Health Precautions in Mexico

Abstract

To the Editor.— The response to a query about precautions for a medical student who will be spending two years in Mexico contains several errors. The need for prophylactic rabies vaccine in Mexico is debatable. Although rabies is endemic in Mexico, the risk of exposure is small, and primary immunization against rabies is appropriate only for a few travelers who plan extended stays in remote areas where early access to appropriate management of animal bites is not possible. To the best of my knowledge, schistosomiasis is not transmitted in Mexico, and bathing in fresh water in this country carries no risk of this disease. Trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) is extremely uncommon in most areas and is unlikely to be acquired by travelers who rarely sleep in the rural housing where the vector reduviid bug lives. On the other hand, typhoid remains endemic in much of Mexico, and typhoid immunization is appropriate.