Dengue risk after the monsoon rains and is tap water safe
5 Answers
Dengue is present year-round and cases do rise after heavy rain because standing water breeds mosquitoes. The risk for a short-stay tourist is real but very manageable: use repellent with DEET or picaridin in the daytime (the dengue mosquito bites during the day, not just at night), wear long sleeves at dawn and dusk, and stay where there are screens or AC. There is no tourist vaccine you need for a normal trip. If you get a high fever with severe body aches, see a doctor and get a blood test rather than self-treating, and avoid ibuprofen/aspirin until dengue is ruled out.
A refillable bottle with a built-in filter saved me a fortune in plastic and worked great for three weeks.
For food, eat where it is busy and freshly cooked. Hot rice and curry, fresh hoppers, anything off a hot pan is safe and delicious. Be a bit careful with pre-cut roadside fruit if your stomach is sensitive.
On water: do not drink the tap water. Bottled water is cheap and everywhere. For teeth brushing most travelers use bottled or filtered water to be safe; many guesthouses provide a filter jug. Ice in established cafes and hotels is generally made from purified water and fine.
Super clear, thank you. Packing picaridin and a filter bottle, sticking to bottled for teeth.
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