to date.

Recently, I found myself in one of those awkward travel predicaments.  My three children had to travel to Canada on short notice for a funeral and I discovered with a panic that their passports had expired two weeks prior.  D’oh!

Not only did I not have the usual several weeks it takes to... Read More

Travel Medicine in a Global Community
May 31, 2015
The Chateau Frontenac in historic Quebec City

I just spent a week in Quebec City, back in my homeland of Canada, attending a conference sponsored by the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM).  It was wonderful to meet colleagues from all over the world and to catch up on the... Read More

Should I get a typhoid vaccine?
May 17, 2015
An unhygienic latrine in Dhaka, Bangladesh. photo: WaterAid, Abir Abdullah

“Drug-resistant 'superbug' strain of typhoid spreads worldwide”

This alarming headline appeared in my inbox the other day, prompting a reminder of the... Read More

Do I Need a Yellow Fever Vaccine?
April 25, 2015
Official certificate of vaccination for Yellow Fever

Travelers often visit a travel clinic because they are told that they need a Yellow Fever (YF) vaccine. Travel agents may find themselves caught in the middle, but the decision of whether or not to get the vaccine should be based on a careful risk analysis carried out during a pre-travel health... Read More

Preparing for Humanitarian Missions in Haiti
March 20, 2015
Doctor with Peacework Medical Projects in Ranquitte, Haiti.

 I have been seeing more and more patients lately in our travel clinic on their way to participate in humanitarian and medical missions to serve the people of Haiti. What a wonderful opportunity they have to make a difference in... Read More

What is the risk of catching Ebola?
August 10, 2014
local family in Monrovia, Liberia under observation by the CDC

World health experts are dealing with an international health emergency as the death toll increases in the recent Ebola Virus (EBV) outbreak in West Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that... Read More

CDC Recommends a Travel Clinic Visit
April 30, 2014
The Yellow Book published by the CDC

Before you travel overseas, check out the CDC travel website at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ for updated travel health bulletins and information specific to your destination country. The CDC recommends that you schedule a visit with... Read More