Spreads Through food or water that has been contaminated by infected human faeces.
Symptoms and effects Initially, usually fever or a pink rash on the abdomen. Septicaemia
(blood poisoning) may also occur.
Prevention Typhim Vi or typherix vaccine. In some countries, the oral vaccine Vivotif is also
available.
Yellow Fever
Travellers arriving in Morocco from a yellow-fever-endemic area need to show proof of
vaccination before entry ( Click here ).
Spreads There is a small risk of yellow fever, borne by mosquitos, in rural Chefchaouen
province between May and October.
Symptoms and effects Muscle aches, fever, headache, nausea and vomiting subside after a
few days, followed in up to a quarter of cases by anaemia, liver inflammation, hepatitis,
jaundice and kidney damage. Most patients who also experience bleeding from the nose, mouth
and stomach (leading to blood in vomit and faeces) die in a short space of time.
Prevention The risk is so small that the World Health Organization does not recommend
vaccination. It must be given at a designated clinic, and is a live vaccine so must not be given to
immuno-compromised or pregnant travellers.
Traveller’s Diarrhoea
Causes Strains of travel – unfamiliar food, heat, long days and erratic sleeping patterns – can
all make your body more susceptible to an upset stomach.
Prevention Water is generally safe to drink in cities, but elsewhere you should only drink
treated water. Eat fresh fruits or vegetables only if they are cooked or if you have washed or
peeled them yourself. Buffet meals, which may have been kept sitting warm for some time, can
be risky; food should be piping hot. Meals freshly cooked in front of you (like much street food)
or served in a busy restaurant are more likely to be safe. Be sensible, but not paranoid: food is
one of the treats of visiting Morocco, so don’t miss out.
Hygiene Pay close attention to personal hygiene. Many Moroccan meals are eaten with the
hand, so always wash before eating and after using the toilet. Even the smallest restaurant will
have a sink, but soap is less common, especially at cheap hotels. Antibacterial hand gel, which
cleans without needing water, is useful.
Treatment Drink plenty of fluids, and preferably an oral rehydration solution; pharmacies stock
these inexpensive sels de réhydration orale . Avoid fatty food and dairy products. A few loose
stools don’t require treatment, but if you start having more than four or five a day, take an
antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and an antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide). If
diarrhoea is bloody, persists for more than 72 hours, and is accompanied by fever, shaking
chills or severe abdominal pain, seek medical attention.
Environmental Hazards
Altitude Sickness
Causes Lack of oxygen at high altitudes (over 2500m) affects most people to some extent.