Greetings Has anyone had any problems with viruses or getting sick (colds, stuffy noses) while in Cebu or the Philippines in general? My family is always worried about me being in the Phils for so long, as a result they instilled some fear into me that I want to confirm or deny. Also when I first arrived here (2nd time around after wedding) I was down with a virus for 7 days (we thought may be dengui fever) thank god it wasnt. But I always try to stay indoors, wear long pants and shirts, hat with bug lotion (DEET) and spray on the clothes that has permathrin. We even use that on the bed sheets. I hate living in fear, I am not a world traveler, I am only here for my wife. If anyone can shed lite on this subject as well what to watch out for with local foods (which I stay away from altogether, except higher priced restaurants in the mall) I would really really appreciate it. Thank you!

Orimai

Well any 3rd world you need to drink bottle water and avoid roadside food stands. Also, consider Hep. A vaccine and talk to your doc. about taking along prophylactic antibiotics.

My fiance got sick after we had our engagement party here. He threw up alot couple of hours after the party that night that was horrible but he is fine now.. Anyways, He thinks its because of the Lechon sauce but i think it was because of the chicken salad. We ate the same food but none of us got sick but him so for me, that only means his system is not used with some of the food we gave him.
over all, that was the only time that he got sick during his trip here in the Philippines. I brought him once in one of the food court here (to give him idea of how we eat here and show him some of our food) and thank God he didnt get sick. just the night of our engagement party, he really think it was the sauce (gravy).

On my second trip to the PI I developed several boils on different areas of my body. They kept coming for a couple of months, as one would heal another would break out. They were very painful and messy (when they burst). The boils are caused by a staff infection. I originally thought I had contracted the infection from a swim in a fresh water swimming hole, but after months it was discovered I'd actually acquired the infection from close contact with my fiancée. Aparently most of the folks in her barangay have been infected, and cannot afford the penicillan to cure them all. It is most likely caused by something in their environment, and I suspect it is from their drinking water. Incidentally this is in the Zambales province.

After over 4 months of living in the Philippines, I only encountered a health problem in this one instance. Generally the risk of disease in the Philippines is low, as long as you observe all the recommendations. If you visit a travel doctor and adhere to all of his advice while visiting the Philippines, you should be reasonably safe. Of course, serious illnesses could occur anywhere, and one problem in the Philippines could be poor access to hospitalization. I consider my behavior while in the Philippines as reckless. I drank the water while in the cities, ate their food, did not where long sleeves and pants nor did I use repellant. I swam in fresh water. But I followed the advice of my fiancée, and she knew how to keep me safe, except in the case of the social disease.

I'd say, aside from avoiding mosquitos (use bed netting) and being careful of the water and some of the more excotic foods, don't worry about getting sick. I myself, worry more about the rebels, and even that only a little.

I couldn't imagine going to the Phils and trying to stay indoors wearing long pants, long sleeve shirt, hat and stinky repellent. So unless you are treking through the jungle I wouldn't worry about all that. It's a beautiful tropical paradise for god's sake! Enjoy yourself. Malaria can be a risk, but only in rural areas, Cebu is not considered at risk for Malaria. My fiancee doesn't really live in a rural area, but I decided to take the medicine for Malaria prevention just in case. I also got the Hepatitus A & B vaccines, typhiod vaccine and made sure my tetanus was up to date. Drink bottled water. Don't eat from roadside stands or salad/food bars. I ate local food when i was there and loved it, just be careful what u eat and drink. Also look out for that ice in your drinks. You may need to drink a warm water or coke or two. Looks like they have had 15,000 cases of dengue fever this year up to 9/14/06 . But, in a country with 89,000,000 people that's only .00001685% of the population. Having said that someone like my mom who is very fearful of these types of things probably never would be able to go to the Phils just out of fear. For me I just take some reasonable precautions and go and have fun and hope and pray that I don't get sick. Remember now you will be traveling back to the Phils on regualr basis to visit her family. Good luck and enjoy your next visit.

Don't eat at a buffet. They don't use heated servers and bacteria is a real problem.

Somehow, I've made it in and out of the Phil. three times without getting sick. And I was hardly playing it safe. Drank the tap water, ate from street vendors, all the stuff you aren't supposed to do, and I never got sick. I got sick after the third trip, but that was more likely due to the 23 hour flight, having to be cooped up with sick people hacking, sneezing, and otherwise spitting stuff-up on the airplane. Personally, I think the chances of getting sick are far greater on the plane flight over there, then actually being there.

I didn't get sick in 2 trips to RP, but I took a lot of precautions. Hep A and B vaccines, Tetanus/Diptheria shot, Pneumonia vaccine, Flu vaccine, Typhoid vaccine, also took Malarone and had Cipro with me just in case.

However, after my first trip I got food poisoning HERE in the states at a fancy business lunch at a nice hotel, WTF?

One problem with street food in RP is the temperature it's kept at. Here in the US it's generally required to be below 40F or above 140F to prevent bacteria growth. Over there they don't care about that, or a lot of other things.

I was there twice and was in either Manila and Cebu City all of the time. I ate mostly in mall food courts and never had a problem. I never bought anything off the street. I would guess getting sick is more of a risk as you move out to the more remote areas. If you do get the sh*ts, make sure you carry toilet paper with you if you go out.

... or bring your own tabo

I think carrying toilet paper is preferable over carrying around a bucket of water and then you still have a wet @ss. LOL

I've never been to the PI,but I've been to many other places where I'm not already acquainted with the local 'bugs'.

I was going to type this out myself, but the CDC does a good job.

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/traveltips.htm
Be Smart While You Travel

-Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available and your hands are not visibly dirty, use alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol) to clean your hands. If you are going on a cruise, read this fact sheet about handwashing (in Adobe PDF format), and reducing other health risks while on a cruise.

-Drink only bottled or boiled water or carbonated (bubbly) drinks from sources you trust. Do not drink tap water or fountain drinks, or eat ice cubes.

-Only eat food that has been fully cooked or fruits and vegetables that have been washed and peeled by you. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.

-If visiting an area where you might get malaria, make sure to take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after your trip, as directed.
If you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or ticks) use insect repellent (bug spray) with 30-50% DEET. The label on the container will tell you the DEET content.

(I personally skip the malaria prophylaxis because of the side effects I've experienced)

-Make sure you know how to protect yourself from injury while you travel. Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury deaths in travelers. Swimming-related accidents are also a major cause of injury among travelers.

-Avoid poultry farms, bird markets, and other places where live poultry is raised or kept
Do not handle animals, especially monkeys, dogs, and cats, to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague).

The only problems I had is when I ate Balut!

Maarte!!!

Besides ... you don't need to carry the whole bucket... just the ladle.

Malarone is expensive but has no significant side effects like the other malaria prophylaxis drugs.

Thanks! I confess to not keeping an eye on some of the newer drugs & I had heard that there are some more palatable solutions out now. Currently I carry an emergency scrip for Fansidar in case I start to feel funny, say a Hail Mary or two and throw a sacrifice to whatever local gods I can dredge up.
That and stay covered up.

Hey thanks for the info and the humor hehehe

Orimai