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The preventive measures you need to take while traveling in the Middle
East depend on the areas you visit and the length of time you stay. You
should observe the precautions listed in this document in most areas of
this region. However, in highly developed areas of Israel, you
should observe health precautions similar to those that would apply while
traveling in the United States.
Travelers’ diarrhea, the
number one illness in travelers, can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or
parasites, which can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea
and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera,
and parasites), fever (typhoid
fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). Make sure your
food and drinking water are safe. (See
below.)
Malaria is a serious, but preventable
infection that can be fatal. Your risk of malaria may be high in these
countries, including some cities. Prevent this deadly disease by seeing
your health care provider for a prescription
antimalarial drug and by protecting yourself against mosquito bites
(see below).
Travelers to malaria-risk areas, including infants, children, and former
residents of the Middle East, should take an antimalarial drug. Travelers
to some areas of Iran, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic,
Turkey, and Yemen may be at risk for malaria. There is no risk of malaria
in Bahrain, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United
Arab Emirates. For additional information on malaria risk and prevention,
see Malaria Information
for Travelers to the Middle East. See also Preventing
Malaria in the Pregnant Woman (Information for the Public)
and Preventing Malaria in Infants and
Children (Information for the Public).
| Chloroquine is the recommended antimalarial drug
for Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. |
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| Travelers to Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen should
take one of the following antimalarial drugs: (listed
alphabetically): atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine,
or primaquine (in special circumstances). |
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| In Oman, the risk of malaria is in the Musandam Province
only; because the risk is very limited, no antimalarial
drug is needed in this area. |
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Dengue, filariasis,
leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis,
and plague are diseases carried
by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself against
insect bites (see below)
will help to prevent these diseases.
There is no risk for yellow fever in the Middle East. A certificate
of yellow
fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain of these
countries if you are coming from countries in South America or sub-Saharan
Africa. For detailed information, see Comprehensive
Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements. Also, find the nearest authorized
U.S. yellow fever vaccine center.
CDC recommends
the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):
See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time
for shots to take effect.
- Hepatitis A or immune globulin
(IG).
- Hepatitis B, if you might be
exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact
with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or be exposed
through medical treatment.
- Meningococcal vaccine is
required for pilgrims to Mecca for the annual Hajj.
However, CDC currently recommends the vaccine for all travelers
to Mecca, including those traveling for the Umra. (For more information,
please see Meningococcal Disease Among
Travelers to Saudi Arabia.)
- Rabies, if you might be
exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
- Typhoid, particularly if
you are visiting developing countries in this region.
- As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria
and measles, and a one-time
dose of polio for adults. Hepatitis
B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages
11–12 years who have not completed the series.
All travelers
should take the following precautions, no matter the destination:
- Wash hands often with soap and water.
- Because motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury
among travelers, walk and drive defensively. Avoid travel at night if
possible and always use seat belts.
- Always use latex condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually
transmitted diseases.
- Don’t eat or drink dairy products unless you know they have been
pasteurized.
- Don’t share needles with anyone.
- Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have
peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
- Never eat undercooked ground beef and poultry, raw eggs, and unpasteurized
dairy products. Raw shellfish is particularly dangerous to persons who
have liver disease or compromised immune systems.
Travelers visiting
undeveloped areas should take the following precautions:
To stay healthy,
do...
- Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks
in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.
If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through
an “absolute 1-micron or less” filter AND adding iodine tablets
to the filtered water. “Absolute 1-micron filters” are found
in camping/outdoor supply stores.
- If you visit an area where there is risk for malaria,
take your malaria prevention medication
before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See your doctor for
a prescription.)
- Protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Pay special attention to mosquito protection between dusk and
dawn. This is when the type of mosquito whose bite transmits malaria
is active.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
- Use insect repellents that contain DEET
(diethylmethyltoluamide).
- Read and follow the directions and precautions on the product
label.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin.
- Do not put repellent on wounds or broken skin.
- Do not breathe in, swallow, or get into the eyes (DEET is toxic
if swallowed). If using a spray product, apply DEET to your face
by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully over the
face, avoiding eyes and mouth.
- Unless you are staying in air-conditioned or well-screened housing,
purchase a bed
net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin or deltamethrin.
Or, spray the bed net with one of these insecticides if you are
unable to find a pretreated bed net.
- DEET may be used on adults, children, and infants older than 2
months of age. Protect infants by using a carrier draped with mosquito
netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit.
- Children under 10 years old should not apply insect repellent
themselves. Do not apply to young children’s hands or around
eyes and mouth.
- For details on how to protect yourself from insects and how to
use repellents, see Protection against Mosquitoes
and Other Arthropods.
- If you are visiting friends and relatives in your home country
in areas where malaria occurs, please read the malaria
prevention recommendations for recent immigrants on the CDC
malaria site.
- To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry,
and do not go barefoot.
To avoid getting
sick...
- Don’t eat food purchased from street vendors.
- Don’t drink beverages with ice.
- Don’t handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats), to
avoid bites and serious diseases (including
rabies and plague). (For
more information, please see Animal-Associated
Hazards.)
- Don’t swim in fresh water. Salt water is usually safer. (For
more information, please see Swimming
and Recreational Water Precautions.)
What you need
to bring with you:
- Long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat to wear while outside whenever
possible, to prevent illnesses carried by insects (e.g., malaria,
dengue, filariasis,
leishmaniasis, and
onchocerciasis).
- Insect repellent containing DEET.
- Bed nets impregnated with permethrin. (Can be purchased in camping
or military supply stores. Overseas, permethrin or another insecticide,
deltamethrin, may be purchased to treat bed nets and clothes.)
- Flying-insect spray or mosquito coils to help clear rooms of mosquitoes.
The product should contain a pyrethroid insecticide; these insecticides
quickly kill flying insects, including mosquitoes.
- Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to take if you have diarrhea.
- Iodine tablets and water filters to purify water if bottled water
is not available. See Do’s
above for more details about water filters.
- Sunblock, sunglasses,
hat.
- Prescription medications: make sure you have enough to last during
your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s).
After you return
home:
If you have visited a malaria-risk area, continue taking your antimalarial
drug for 4 weeks (chloroquine, doxycycline, or mefloquine) or seven days
(atovaquone/proguanil) after leaving the risk area.
Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness.
If you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness either while traveling
in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you
should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the physician
your travel history.
For more information:
Ask your doctor or check the CDC web sites for more information about
protecting yourself against diseases that occur in the Middle East, including
the following:
| Diseases carried
by insects |
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Diseases carried in
food or water |
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Diseases from person-to-person
contact |
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For more information about these and other diseases, please check the Diseases
page and CDC
Health Topics A–Z.
This document is not a complete medical guide for travelers to this region.
Consult with your doctor for specific information related to your needs
and your medical history; recommendations may differ for pregnant women,
young children, and persons who have chronic medical conditions. In addition,
you may also check the following CDC sites:
Be sure to read the information about all the regions you are planning to visit. |
