Panama

Panama is one of the more popular countries in the world for tourism. While it has the highest rating for safety among tourists, one must be careful when visiting there due to widespread disease.

Malaria can be deadly, and is transmitted through mosquito bites. This is a serious concern because as a central American country, Panama has a naturally high temperature which tends to attract mosquitoes. It can be prevented by obtaining a prescription that fights this illness. Also, mosquito repellent should be in your travel bag when visiting Panama.

Yellow fever is another common problem in this country, and proof of vaccination is often required for entry. However, the primary reason tourists get ill is from food and water borne bacteria. It is critical that one must make sure their food and water is free of bacteria and viruses.

It would be a good idea to wear long sleeved clothing when visiting this region, to prevent insect bites, which could cause illness. Other products which help the cause of minimizing insect bites are insect repellent, and bed nets that have been treated with the insecticide permethrin. Iodine tablets can help purify the water, if bottled water is not readily available.

The UV rays from the sun can be just as harmful as any disease, so it is important to wear sunscreen, and a hat. Washing your hands frequently can remove infectious bacteria from your skin. Only boiled and bottled water should be consumed.

As for things not to do when in Panama, be sure not to eat food from vendors that has not been cooked properly, this can cause typhoid fever.

In the event that you become ill after visiting panama, it would be wise to see a physician as soon as possible, because malaria is a serious and potentially deadly illness.