for a search facility) before you travel.
If you need to take HIV/ AIDS related medications with you, check it’s legal in the country you’re visiting. It’s best to pack it in your hand luggage and take a letter from your GP with you.
The relevant embassy and your local GP will provide you with more information.
Malaria
Malaria is a major health problem in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Some forms can be fatal, others produce a high fever and may lead to kidney, liver, brain and blood complications.
Make sure that you:
Tell your doctor which countries and regions you will be visiting. Malaria parasites are resistant to different types of malaria tablet in different countries, so you need to be sure you’re taking the right ones
Ask your doctor when you should start taking the medication and how long you should take it for. It is essential that you complete the course of tablets
Avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent. Repellent containing DEET is particularly effective
Keep your arms and legs covered after sunset
Ensure the area where you are sleeping is properly screened and air conditioned if possible. Use a ‘knockdown’ spray to kill any mosquitoes
Sleep under an insecticide impregnated mosquito net
Please note that none of these measures offer total protection.
If you develop a fever or feel ill whilst abroad you should consult a doctor.
If you develop malarial symptoms up to one year after leaving a malarial region, you should seek medical attention and tell the doctor you have been to country where malaria is a risk.
Avian & Pandemic Influenza
The risk to humans from avian flu (commonly known as bird flu) is currently low, so there’s no reason not to travel to affected countries.
There’s comprehensive advice and information on the current situation and background on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website, including a map showing where there have been outbreaks.
Despite the low risk, you should still take precautions if you’re travelling to an affected country:
consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice and further guidance if you have specific concerns
check our travel advice for the relevant country before travelling
avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you might come into contact with wild, domestic or caged birds
avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with animal faeces or fluids
avoid eating or handling raw and undercooked poultry, egg or duck dishes (normal cooking destroys the virus)
wash your hands regularly, especially before eating or preparing food
don’t attempt to bring any live poultry products back to the UK.
Because of the low risk, UK’s Health Protection Agency does not at present advise tourists visiting affected areas to carry anti-viral drugs.
Avian versus Pandemic Flu
It’s important to distinguish between avian flu, the current disease affecting mainly birds, and pandemic flu, which would affect mainly humans and is at this stage only a possibility.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns recent outbreaks of avian flu could trigger a future human flu pandemic, by combining with the influenza virus. It is impossible to predict when this might happen, but if it did, it would be much more serious.
There is presently no vaccine against any future pandemic flu strain. Anti-viral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu), may be effective in reducing the severity and duration of an influenza illness, but this has not been proven in a pandemic situation. Their effect may be limited if a resistance is developed to the drug.
Further medical information is available from the Department of Health.
How we’ll help in a pandemic
We’re working with the Department of Health to prepare for a possible pandemic.
As a precaution, we have obtained courses of the anti-viral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for treatment of our staff working overseas should they fall ill in the event of a pandemic.
This should enable our staff at overseas missions to continue to work and provide consular assistance to British nationals overseas.
It also fulfils our duty of care to our staff, in line with the actions of many other organisations and UK companies with operations overseas.
As far as possible, we’ll continue to deliver a consular service for British nationals resident or travelling overseas through our network of embassies.
But this may be limited, depending on the scale and severity of the virus in some countries. In extreme cases we may even have to offer evacuation for our staff and their dependents.
British nationals living overseas
If you live in a country affected by avian flu you should be prepared to take personal responsibility for your own health and consider whether you would have access to anti-viral medicine in case of a pandemic. In a pandemic you should seek medical advice before using anti-viral drugs.
British nationals working overseas should speak to their employers about the contingency plans in place for a flu pandemic. Such plans may include access to anti-viral treatment for employees and/or repatriation to the UK.
A flu pandemic could spread extremely quickly and with little warning. Many countries will not be sufficiently prepared and the availability of anti-viral drugs may be limited.
Our embassy staff may be able to provide advice on the availability of local medicines or healthcare but we cannot provide medical treatment.
Some countries might close their borders, international transport could be severely disrupted or halted, and travel could become medically inadvisable. We will not be in the position to offer repatriation to British nationals during a pandemic.
Swine flu
About to travel overseas?
In some instances swine flu might affect your travel plans, you should therefore consult the travel advice for the country concerned.
Before you travel
If you have swine flu, do not travel until you are no longer showing symptoms.
Check to see if your destination is reporting cases of swine flu. You can look on the NaTHNaC website for up-to-date information.
Stock up on waterless alcohol-based hand gels.
You should also consider:
whether you need to go to a swine flu affected area
the risk of getting swine flu at your destination
the level of medical care including access to anti-viral medications in the event you need treatment for an influenza-like illness (fever plus two or more of cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches or headache).
You should receive appropriate vaccines and other preventive measures for your destination. This includes seasonal influenza vaccine if you come under the recommended risk groups. See NaTHNaC Health Information Sheet on Influenza
You should obtain comprehensive travel health insurance, and clarify any exclusions to coverage.
You should also check the policy of your carrier or tour operator on transporting people who are ill, or who have been exposed to or diagnosed with the A(H1N1) swine flu virus.
During travel
Influenza is transmitted via the respiratory route and you should exercise sensible precautions:
Follow public health guidance at your destination.
Avoid crowding or mass gatherings.
Where possible avoid close contact with persons who are ill with an flu-like illness.
Wash hands with soap and water; use waterless alcohol-based hand gels when soap and water is not available.
Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes, to prevent the spread of germs.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue promptly.
Keep hard surfaces (e.g. door handles, countertops) clean using a normal cleaning solution.
Ensure that children follow similar advice.
Swine flu has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products.
There is little evidence of the effectiveness of wearing masks, However, properly fitted special grade masks can be worn in situations such as healthcare settings.
If you fall ill while abroad (especially with flu-like symptoms) you should seek medical assistance. Where possible the British Embassy/High Commission/Consulate should be able to provide British nationals with details of English-speaking doctors and information on the local availability of anti-virals.
After you travel
Travellers who have visited affected areas should monitor their health for seven days after the visit. If you develop a flu-like illness with cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache or muscle aches, within seven days you should:
Check your symptoms.
Limit contact with other people.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue promptly.
Wash hands with soap and water.
Keep hard surfaces (e.g. door handles, countertops) clean using a normal cleaning solution.
British nationals abroad
If you live in a country affected by swine flu, you should monitor our travel advice. This might include obtaining access to anti-viral medicine. If you have any concerns over your own health, you should seek medical advice.
Click here for your Travel Insurance Needs.
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