Vaccinations  

Though it is not something indispensable, it is convenient, before traveling, to make sure that you have the anti tetanus, typhus, polio and diphtheria vaccines.   Besides, it may be good to get medicine against malaria and a vaccination against hepatitis A, tuberculosis and rabies.

Water

In Mexico, water is not drinkable, so always try to buy bottled water.   Most hotels have purified water bottles in the rooms, and in some cases, with indications available, you will be able to drink directly from the tap in hotels where the water has been previously purified.

   A good care must be observed with ice, especially in discos and nightclubs.

Food  

Avoid eating food on the street.   It is typical in Mexico to eat in stands and taco kiosks on the street, but even if they look clean, hygiene procedures are never enough.   On the other side, make sure that seafood and fish are fresh, and try to eat them cooked, because in several places of Mexico there still are outbursts of cholera.   Also, wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly with purified water, and if possible, peel them.   Be careful if you are not accustomed to the use of chili pepper in foods; most of Mexican dishes are spicy, so it is worth asking the waiter about how spicy the dish is, or ask him to decrease the amount of chili pepper.

Sicknesses

Malaria: It is a contagious illness caused by a parasite protozoon of the red corpuscles of the blood, called plasmodium or hematozoon of Laveran, transmitted by the anopheles mosquito, which dwells in hot marshy areas.   The sickness causes fever at regular intervals, following a characteristic pattern (tertian or quartan fever), anemia, spleen swelling and a general alteration of the health.   The base treatment includes quinine and synthetic elements.  

In Mexico, this sickness shows up in the rural zones of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Michoacán, Nayarit, Colima and Tabasco, so, if you visit these areas, follow a prophylactic routine.   Wear clothing-covering most of your body, repellents and mosquito nets.   The mosquito that spreads the sickness is not found over 2,500 meters above sea level.

Dengue: the only way to prevent this illness is avoiding the mosquito sting, which spreads the disease.   It causes fever, headache and a great muscle pain, followed by rash all over the body.   This sickness does not have serious complications; however, getting well may take up to a month.

AIDS: The acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a sickness caused by the VIH virus (acquired immune deficiency virus) that alters deeply the ill person’s immunity system, which is in charge of protecting the body against infectious agents.   This alteration prevents the immune system from fulfilling its normal function, allowing any microorganism to cause serious opportunistic infections in the organism, and grave malign sicknesses.   It is a contagious illness that may be transmitted from one person to another through different means: sexual intercourse, contaminated blood (transfusions, infected syringes) and from mother to child (in the delivery or through breastfeeding).

   It is true that the number of infected people has soared in Mexico, but this increase belongs mainly to the groups of high risk: homosexuals and drug addicts.

Cholera:  the vaccine against cholera is not very effective, and the bacteria which causes the disease is born in the water, so, when eating and drinking you must have certain precautions.   Only some places in Mexico suffer sporadic outbursts of cholera, so try to avoid visiting those areas.   Be careful with raw food, specially the typical Mexican ceviche, made with fish.   Some symptoms of this disease are a continuous and liquid diarrhea, vomits, muscular spasms and weakness.   If you get cholera, you will have to go to a hospital soon and try to prevent dehydration.

Dysentery: caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or water, its symptoms are an acute diarrhea, many times containing blood or mucus.   Bacterial dysentery has high fever, headaches, vomits and stomachache.   It lasts about a week, and it is highly contagious, whereas the dysentery produced by amebas causes abdominal pain, vomits and sometimes fever.   It disappears only when treated, and it may cause health problems in the long run.   A medical examination is necessary to determine the type of dysentery you got, so it is urgent to go to a hospital as soon as possible.

Typhus: it is also got by contaminated water or food.   Vaccination is not totally effective, and it is a dangerous disease, thus needing immediate medical care.   The symptoms are headache, sore throat, fever and pulse decrease.   There may also be diarrhea, vomits and constipation.   At the second week, there will be pink spots, delirium, weakness, shivers, weight loss and dehydration.   If there are not more complications, symptoms should disappear slowly; however, it is necessary to visit the doctor as soon as possible to prevent complications and possible contagions.

Hepatitis: it is the inflammation of the liver, which, in general, may be caused by drugs, alcohol and injections.   There are several types, with different degrees of gravity.   Hepatitis A, transmitted through contaminated water or food, including seafood.   Its symptoms are fever, chills, headache, fatigue, pain, followed by a lack of hunger, nausea, vomits, abdominal pain, dark urine, light color feces, and yellow skin / eyes.   You must ask a doctor; meanwhile, try to drink a lot of water, eat lightly, and forget about drinking alcoholic drinks for 6 months.

Hepatitis B: it is not very common in Mexico.   It is caused by contact with infected blood or body fluids (sexual transmission, syringes and blood transfusions).   Symptoms are exactly the same as with hepatitis A, but more severe, and it may cause irreparable damage to the liver, even cancer.

Hepatitis C: it is the most severe, because it may cause liver damage very fast.   The virus is transmitted by blood, usually through contaminated transfusions and syringes.   Being careful with this is the only way to prevent the disease.