Jungle Hazards
Going even a little off the beaten track in the jungle is real travelling, through an intense mesh of plant, insect and animal life. It's an environment that's not to be taken lightly: apart from the real chance of getting lost, the image of poisonous snakes, jaguars and mosquitos is based on fact, though these dangers don't actually come hunting for you. Always consult your doctor on how to prevent diseases before departing for Peru if you are planning to spend any time in the rainforest regions. ? DENGUE FEVER There is no inoculation against Dengue fever , a mosquito-transmitted viral infection that occurs mainly in urban Amazonia, and the best prevention is by avoiding bites (see "Malaria" below, though note that the Dengue mosquito is primarily diurnal). Symptoms include high fevers, headache, severe pains in muscles and joints, vomiting and a red skin rash after the first few days. The illness usually lasts around ten days and can be treated with Paracetamol. If haemorrhaging occurs, see a doctor immediately. Recovery is usually complete within a few weeks. ? JIGGERS Small insects that live in cut grass, jiggers can also be a very irritating problem; they stick to and bury their heads in your ankles before slowly making their way up your legs to the groin, causing you to itch furiously. You can either pick them out one by one as the natives do, or apply sulphur cream (ask for the best ointment from a farmacia in any jungle town). ? LEISHMANIASIS Endemic to certain zones, Leishmaniasis (known in Peru as uta) is transmitted by sandfly bites and is rare for short-term visitors to the jungle. Symptoms start with skin sores that begin to ulcerate, followed by fever and swelling of the spleen. There is no prophylactic and if untreated it can lead to severe degeneration of skin and facial tissue, usually around the upper lip and lower nose areas. There is treatment in the form of heavy metal injections, but many untreated cases among relatively malnourished Peruvian peasants and Indians have resulted in permanent and quite horrific disfigurement. ? MALARIA The most significant disease in the Amazon, malaria has two common forms in South America; Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. The latter is the most common, but both are found in the Peruvian Amazon and both are thought to be fast adapting to modern medicines. Of the prophylactics , many have side-effects (some psychological, others physiological), so do some independent research as well as consulting your doctor. Mosquitos are mainly, but not exclusively nocturnal, coming out at dusk and disappearing at sunrise; the best protection is to use roll-on DEET (diethyltoluamide) repellents; to wear clothing that's treated with diluted DEET repellant and covers exposed skin; and to sleep under mosquito nets. Note that DEET harms plastics. Even with the best effort possible, you can't be sure of avoiding bites, especially when camping in the rainforest or on night-walks, so always take what your GP prescribes. Malaria starts three or four weeks after contact, usually with a combination of severe nausea, high fevers, delirium and chills; get medical help as soon as possible if you have these symptoms - it's easier to treat in the early stages. ? PARASITES Parasites are quite common, so it's best to boil drinking water and use sterilizing tablets or crystals. Around human settlements, including the muddier parts of larger towns, you can pick up parasites through the soles of your feet; the best precaution is to wear shoes rather than flip-flops or sandals. Also, get a medical check-up at a centre that specializes in tropical diseases when you return home. ? RIVER SICKNESS The most likely hazard you'll encounter is river sickness , a general term for the effect of the sun's strong rays reflected off the water. After several hours on the river, particularly at midday and without a hat, you may get the first symptom - the runs - sometimes followed by nausea or shaking fever; in extreme cases these can last for a day or two. Anti-diarrhoea medicine should help (Lomotil, Imodium, or something similar); otherwise drink plenty of fluids and take rehydration salts dissolved in water. ? SNAKES It's unlikely that you will encounter any snakes . If you do, nearly all of them will disappear as quickly as they can - only the shushupe (a bushmaster) is fearless. The Fer-de-lance, or jergon, is also quite common; it's smaller and packs less venom than the bushmaster, but can still be deadly. Most bites occur by stepping on a sleeping snake or picking it up with a handful of vegetation; be constantly aware of this possibility. If anyone does get bitten, the first thing to remember is to keep calm - most deaths result from shock, not venom. Try to kill the snake for identification, but, more importantly, apply a temporary tourniquet above the bite and find medical help immediat ely. Some natives have remedies even for a potentially deadly shushupe bite. ? YELLOW FEVER Yellow fever is simple to prevent by a jab that covers you for ten years. Consult your doctor to find the nearest inoculation centre, and remember to obtain a certificate of inoculation , which you are sometimes required to show on entry into many of Peru's jungle regions. If you can't, you run the risk of being subject to on-the-spot inoculation, wherever you may be.
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