Travel medicine is a specialized field focusing on illnesses and conditions that can occur during travel. When visiting foreign countries, travelers should be mindful of the risk of encountering diseases and injuries uncommon in their home country. Before embarking on a journey to various destinations, it's important to consider vaccinations, preventive medications, and general safety measures. Vaccinations against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, meningococcal disease, rabies, and other illnesses may be advised or necessary for those visiting certain regions. Preventive medications might also be needed for protection against various diseases. Travelers should take precautions with food, drinks, climate, insect bites, and personal hygiene. Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, like kidney disease, may require special preparations for safe travel. Comprehensive travel health advice and international travel and health requirements can be accessed through the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response (CSR) in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO offers valuable resources, such as the Guide on Safe Food for Travelers, International Certificates of Vaccination, and International Health Regulations, among others.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States also provides up-to-date travel medical advice and guidelines for various global regions, including a helpful graphical map. They offer additional information on disease outbreaks and general health alerts.The field of travel medicine evolved from emporiac medicine, a branch of tropical medicine dedicated to preventing, diagnosing, and treating tropical diseases that travelers may encounter.
