Travel Health

If you have been healthy during your trip and feel well when you return home, you probably don't need to see a doctor. But if you've been ill, especially while traveling to regions where disease is prevalent, you need to see a doctor.

Many diseases don't show up right away. Some take weeks to months to develop. For example, 90% of travelers who get malaria don't become ill until after they return home.^{Reference 2}

See your doctor when you get home if either of the following occurs:

• You were sick with a fever or severe flu-like illness while traveling.
• You develop these symptoms within 6 months of coming home.

Tell your doctor the regions you visited and about any exposure to disease.

It's important to be aware of other symptoms besides a fever. See your doctor if you have:

• Diarrhea that won't go away or that keeps coming back.
• A skin rash or sores.
• Reference Jaundice Opens New Window (typically most noticeable when the whites of the eyes appear yellow).
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Shortness of breath.
• Fatigue.

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