Author; Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Malaria is caused by a parasitic infection transmitted to humans by a bite from the Anopheles mosquito, which unlike the Aedes aegypti mosquito, prefers to hunt at night. Malaria is common in the following states in Mexico: Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Tabasco. In addition, risk exists in the northern mountainous areas of Jalisco State. Fortunately, there is very little risk in major resort areas and along the United States-Mexico border. The vast majority of malaria cases in Mexico are due to infection by the P. vivax parasite. A bite rarely results in life-threatening Malaria. Malaria season is most common during or shortly after the rainy season.
Symptoms: Those ill with malaria experience symptoms when parasites, which have infected the liver, are intermittently released into the blood. This explains the on again/off again nature of symptoms, which include fevers (as high as 104° F), chills, headache, muscle aches and weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. A patient may experience a drenching sweat as the fever breaks. Symptoms often repeat every 48–72 hours or sooner. With rare exception, the pre-symptom, incubation period for malaria is typically seven days after being bitten. So, if you develop high fevers and you weren’t in a high-risk area for at least the previous week, you likely don’t have malaria.
Authors: Robert H. Page,
MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel
Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit
medtogo.com
With 26 named tropical storms, of which three developed into Category-5
hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma), the 2005 hurricane season was
the most active in the Atlantic’s recorded history. The hurricanes causing human casualties and economic devastation in
Mexico in this period were Emily (battering Cozumel with 135 mph winds
and flooding), Stan (causing torrential rains and mudslides in southern
Chiapas and much of Central America) and Wilma (shredding Cancún and
Cozumel’s beaches for 53 hours). This last was a Category-5 hurricane,
declared by officials the most destructive in Mexican history. It will
leave its mark on the region for years to come.
Authors: Robert H. Page,
MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel
Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit
medtogo.com
Many expatriates
think that moving to Mexico with their U.S. health policies provides sufficient
coverage. After all, any major medical situation could be treated back home,
while the local medical insurance would be exclusively for “minor” issues. This
logic works fine as long as a “major medical issue” actually permits travel
back to your home country for treatment. In most cases, this is simply not
recommended, if not impossible.
Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
If you run into legal trouble in Mexico, the U.S. and Canadian consulates may be able to provide limited assistance. Remember that the consulates have no legal jurisdiction in Mexico. Their main purpose is to provide you with information. As a visitor, you are subject to local Mexican law, which will interpret your actions and behavior. Mexican law is very different from U.S. or Canadian law.
Scorpion (Alacrán) Stings
Of the more than 1,000 species of scorpions worldwide, only 30 carry a toxin that may be fatal in humans. In the U.S., the rate is very low: one death from a scorpion sting occurs on average every two to three years. In Mexico, there are a reported 1,000- 2,000 deaths per year. Because of their size and ability to travel in shoes and luggage, scorpions are found in many ports all over the world, having arrived as stowaways. Scorpions are nocturnal, typically emerging only at night. They are commonly found in cupboards, closets, in shoes, and under beds. Scorpions sting with a poisoned hook on the tail, which is raised prior to an attack.
By Robert H. Page MD & Curtis P. Page MD
Authors, Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide
For more information visit medtogo.com
Jellyfish
Many of Mexico’s most beautiful beaches harbor the treacherous jellyfish. Twenty or more species are common in the waters around Mexico; most cause painful stings. Some are harmless but even a few rare species can be fatal. Jellyfish tentacles are armed with thousands of tiny needle-like filaments that can deliver small doses of venom just below the surface of a victim’s skin. Stings can be very painful, especially if an extensive area of the body is involved. Children, asthmatics, or people with a history of significant allergies may be badly affected, and some cases of respiratory distress and shock have been reported. Seek medical attention if there is shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, or a severe rash after a sting.
Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Jet Lag
Your body is regulated by light/dark cycles that trigger the rhythmic release of hormones throughout the day. When you cross multiple time zones, you are exposed to light and darkness at uncommon times. As a result, your natural hormonal rhythms may be drastically disrupted, creating symptoms such as daytime fatigue, reduced mental and physical performance, irritability, or general malaise.
Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Retirees, imagine what would happen if the U.S. government paid all of your medical bills- anywhere in the world you decided you wanted to go. Now, don’t forget to pinch yourself before you hit the snooze button. Unfortunately, Medicare stops at the border, so if you get hurt injured or fall ill oversees, you will be responsible for your own medical bills. This means that many retirees are hesitant to look outside the comfortable walls of their own country when considering places to retire. Others take out an international health insurance policy prior to travel, especially if they are planning to live abroad for any extended period of time.
Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Expatriates living in Mexico: Expats living in Mexico have other considerations and better economic choices not commonly shared with the short-term traveler.
First, there is no need for evacuation to a home country. Second, because many expats have developed a working understanding of Spanish and a comfort level with Mexican culture they can often find lower costs for just about everything including health care. With the right research, health care is extremely affordable in Mexico with or without health insurance. Many comprehensive private insurance policies are very affordable.
The Mexican government, through the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS for its Mexican initials), provides affordable health insurance for all residents of Mexico regardless of nationality. (See “Mexican Health-Care System in Plain English,” at the www.MedToGo.com website.)
Robert H. Page, MD and Curtis P. Page, MD are authors of the MEXICO: Health and Safety Travel Guide and the Healthy Traveler Regional Series. For more information visit medtogo.com
Needless to say, the Mayan Riviera is rapidly becoming a magnet for a growing number of offshore retirees looking for their own share of paradise. But even in paradise, planning for possible major medical expenses must be taken as seriously as it would back home.
Many expats think that moving in with their health policy from home is enough. After all, any major medical situation could be treated back there and the local system would be exclusively for “minor” issues. This logic works fine as long as a “major medical issue” actually permits traveling back to your home country for treatment. In most cases that is simply not recommendable, if not impossible.
