Vacation sickness index: The risk of sickness in holiday accommodations – 20 min

Many of us know this: You are on vacation and at some point you have a stomach ache. The stomach rebels, you get a fever and get sick. In the best case scenario, it only lasts one day, but it can also quickly “spoil” your entire vacation and you will have to go to the hospital abroad. Depending on the area, it can get really bad, we’re talking malaria or dengue.

A study by Forbes Advisor revealed travel destinations around the world that have a particularly high risk of contracting the disease. To that end, more than 2 million posts on travel forums have been scanned for keywords like “salmonella,” “gastroenteritis,” “e-coli,” and “food poisoning.” the “Forbes Advisor Travel Bug IndexIt lists the travel destinations with the highest risk of getting sick on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher the score, the more likely tourists are to get sick.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Your dream destination in the Caribbean has a score of over 90. According to the study, “Dom Rep” is the country where you are most likely to get sick. Almost every tenth of the travelers there actually complained of vacation-related illnesses. As the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) warns. Mosquitoes can transmit malaria, chikungunya, dengue or Zika virus there. Also, you should never drink tap water.

Sharm Alsheikh, Egypt

The Red Sea diving paradise ranks second in the index with an overall score of 83.5. All-inclusive resorts are especially popular with tourists. Although there is no risk of malaria in the African country, gastrointestinal diseases are quite possible. For example, according to the index, nearly 11 percent of travelers complain of food poisoning. Therefore food should only be eaten fully cooked and tap water should be avoided at all costs.

Sal, Cape Verde

Sal Island belongs to Cape Verde and is very popular with tourists. It comes with clear waters and offers 350 days of sunshine a year. But here, too, many travelers report getting sick while on vacation. In the overall index score, Al Jazeera achieved a value of 70.6. More than eleven percent of travelers have chosen something there. This is how you can catch malaria in Cape Verde. You can also get dengue fever and the Zika virus. Tap water should never be drunk.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

The resort of Playa del Carmen is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, located in the Gulf of Mexico. In the index, the position in Mexico achieved 63.8 points. Again, there is a risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, chikungunya, dengue, leishmaniasis, and the Zika virus. Tap water should not be drunk.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

A beach resort in Mexico also ranks fifth. Cabo San Lucas scored 63.3 points in the index. The same applies here: never drink tap water! If this happens, diseases such as leptospirosis can occur in addition to diarrhea. This bacterial infection is transmitted, among other things, by water contaminated with rodent secretions and can in rare cases lead to more serious symptoms in the liver and kidneys.

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