North America

United States, June 1, 1999 - With the advent of summer vacations, many Americans are getting more sun exposure. Dermatologists say that the risk of skin cancer is high for everyone, particularly those who were sunburned as children. A recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded study of 756 children between 6 and 8 years old in Hawaii found that 80 percent of lifetime exposure to the sun occurs during childhood. Damage can result from just 15 minutes exposure to the sun, even though the effects may not be seen until 12 hours later. The number of people diagnosed with skin cancer is rising. Ten years ago, the risk of developing skin cancer was 1 in 250 people; today, the risk of getting melanoma is one in 70 people, a fourfold increase. Using a sunblock or sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 is commonly recommended, but some experts warn that might not be enough. Until the experts decide what SPF should be used, everyone should limit the amount of bare skin exposed to the sun.

CNN Interactive & TravelTips Staff

United States, May 1999 - Backpacking is a popular outdoor activity, enjoyable exercise, and an important part of adventure travel. Thrive Online, an Internet-based women's health forum (http://www.thriveonline.com), offers advice for people who want to get in shape by backpacking. 1. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program! 2. Start by walking 30 minutes, three to four times a week. Wear your hiking boots and walk on hilly terrain (if you don't have hills, use a treadmill and increase the incline each week). Then increase the length of your walks to an hour. 3. Once you are comfortable walking 30 minutes to an hour three to five times a week, add a backpack. Start by carrying essential items, such as water and food. Then add about 5 pounds a week, up to the amount you expect to carry (30 to 40 pounds is recommended). 4. With your full pack on, walk the distance you will cover on the first day of your planned hike. By doing this once or twice, you'll know whether you can do it or if you need to work out a little more. 5. Communicate with your hiking partner on the trail (and have a hiking partner!). If you need to take a break or slow down, let your partner know. A good hiking partner will gladly accommodate your pace. And this bit of advice from TravelTips staff: make sure someone knows where you are going. If you are overseas, check in with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate and tell them where you will be. If you are operating out of a hotel, tell the concierge. If you are in a national or state park in the United States, tell the park rangers.

Thrive Online & TravelTips Staff

United States, March 30, 1999 - Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, reports that long trips in a plane, train, or automobile can introduce a most unwelcome travel companion: blood clots in the legs. Travelers who sat for more than 5 hours developed post-travel clots at four times the rate of the control group. Such clots cause pain and swelling, and can migrate to the lungs, causing a deadly pulmonary embolism. The solution? Stand and walk around for 10 minutes every hour if you can. If that is not possible, says Johns Hopkins hematologist Dr. William Bell, then put on your swim trunks at the end of your journey. "The exercise of swimming itself is the optimal activity to utilize in preventing stasis, or reduction in blood flow to any venous system in the body. Swimming in a pool is absolutely superb." The key is the water's pressure against blood vessel walls. Dr. Bell says using medications such as blood thinners before a long trip generally is a bad idea.

John Hopkins Intelihealth

United States and Canada, May 1999 - Since May 1st, three cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome have been reported in Arizona, Idaho, and Alberta. The Idaho and Alberta cases both died. Five other cases were reported between January and April 1999: one in Washington State and four in New Mexico. Two of the New Mexico cases died. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome gained notoriety with an outbreak in the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States in the early 1990s. The virus is spread in airborne particles of rodent waste -- in the southwestern United States, primarily the deer mouse. The virus is thought to lie dormant in the soil until it becomes airborne amid dust particles. Flu-like symptoms can quickly develop into serious respiratory problems, and up to 50 percent of cases are fatal. Some health officials are concerned that 1999 will be a "good" year for Hantavirus because of last year's dry conditions and the dry forecast for this year.

PROMed & TravelTips Staff

Mexico, June 3, 1999 - The Washington Post newspaper reported that a half-dozen pirates, brandishing a grenade and firing assault rifles into the night air, attacked a ferry returning from the Caribbean resort island of Cozumel. The pirates reportedly robbed passengers of money and valuables, threw two security guards overboard, and beat a crewmember before speeding off in another boat. Foreign tourists usually make up most of the ferry's passengers on the 10-mile route between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, 36 miles south of Cancun. However, there were no official estimates of how many foreigners were among the 253 passengers on the ferry "Mexico I" during the attack. Cozumel is a very popular tourist destination for both foreign and Mexican vacationers. One of our writers, Shari Rettig, lists Cozumel among her favorite places to visit when she can get away from her job in Mexico City. Shari has written articles warning of a major increase in crime in Mexico during the past 3 years. Her advice when faced with a robber also applies to pirates: don't resist, and turn over your money and valuables. Your losses can always be replaced. You cannot be replaced.

Washington Post & TravelTips Staff

(TravelBriefs provided courtesy of Health and Safety Publishing
on the web at www.prevmed.com )

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