| 1 | Major infectious diseases |
| 2 | This entry lists major infectious diseases likely to be encountered in countries where the risk of such diseases is assessed to be very high as compared to the United States . |
| 3 | These infectious diseases represent risks to US government personnel traveling to the specified country for a period of less than three years . |
| 4 | The degree of risk is assessed by considering the foreign nature of these infectious diseases , their severity , and the probability of being affected by the diseases present . |
| 5 | The diseases listed do not necessarily represent the total disease burden experienced by the local population . |
| 6 | The risk to an individual traveler varies considerably by the specific location , visit duration , type of activities , type of accommodations , time of year , and other factors . |
| 7 | Consultation with a travel medicine physician is needed to evaluate individual risk and recommend appropriate preventive measures such as vaccines . |
| 8 | Diseases are organized into the following six exposure categories shown in italics and listed in typical descending order of risk . |
| 9 | Note : The sequence of exposure categories listed in individual country entries may vary according to local conditions . |
| 10 | food or waterborne diseases acquired through eating or drinking on the local economy : |
| 11 | Hepatitis A - viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver ; spread through consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter , principally in areas of poor sanitation ; |
| 12 | victims exhibit fever , jaundice , and diarrhea ; |
| 13 | 15 <percnt> of victims will experience prolonged symptoms over 6 - 9 months ; |
| 14 | vaccine available . |
| 15 | Hepatitis E - water - borne viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver ; most commonly spread through fecal contamination of drinking water ; |
| 16 | victims exhibit jaundice , fatigue , abdominal pain , and dark colored urine . |
| 17 | Typhoid fever - bacterial disease spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage ; |
| 18 | victims exhibit sustained high fevers ; |
| 19 | left untreated , mortality rates can reach 20 <percnt> . |
| 20 | vectorborne diseases acquired through the bite of an infected arthropod : |
| 21 | Malaria - caused by single - cell parasitic protozoa Plasmodium ; transmitted to humans via the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito ; |
| 22 | parasites multiply in the liver attacking red blood cells resulting in cycles of fever , chills , and sweats accompanied by anemia ; |
| 23 | death due to damage to vital organs and interruption of blood supply to the brain ; |
| 24 | endemic in 100 , mostly tropical , countries with 90 <percnt> of cases and the majority of 1.5 - 2.5 million estimated annual deaths occurring in sub - Saharan Africa . |
| 25 | Dengue fever - mosquito - borne ( Aedes aegypti ) viral disease associated with urban environments ; manifests as sudden onset of fever and severe headache ; occasionally produces shock and hemorrhage leading to death in 5 <percnt> of cases . |
| 26 | Yellow fever - mosquito - borne viral disease ; |
| 27 | severity ranges from influenza - like symptoms to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever ; |
| 28 | occurs only in tropical South America and sub - Saharan Africa , where most cases are reported ; |
| 29 | fatality rate is less than 20 <percnt> . |
| 30 | Japanese Encephalitis - mosquito - borne ( Culex tritaeniorhynchus ) viral disease associated with rural areas in Asia ; |
| 31 | acute encephalitis can progress to paralysis , coma , and death ; |
| 32 | fatality rates 30 <percnt> . |
| 33 | African Trypanosomiasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma ; transmitted to humans via the bite of bloodsucking Tsetse flies ; |
| 34 | infection leads to malaise and irregular fevers and , in advanced cases when the parasites invade the central nervous system , coma and death ; |
| 35 | endemic in 36 countries of sub - Saharan Africa ; |
| 36 | cattle and wild animals act as reservoir hosts for the parasites . |
| 37 | Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa leishmania ; transmitted to humans via the bite of sandflies ; results in skin lesions that may become chronic ; endemic in 88 countries ; |
| 38 | 90 <percnt> of cases occur in Iran , Afghanistan , Syria , Saudi Arabia , Brazil , and Peru ; |
| 39 | wild and domesticated animals as well as humans can act as reservoirs of infection . |
| 40 | Plague - bacterial disease transmitted by fleas normally associated with rats ; |
| 41 | person - to - person airborne transmission also possible ; |
| 42 | recent plague epidemics occurred in areas of Asia , Africa , and South America associated with rural areas or small towns and villages ; |
| 43 | manifests as fever , headache , and painfully swollen lymph nodes ; |
| 44 | disease progresses rapidly and without antibiotic treatment leads to pneumonic form with a death rate in excess of 50 <percnt> . |
| 45 | Crimean - Congo hemorrhagic fever - tick - borne viral disease ; |
| 46 | infection may also result from exposure to infected animal blood or tissue ; |
| 47 | geographic distribution includes Africa , Asia , the Middle East , and Eastern Europe ; |
| 48 | sudden onset of fever , headache , and muscle aches followed by hemorrhaging in the bowels , urine , nose , and gums ; |
| 49 | mortality rate is approximately 30 <percnt> . |
| 50 | Rift Valley fever - viral disease affecting domesticated animals and humans ; |
| 51 | transmission is by mosquito and other biting insects ; |
| 52 | infection may also occur through handling of infected meat or contact with blood ; |
| 53 | geographic distribution includes eastern and southern Africa where cattle and sheep are raised ; |
| 54 | symptoms are generally mild with fever and some liver abnormalities , but the disease may progress to hemorrhagic fever , encephalitis , or ocular disease ; |
| 55 | fatality rates are low at about 1 <percnt> of cases . |
| 56 | Chikungunya - mosquito - borne ( Aedes aegypti ) viral disease associated with urban environments , similar to Dengue Fever ; characterized by sudden onset of fever , rash , and severe joint pain usually lasting 3 - 7 days , some cases result in persistent arthritis . |
| 57 | water contact diseases acquired through swimming or wading in freshwater lakes , streams , and rivers : |
| 58 | Leptospirosis - bacterial disease that affects animals and humans ; |
| 59 | infection occurs through contact with water , food , or soil contaminated by animal urine ; |
| 60 | symptoms include high fever , severe headache , vomiting , jaundice , and diarrhea ; |
| 61 | untreated , the disease can result in kidney damage , liver failure , meningitis , or respiratory distress ; |
| 62 | fatality rates are low but left untreated recovery can take months . |
| 63 | Schistosomiasis - caused by parasitic trematode flatworm Schistosoma ; |
| 64 | fresh water snails act as intermediate host and release larval form of parasite that penetrates the skin of people exposed to contaminated water ; |
| 65 | worms mature and reproduce in the blood vessels , liver , kidneys , and intestines releasing eggs , which become trapped in tissues triggering an immune response ; |
| 66 | may manifest as either urinary or intestinal disease resulting in decreased work or learning capacity ; |
| 67 | mortality , while generally low , may occur in advanced cases usually due to bladder cancer ; |
| 68 | endemic in 74 developing countries with 80 <percnt> of infected people living in sub - Saharan Africa ; |
| 69 | humans act as the reservoir for this parasite . |
| 70 | aerosolized dust or soil contact disease acquired through inhalation of aerosols contaminated with rodent urine : |
| 71 | Lassa fever - viral disease carried by rats of the genus Mastomys ; endemic in portions of West Africa ; |
| 72 | infection occurs through direct contact with or consumption of food contaminated by rodent urine or fecal matter containing virus particles ; |
| 73 | fatality rate can reach 50 <percnt> in epidemic outbreaks . |
| 74 | respiratory disease acquired through close contact with an infectious person : |
| 75 | Meningococcal meningitis - bacterial disease causing an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord ; |
| 76 | one of the most important bacterial pathogens is Neisseria meningitidis because of its potential to cause epidemics ; |
| 77 | symptoms include stiff neck , high fever , headaches , and vomiting ; |
| 78 | bacteria are transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets and facilitated by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions , often with a seasonal distribution ; |
| 79 | death occurs in 5 - 15 <percnt> of cases , typically within 24 - 48 hours of onset of symptoms ; |
| 80 | highest burden of meningococcal disease occurs in the hyperendemic region of sub - Saharan Africa known as the “ Meningitis Belt ” which stretches from Senegal east to Ethiopia . |
| 81 | animal contact disease acquired through direct contact with local animals : |
| 82 | Rabies - viral disease of mammals usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal , most commonly dogs ; |
| 83 | virus affects the central nervous system causing brain alteration and death ; |
| 84 | symptoms initially are non - specific fever and headache progressing to neurological symptoms ; |
| 85 | death occurs within days of the onset of symptoms . |