Greetings from the National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus.gov

Regards to all our listeners!

I'm Rob Logan, Ph.D. senior staff National Library of Medicine substituting this week for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the U.S. National of Medicine.

Here is what's new this week in MedlinePlus.

To listen to Dr. Lindberg's comments, click here

During preparation for a recent trip to Teresina, Brazil, I was reminded that one of MedlinePlus.gov's abundant assets is the website's comprehensive information to help anyone plan a healthy and bon voyage.

Let's take the time this week to introduce you to MedlinePlus.gov's 'traveler's health topic page,' which is valuable when you need to take a trip to an area of the world you have not visited before. Also, since health information changes frequently regardless of locale, the 'traveler's health topic page' is helpful to consult even when you are confident you could write a guidebook about a place you are about to visit.

Teresina is a city with a population of about 750,000 in northeast Brazil, which has a history of agricultural innovation, as a regional medical center, and a state capitol. Although I was going there mostly to talk to medical and college students, I suspected I might visit one of the area's large ranches (where the descendents of cattle imported from Portugal more than two centuries ago still thrive), or nearby farms where cashews and a cassava-family plant -- similar to a potato -- flourish. So, a few weeks before the trip, I wondered what shots are needed if you visit a combination of urban and rural Brazil -- but none of these areas are near the Amazon forest and jungle areas. To explain, while Teresina is near the equator (the sun rises and sets on cue at 6), the surrounding terrain is not at all similar to Brazil's famed beaches, botanic gardens, or jungle.

So, I needed some reliable information on possible health challenges, and any recommendations on required or desirable shots.

Fortunately, I found current health information about Brazil with suggestions about precautions in a website provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (which is in the 'start here' section of MedlinePlus' 'traveler's health topic page').

I clicked on Brazil in a world map and received immediate information on dengue and yellow fever, as well as some suggested vaccines for travel (from the U.S.) this summer.

Included within the website, which is called 'Traveler's health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),' was information about safety and security as well as more health oriented information tailored for Brazil (and most other nations).

The CDC website continues with a list of five vaccine-preventable diseases found in Brazil and some helpful information on medications to prevent malaria as well as an introduction to its symptoms. This was followed by a list of other recommended medications, an introduction to diseases found in tropical South America, and many practical tips to stay healthy during my visit.

Within the CDC's information, I learned that Brazil does not require yellow fever vaccinations and how to best respond to the combination of urban and rural parts of my trip.

The information worked; I stayed well. However, the point is the CDC's website is a gateway to information about healthy travel throughout the world. So, the website could be used to help Brazilians visiting the U.S. Incidentally, much of the information on the website is in Spanish as well as English.

Besides its current, nation-by-nation suggestions, MedlinePlus' 'traveler's health topic page' also supplies links to directories of travel clinics, the latest news about travel and health, recent articles about travel health in refereed journals, and special information tailored for: children, teens, women, and seniors.

There are links to other MedlinePlus health topic pages about some travel-related diseases and issues such as: gastroenteritis, diarrhea, back aches, malaria, motion sickness, parasitic diseases, and infections.

Other links provide advice on common, travel-related concerns, such as: jet lag; foot swelling; ears and altitude; and deep vein thrombosis (which may be a concern on long flights).

There is additional health information for travel by airplane, cruise ships, or while hiking, camping, and boating.

To find the 'traveler's health topic page,' type 'travel health' in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov's home page. Then, click on 'traveler's health (National Library of Medicine).'

Of course, we wish you healthy, happy travels this summer. And if you happened to go to Brazil try some macaxeira (from a cassava plant that sometimes tastes like a potato that I mentioned earlier).

Before I go, this reminder……. MedlinePlus.gov is authoritative,….. free…. does not accept advertising …and is written to help you.

To find MedlinePlus.gov, just type in "MedlinePlus.gov' in any web browser, such as Firefox, Safari, Netscape, or Explorer.

We encourage you to use MedlinePlus and please recommend it to your friends. MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish.

Your comments about this or any of our podcasts are always welcome. We welcome suggestions about future topics too!
Please email Dr. Lindberg anytime at: NLMDirector@nlm.nih.gov That's NLMDirector (one word) @nlm.nih.gov

A written transcript of recent podcasts is available. Just click on the 'Director's comments' link on MedlinePlus' home page.

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It was nice to be with you….