Health

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Health
Tourist areas in Mexico are generally healthy places. The visitor's main health concerns are not food or water sources but avoiding mishaps while driving, boating, diving, and surfing.

No inoculations are required for entering Mexico, though you should check with your doctor for or with the Centers for Disease Control (Tel. +1 (404) 332-4559) in Atlanta, Georgia for current requirements. A tetanus shot is recommended if yours is out-of-date. You might consider wearing an ID tag provided by Medic Alert International (Box 1009, Turlock, CA 95381; Tel. 800-ID-ALERT; fee) if you have a medical condition such as epilepsy, diabetes, allergies to ordinary medications, or heart disease.

Turista
"Montezuma's revenge," as we know it, or turista, as Mexicans call it, remains the greatest health concern of tourists, even though its incidence has been decreasing. This affliction of diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by fever, can last a few days and require complete bed rest. It usually results not from dirty water or dirty anything but from exposure to bacteria different from those at home. (Mexicans visiting the United States are often similarly affected by unfamiliar bacteria.) There is no guaranteed method for preventing it. The most cautious traveler has been known to get turista and the least cautious emerge unscathed.

Visitors who use common sense, though, can greatly reduce their chances of coming down with food- or water-related illnesses. The first rule is not to overdo it during the first few days of your trip—eat and drink in moderation. Shoveling down huge amounts of tasty, often heavy Mexican foods along with pitchers of margaritas or strong Mexican beer is liable to make anyone sick from pure overindulgence. If you're not used to the spices and different ways of cooking, it's best to ingest small amounts at first.

Second, you're most likely to encounter unsanitary conditions at street vendors' foodstalls: Eat only foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are served either stove-hot or refrigerator-cold. Many foreigners eat street food without any problems whatsoever, but it pays to be cautious, especially if it's your first time in Mexico.

The absolutely safest thing to do is to limit your drinking water to that found bottled. Many first-class hotels have purified water (agua purificada) in their taps. Budget hotels may provide agua purificada to you in bottles or carafes. A further precaution is not to take a chance on ice cubes and to request beverages sin hielo. (Most pricier establishments use purified water for everything, but ask to make sure.) If you are craving a glass of cold water, try a chilled bottle of Mexico's good mineral water (called agua mineral; sin gas if you don't want it carbonated). Unpeeled raw vegetables and fruit washed in purified water and dried with a clean cloth are usually okay, as are peeled and thoroughly cooked vegetables. Many people swear that advance daily doses of chewable Pepto-Bismol will prevent illness.

If you are stricken with turista, treatment depends on the intensity of your ailment. If you do have a serious attack, you should try to stay in bed, restrict yourself to a bland diet, drink plenty of water, and take whatever drug your doctor recommends. (Some, like Lomotil and Vibramicin, are available over the counter in Mexico.) Your hotel can arrange for a doctor if you become concerned about your condition. Mexican doctors are expert in treating this illness. Once you're out of bed, stay on a bland diet until you feel completely well.

A good resource book for travelers is Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America,, by Dirk G. Schroeder.

Safety
Although your chances of becoming the target of a crime are refreshingly small, you should observe the usual sensible precautions: Keep money and valuables secured, either in a hotel safe or safety deposit box, or in a money belt or other hard-to-reach place on your person. Keep an eye on cameras, purses, etc., to make sure you don't leave them behind in restaurants, hotels, or campgrounds. Use automated teller machines during the day and, if possible, inside a commercial establishment. At night, lock the doors to your hotel room and vehicle.