Jaunted

Travel Health / Disease / In-Flight Comfort / Airplanes / Lists / → All Tags

The Top Ten Gross Things People Do On Airplanes

We all know about the rare instances of airline passenger misconduct that make it to the headlines, like the case of the naked, angry flyer or the fighting Lohan, but every day little instances of pure gross occur unnoticed or just unreported.

Perhaps you've spotted someone getting a little too frisky beneath their $5 on-board purchase blanket or going about some hygienic business, but chances are you haven't seen all Top Ten Gross Things People Do On Airplanes:

10. Browse dating websites over the in-flight WiFi
We know that having in-flight WiFi is new and great and magical, but it's best to keep your private profile and your preferences for "18/F/Asian" private. Even if it's something as innocuous as passing the time on HotorNot.com, just remember that you're not the only one who can see your computer screen, and we bet everyone else that can is secretly laughing at you.

more ›

Travel Health / Disease / Southeast Asia Travel / → All Tags

New Malaysian Malaria: Monkeys and Mosquitoes To Blame

Travelers to Southeast Asia beware: there's a new strain of malaria in town. Researchers have recently figured out that the Plasmodium knowlesi strain of malaria, which used to be confined to Malaysian macaque monkeys, can kill humans too.

The especially nasty part about this new human strain of malaria is that doctors have a hard time recognizing it. Symptoms and disease progression look scarily similar to other less serious forms of malaria, so you might end up dead before the doctors realize they should've done something differently.

more ›

Bali Travel / Travel Health / Disease / → All Tags

Bali Tourists Bitten By Rabies Scare

The Indonesian island paradise of Bali, a major tourist hangout, seems to be having a few glitches lately. As if running out of alcohol wasn't already a pretty big problem, now the rabid dog problem looks like it is getting a bit out of control.

Previously rabies-free, the disease hit Bali last year, but it's only in the last few months that the drama has really hit the press and worried tourists. Ten locals have even died from rabies in the past year, and now tourists who get bitten by suspicious-looking dogs might have nowhere to turn—post-exposure vaccine supplies at Bali hospitals are pretty much non-existent.

more ›

Beachgoers Beware / Bali Travel / Disease / Travel Warnings / → All Tags

Rabid Dogs Coming To Bali Beaches

Uh-oh. The Indonesian island holiday paradise of Bali is not quite the paradise we thought. It's just lost the status of being rabies-free, so now we've got to warn you about it.

Last year it was the chickens that were dangerous, but Australian health authorities have just confirmed that rabies is back in town. The Balinese are denying it for now, saying three locals died of a brain infection... after being bitten by dogs. We'll let you decide.

In any case, there are now warnings for tourists to consider rabies vaccinations before they fly to Bali and to look out for dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals who might scratch or bite you. Even if they're not (yet) foaming at the mouth.

Related Stories:
· Bali Tourist Paradise Bitten Again [The Age]
· Don't Play With Chickens in Bali [Jaunted]
· Bali Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: marcomazzei]

Food / Restaurants / Disease / → All Tags

Bear-ly Legal

After the mad cow scare, meat is often at the (just pink, please) center of international incidents. After 17 people in France got intestinal infections from eating undercooked Canadian bear, French officials have issued a warning about eating such game from that country. Gosh, who could have forseen that eating bear meat would go awry somehow?

The disease, trichinellosis, is caused by microscopic larvae. In the words of the AFP, the "meat was found to be crawling with the worms -- the average was 295 larvae per gram." Wow, that's gross.

We suspect that the French think their bear meat is safer, but wherever it comes from, make sure your bear meat is well cooked.

Related Stories:
·   Don't eat Canadian bears [Expatica]