On 1/23/2015 6:07 PM, Xeno wrote:
> On 24/01/2015 10:32 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>> On 1/23/2015 4:25 PM, Xeno wrote:
>>> On 24/01/2015 7:47 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>>> On Fri, 23 Jan 2015 13:36:36 -0600, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Neither of us can tolerate hot-spicy foods. What are some things
>>>>> in Ho
>>>>> Chi Minh City that you all would recommend we order?
>>>>>
>>>>> No chicken--the travel nurse said not to order chicken because of
>>>>> bird flu.
>>>>
>>>> Your nurse is paranoid and over-reactive. You stand a much better
>>>> chance of getting salmonella or listeria here in the U.S. than you do
>>>> getting bird flu in SE Asia. Your best bet in Vietnam right now is
>>>> contracting measles more than anything else.
>>>>
>>>> -sw
>>>>
>>> True. It seems the only people who contract bird flu are those who work
>>> full time with live chickens. The paranoia spreads far more readily than
>>> the bird flu does.
>>>
>> It was my friend's travel nurse who is with Kaiser. It is in Kaiser's
>> literature on traveling to those countries.
>>
>> I've had more than my share of health issues and I live with (currently
>> in remission) lung cancer, so please understand if I'm a bit over
>> cautious.
>>
> I understand health issues quite well. My point is that all too often
> people focus on the item they are least likely to become infected by and
> forget the more subtle ones. As an example, on my last trip to Thailand
> in 2001, I visited the family farm in Ayuttaya. I took a look inside the
> water tanks, something you should always do. I had been drinking from
> the local rainwater tanks on previous trips but this time the tanks had
> mosquitoes in them, Not a good sign. The people were getting old I guess
> and didn't maintain the tanks as well as they should have been. Anyway,
> on seeing the mosquitoes, I determined then and there that I would only
> drink bottled water for the duration. I was brought undone by my brother
> in law who topped up my water bottle from the tank... it didn't affect
> them as they were immune. I partook of but a sip before I realized that
> the water tasted strange. That tiny sip was enough. Within 2 hours the
> fever had begun and I was pretty much stuffed for the next two weeks of
> my time in Thailand. Unfortunately that episode left me with some rather
> long term consequences. On my return to work I lasted about 2 or 3 weeks
> before it became acutely apparent that I wasn't recovered. I spent 6
> months on sick leave, another 18 months on provisional retirement, then
> permanent retirement since. I have only just begun to make reasonable
> progress back to good health in the past 2 or 3 years but I am still not
> back to where I was nor am I likely to be again.
>
> All for the sake of a sip of water.
>
> For the record, everyone else drank that water, including my wife, but
> they had no issues - immunity developed over their lifetimes being the key.
>

Thanks for the story. I am now well warned.

I will only drink bottled water when we are ashore. I guess we should
be wary of raw vegetables as well as they are washed in the water.

I have to start taking my malaria preventative pills next Friday. One a
week for two weeks before leaving. One a week while gone and one a week
for 4 weeks after coming home. I am bringing 98% Deet spray as well as
spraying certain items of clothing with a special insect repellant spray.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas