Canada requires no specific
vaccinations, but problems can
start when you're walking or
camping in the backcountry. Tap
water is generally safe to
drink, though at campgrounds
water is sometimes good for
washing only - ask if in doubt.
You should always boil
backcountry
water for at least ten
minutes to protect against the
Giardia
parasite (or "beaver
fever"), which thrives in
warm water, so be careful about
swimming in
hot springs -
if possible, keep nose, eyes and
mouth above water. Symptoms are
intestinal cramps, flatulence,
fatigue, weight loss and
vomiting, all of which can
appear up to a week after
infection. If left untreated,
more unpleasant complications
can arise, so see a doctor.
Blackfly and mosquitoes
are notorious for the problems
they cause walkers and campers,
and are especially bad in areas
near water and throughout most
of northern Canada. Horseflies
are another pest. April to June
is the blackfly season, and the
mosquito season is from July
until about October. Before you
go, take three times the
recommended daily dosage of
Vitamin B complex for two weeks,
and take the recommended dosage
while you're in Canada - this
cuts down bites by up to 75
percent. Once you're there,
repellent creams and sprays may
help: the best repellents are
those containing DEET -
the ointment version of
Deep-Woods Off is the best
brand, with 95 percent DEET. If
you're camping or picnicking
you'll find that burning coils
or candles containing allethrin
or citronella can help (but
watch those smells - they'll
attract the bears
). If you're walking in an area
that's rife with pests, it's
well worth taking a gauze mask
to protect your head and neck;
wearing white clothes and no
perfumed products also makes you
less attractive. Once bitten, an
antihistamine cream like
phenergan is the best antidote.
On no account go anywhere near
an area marked as a blackfly
mating ground - people have died
from bites sustained when the
monsters are on heat.
If you develop a large rash
and flu-like symptoms, you may
have been bitten by a tick
carrying lyme borreliosis
(or "lyme tick
disease"). This is easily
curable, but if left can lead to
nasty complications, so see a
doctor as soon as possible. It's
spreading in Canada, especially
in the more southerly and wooded
parts of the country. Check on
its prevalence with the local
tourist authority - it may be
advisable to buy a strong tick
repellent and to wear long
socks, trousers and sleeved
shirts when walking. Whether
ticks give you anything or not,
they're nasty on their own,
burying into your skin, often
after spending time moving
surreptitiously over your body
to find a nice warm soft spot.
In backcountry areas look out
for poison ivy , which
grows in most places, but
particularly in a belt across
southern Ontario and Qu้bec,
where poison-ivy ointment is
widely available. If you're
likely to be walking in affected
areas, ask at tourist offices
for tips on where it is and how
to recognize the plant. It
causes itchy open blisters and
lumpy sores up to ten days after
contact. Wash body and clothes
as soon as possible after
contact, smother yourself in
calamine lotion and try not to
scratch. In serious cases,
hospital emergency rooms can
give antihistamine or adrenalin
jabs. Also keep an eye open for snakes
in certain western areas;
pharmacists and wilderness
outfitters can advise on
snakebite kits, and park wardens
can give useful preventive
advice. Should you get bitten
without an antidote on you, get
a good look at the culprit so
that the doctor can identify the
species and administer the right
medicine.
If walking or climbing, go
properly equipped and be
prepared for sudden changes of
weather. Watch out for signs of exposure
- mild delirium, exhaustion,
inability to get warm - and on
snow or in high country during
summer take a good sun block
. Finally, of course, take the
same precautions against HIV
infection as you would back home
- use a condom and don't share
needles.
