Mosquito-Borne Diseases Prevention Guide

### Dengue Fever - **Where:** Tropical and subtropical regions (Southeast Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, Africa) - **Risk:** [Thailand](/en/is-thailand-safe), [India](/en/is-india-safe), [Brazil](/en/is-brazil-safe), [Vietnam](/en/is-vietnam-safe), [Indonesia](/en/is-indonesia-safe) - **Symptoms:** High fever, severe headache, joint pain, rash (appears 3-14 days after bite) - **Treatment:** No specific treatment. Supportive care only. Severe cases can be fatal. - **Vaccine:** Qdenga (available in some countries) ### Malaria - **Where:** Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Latin America - **Risk:** [Kenya](/en/is-kenya-safe), [India](/en/is-india-safe), [Peru](/en/is-peru-safe) (Amazon), [Indonesia](/en/is-indonesia-safe) (eastern) - **Symptoms:** Fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches (appears 7-30 days after bite) - **Treatment:** Antimalarial drugs (must be started before travel) - **Prevention:** Prophylaxis (atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine) ### Zika Virus - **Where:** Latin America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Pacific islands - **Risk:** Particularly dangerous for pregnant women (causes birth defects) - **Symptoms:** Often mild (fever, rash, joint pain) or asymptomatic - **Treatment:** No specific treatment. Supportive care. - **Prevention:** Avoid pregnancy for 8 weeks after exposure ### Yellow Fever - **Where:** Sub-Saharan Africa, tropical South America - **Risk:** [Kenya](/en/is-kenya-safe), [Brazil](/en/is-brazil-safe) (Amazon), [Peru](/en/is-peru-safe) (Amazon) - **Symptoms:** Fever, headache, jaundice, bleeding - **Treatment:** No specific treatment. 50% mortality in severe cases. - **Vaccine:** Highly effective, required for entry to some countries ### Japanese Encephalitis - **Where:** Rural Asia, particularly rice-growing areas - **Risk:** [Nepal](/en/is-nepal-safe), [Vietnam](/en/is-vietnam-safe), [India](/en/is-india-safe), [Sri Lanka](/en/is-sri-lanka-safe) - **Symptoms:** Most infections are mild, but severe cases cause brain inflammation (25% mortality) - **Vaccine:** Available and recommended for extended rural travel

### A — Awareness Know your destination's risk level. Check RiskVector's country guides and CDC/WHO for current outbreaks. ### B — Bite Prevention - **DEET (20-50%):** The gold standard. Apply to exposed skin. - **Picaridin (20%):** Effective, less greasy than DEET. - **Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus:** Natural option (must be 30%+ concentration). - **Permethrin-treated clothing:** Treat clothes, not skin. Lasts 5-10 washes. ### C — Clothing - Wear long sleeves and long pants, especially at dawn and dusk - Light-colored clothing (mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors) - Tuck pants into socks in high-risk areas - Wear loose-fitting clothing (mosquitoes can bite through tight fabric) ### D — DEET/Repellent Apply repellent correctly: - Apply to ALL exposed skin, not just spots - Reapply every 4-6 hours (more often if sweating) - Apply sunscreen first, then repellent - Don't apply under clothing - Wash off before sleeping under treated nets ### E — Environment - Stay in accommodations with screens or air conditioning - Use mosquito nets (especially in high-risk areas) - Remove standing water around your accommodation - Use mosquito coils or plug-in repellents indoors - Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when possible

If sleeping under a net: - Tuck it under the mattress - Check for holes - Don't touch the net while sleeping (mosquitoes can bite through) - Use permethrin-treated nets for double protection - Hang net properly so it doesn't fall on your face

| Region | Diseases | Prevention Priority | |---|---|---| | Sub-Saharan Africa | Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue | Prophylaxis + Vaccine + DEET | | South Asia | Malaria, Dengue, JE | Prophylaxis + DEET + Nets | | Southeast Asia | Dengue, Malaria (rural) | DEET + JE vaccine (rural) | | Latin America | Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever (Amazon) | DEET + Yellow Fever vaccine | | Caribbean | Dengue, Zika | DEET |

Seek immediate medical attention if you develop: - Fever within 3 months of returning from a malaria zone - Severe headache with neck stiffness - Unusual bleeding or bruising - Jaundice (yellow skin/eyes) - Severe joint pain **Tell your doctor about your travel history.** Mosquito-borne diseases are often misdiagnosed as flu. --- *Protect your health abroad with RiskVector. [Start free](/register) for country-specific disease risk maps and outbreak alerts.* Read next: [Tap Water Safety: 194 Countries](/en/blog/tap-water-safety-194-countries)