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Mexico Health care
Mexico Health care
Some parts of Mexico are known for traveler's diarrhea that it is often called "Montezuma's Revenge" (Venganza de Moctezuma). The reason for this is not so much the spicy food but the contamination of the water supply in some of the poorer zones in Mexico. In most of the small towns that are less industrialized, only the poorest Mexicans will drink tap water. The best policy is to only drink bottled or purified water, both of which are readily available. Be sure to specify bottled water in restaurants and avoid ice (which is often not made from purified water). Just like in the USA, in most major Mexican cities the water is purified at the cities' water company. In most restaurants in these poor zones, the only water served comes from large jugs of purified water. If you get sick, visit your local clinic as soon as possible. There is medicine available that will counter the bacteria.
Tap water is safe to drink in Mexico City, Monterrey, and several other major urban centers. Most travelers will tell you that it is not, even though they have never even tried drinking it!
Medicine in urban areas is highly developed, public hospitals are just as good as public hospitals in US, and just as the American public hospitals, they are always full. It's recommended going to private hospitals for faster service.
Before traveling to rural areas of Mexico, it might be a good idea to obtain anti-malarial medications from your health care provider.
It is strongly advised that the traveler be sure that any meats they are consuming have been thoroughly cooked due to an increasing rate of roundworm infections, particularly in the Acapulco area.
Along with the risk for malaria, mosquitoes have also been known to carry the West Nile virus. Be sure to bring an effective insect repellent, preferably one that contains the ingredient DEET.
The rate of AIDS/HIV infection in Mexico is lower than in the US. However, if you plan on having sex, be sure that you use a latex condom to reduce your risk of contracting or spreading the virus.
As with any western location, cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome have been reported throughout Mexico. This is an acute, rare (but often fatal) illness for which there is no known cure. The virus is believed to be present in animal feces, particularly feces from members of the rodent family. Therefore, do not wander into animal dens and be especially careful when entering enclosed spaces that are not well ventilated and lack sunlight.
Vaccination against Hepatitis A & B and Typhoid fever is recommended.
If you are bitten by an animal, assume that the animal was carrying rabies and seek medical attention immediately for treatment.
In remote areas, carry a first aid kit, aspirin, and other related items are sold without medical prescription.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Mexico
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Mexico - updated Apr 2024
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WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Mexico Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.