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Different areas of the world have different diseases and different prevalence rates of disease. Factors that contribute to these differences are climate (tropical, subtropical, temperate, arid, and so forth), native insects, parasites and animals, population density, and a myriad of other factors.

Travelers to foreign countries (any country not of the traveler's origin) may encounter diseases to which they have no natural immunity, to which they are not exposed in their own country, and which are likely to have a significant impact on their health.

Below is a listing of countries and diseases that may be encountered at some time during the different season.

AFRICA

Northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Tunisia)

insect-borne diseases: insect-borne diseases in this area are uncommon, but these may be encountered: leishmaniasis, malaria, relapsing fever, Rifte Valley fevertyphus, sandfly fever, West Nile fever

water and food-borne diseases: dysentery (many organisms), cholera, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, giardiasis, brucellosis, echinococcoisis, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), polio

rabies

Nile delta

filariasis, schistosomiasis

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

plague

Sub-Saharan Africa

insect-borne diseases: insect-borne diseases in this area are very common: malaria, filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), relapsing fever, typhus, plague, yellow fever, hemorrhagic fevers (such as Dengue hemorrhagic fever, etc.)

water- and food-borne diseases: intestinal worms (helminthic infection), dysentery, giardiasis, typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, cholera, dracunculiasis, echinococcosis, poliomyelitis

other: Hepatitis B, trachoma, Lassa fever, Ebola fever, Margburg fever, meningococcal meningitis

Southern Africa

insect-borne: malaria, plague, relapsing fever, Rift Balley fever, tick-bite fever, typhus

water- and food-borne diseases: amebiasis, typhoid fever

other: Hepatitis B, rabies

Botswana, Namibia

sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), schistosomiasis

South Africa, Swaziland

schistosomiasis

NORTH AMERICA

general area

insect-borne: Lyme disease, and rare cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia

water- and food-borne diseases: rare outbreaks of cryptosporidium, rare giardiasis

other: extremely rare case of rabies

CENTRAL AMERICA

general area

insect-borne diseases: malaria, cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), dengue fever, Venezuelan equine encephalitis

water- and food-borne diseases: amoebic dysentery, dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera, Hepatitis A, intestinal worms (helminthic infection)

other: rabies

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

visceral leishmaniasis

Mexico, Guatemala

onchocerciasis

Costa Rica

filariasis

Caribbean Islands

insect-borne diseases: see below

water- and food-borne diseases: Hepatitis A, dysentery, amebic dysentery

other: see below

Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama

oriental lung fluke (paragonimiasis)

Dominican Republic

malaria, schistosomiasis

Cuba

liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica)

Haiti

malaria, tularemia

SOUTH AMERICA

Tropical South America

insect-borne diseases: malaria, American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, yellow fever, viral encephalitis, Dengue fever

water- and food-borne diseases: amebiasis, dysentery, intestinal worms, helminthic infections, Hepatitis A

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

visceral leishmaniasis

Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru

plague

Colombia, Peru

typhus

Temperate South America

insect-borne diseases: American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease)

water- and food-borne diseases: salmonellosis, tapeworm (taeniasis), typhoid fever, echinococcosis, Hepatitis A

anthrax

Argentina

malaria, cutaneous leishmaniasis, cholera, Hepatitis A, rabies

Chile

cholera

ASIA

East Asia (general area)

insect-borne diseases: see below

water- and food-borne diseases: Hepatitis A, diarrheal diseases, oriental liver fluke (clonorchiasis), oriental lung fluke (paragonimiasis)

other: Hepatitis B

rabies

China

malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, plague, typhus, poliomyelitis, trachoma, leptospirosis

Mongolia

Korean hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever

Japan, Republic of Korea

scrub typhus

Eastern South Asia (Southeast Asia)

insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, plague, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever, Dengue hemorrhagic fever, typhus

water- and food-borne diseases: cholera, dysentery, amebic dysentery, typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, giant intestinal fluke (fasciolopsiasis), paragonimiasis, melioidosis

other: Hepatitis B, schistosomiasis, poliomyelitis

rabies

Viet Nam

plague, trachoma

Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand

trachoma

Middle South Asia (Indian subcontinent)

insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, sandfly fever, visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, relapsing fever, typhus, dengue fever, hemorrhagic fevers

water- and food-borne diseases: cholera, typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), brucellosis, echinococcosis

other: Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, trachoma,

rabies

Islamic Republic of Iran

giardiasis

India, Nepal

meningococcal meningitis

Western South Asia (The Middle East)

insect-borne diseases: cutaneous leishmaniasis, typhus, relapsing fever

water- and food-borne diseases: typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tapeworm (taeniasis), brucellosis, echinococcosis

other: hepatitis B, schistosomiasis

EUROPE

Northern Europe (general area)

insect-borne diseases: rare occurrences of tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

water- and food-borne diseases: tapeworm, trichinellosis, fish tapeworm (diphyllobothriasis), liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), Hepatitis A

other: rabies

Siberia

typhus

Russian Federation, Ukraine

diphtheria, poliomyelitis

Southern Europe (general area)

insect-borne diseases: murine and tick-borne typhus, West Nile fever, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease

water- and food-borne diseases: dysentery, typhoid fever, brucellosis, echinococcosis, Hepatitis A

other: Hepatitis B, rabies

Croatia, Yugoslavia

poliomyelitis

Australia, New Zealand, Antarctic

insect-borne diseases: mosquito-borne polyarthritis, viral encephalitis

water- and food-borne diseases: amebic meningoencephalitis

Melanesia, Micronesia-Polynesia

insect-borne diseases: malaria, filariasis, typus, Dengue fever

water- and food-borne diseases: dysentery, typhoid fever, intestinal worms (helminthic infections), Hepatitis A

other: Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, trachoma

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world, affecting millions of people on every continent except Australia. Malaria is not a problem in cold climates, and is a lesser problem in temperate climates, but is a threat to those living or traveling in subtropical and tropical climates.

Resistance of the malaria organism changes rapidly and frequent updating on resistant strains, especially the falciparum, is necessary for safe travel.

An effective vaccination exists for yellow fever, a mosquito-borne, frequently fatal viral infection that causes fever, jaundice, and hemorrhaging. Travelers to areas endemic for yellow fever should be vaccinated a minimum of 10 days prior to entering a yellow fever zone. Certificates of immunization may be required for entrance into some countries.