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As the summer holiday season approaches, many people are preparing to travel abroad.
Health risks vary between country to country. The individual risk to each traveller will depend on their destination(s), any stopover(s), overall health, length of stay and planned activities, and can be determined by undertaking a comprehensive risk assessment.
Below is a summary of the general travel health advice which should be considered for all travellers prior to travelling abroad this summer.
Prior to travelling abroad, all travellers should:
All travellers should be advised how to protect themselves against health risks, by:
Exercising care with respiratory and hand hygiene:
Taking safe food and water precautions:
Traveller’s diarrhoea is a common cause of illness during travel
Practicing effective insect and tick bite avoidance at all times of the day and night:
Avoiding animal bites:
Practicing safer sex
The use of condoms and regular sexual health screening can help reduce the risk of blood borne viruses and other sexual health risks, including mpox during travel
Mpox has not gone away. For latest information on case summaries and rates of infection, see European Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: weekly threats report (CDTR) and World Health Organization report on Mpox global trends
Practicing sun safety
Carrying a simple first aid kit to self-manage basic health problems
Being aware that alcohol and/or drug use can lead to an increase in risk-taking behaviours which may lead to incidents such as accidents and/or injuries occurring, Also, in some countries, the penalties for possessing drugs can be very severe; always check the the FCDO travel advice 'local laws and customs section' for destination-specific information.
Considering Personal Safety. Travellers should:
Information specific to each of the following types of travel is available:
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Travellers should be advised that if they become unwell in the weeks/months after travel, particularly with a fever, flu-like symptoms, rash and/or diarrhoea, they should always seek prompt medical advice, and ensure they mention their travel history to the health professional, particularly if they have travelled to a malaria-endemic country.