Senegal
General Info:
The information that appears on this website should be used to obtain general information on health risks and to consult information before traveling.
This information does not substitute a medical consultation under any circumstances. Ideally, travelers should see their health care provider four to six weeks before their trip. At the pretravel consultation, health risks will be assessed individually, taking into account the destination, trip duration, travel purpose, age, personal medical history and medications taken by the traveler.
There are risks that are relevant to all travelers regardless of their destination. Examples include traffic accidents and other types of accidents, diseases transmitted by insects and/or ticks, diseases transmitted by contaminated food and water, sexually transmitted infections, or health problems related to hot or cold weather.
All travelers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance.
Vaccinations:
Travelers must be up-to-date on their immunization schedule, whether children or adults. For example, these vaccines include the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; and diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis.
Some travelers may be at increased risk of contracting an infectious disease due to their age, job, lifestyle, or underlying diseases, so they should be up-to-date on additional recommended vaccines.
Required Vaccines
There is a high risk of yellow fever transmission throughout the country. In accordance with international health regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required ONLY for travelers aged over 9 months arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers who have transited through an airport of a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from July 11, 2016 (in all countries) the vaccination certificate against yellow fever is valid for the life of the person vaccinated. Consequently, a valid certificate presented by travelers cannot be rejected on the grounds that more than 10 years have passed since the date on which the vaccination became effective (as stated on the certificate). Therefore, reinforcements or revaccinations cannot be required.
Recommended Vaccines
The vaccinations that appear in this section are recommended for some of the travelers that visit this country. Such vaccines should be evaluated during the personalized pretravel consultation.
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Yellow Fever
- Typhoid Fever
- Tetanus-Diphtheria
- Meningococcal Disease
- Rabies
- Poliomyelitis
Malaria:
There is a high risk of malaria throughout Senegal, so preventive treatment is always recommended. The treatment must be assessed and prescribed by a professional in a pretravel consultation, taking into account the characteristics of each person.
To prevent malaria, it is necessary to take into account the following:
- Cover areas of the body exposed to mosquitoes with long pants,
long-sleeved shirts, and socks. - Avoid wearing dark-colored clothing because they attract mosquitoes.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed areas of the skin (neck, arms, and legs). Use repellents with a concentration of at least 30% IR3535 to protect against malaria, 20% to 50% DEET, 20% Icaridine, and 30% PMD.
- When staying in the risk area, always sleep under mosquito nets (preferably impregnated ones) or in air-conditioned rooms.
- REMEMBER: If you have a fever, headache and/or tiredness during the trip or on your return (even if you are taking antimalarial medication), you should see a doctor as soon as possible, particularly one specialized in Tropical Medicine and International Health to rule out malaria.
Other Risks:
Arboviral Diseases
There is risk of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika transmission. They are viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes that bite during the daytime and are found in urban areas. They cause a flu-like illness. Cases of severe dengue fever are rare in travelers. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to avoid mosquito bites, since no medicines or vaccines are available. If you have a fever, headache and/or tiredness, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, particularly one specialized in Tropical Medicine and International Health.
Precautions against Zika virus and pregnancy:
- Pregnant women who plan to travel to areas with risk of Zika transmission should postpone the trip until after the pregnancy.
- Pregnancy should be avoided during the trip and up to 8 weeks after leaving the risk area. If a woman or her partner travel to an area where they have exposure to the virus, they should consider not having sex for at least 3 months, since Zika can be transmitted through sexual intercourse.
- If a woman has Zika symptoms, she should wait at least 2 months after her recovery to try to get pregnant.
- Pregnant women who visited this country or women who got pregnant 2 months after the trip should contact their family doctor, obstetrician and/or midwife as well as a tropical medicine specialist for appropriate follow-up, regardless of any symptoms.
Problems Associated with Bathing in Fresh Water
There is risk of developing schistosomiasis in rivers and lakes. They harbor a type of parasite that can penetrate through healthy skin when we swim or put our feet or hands in fresh water. Before traveling, you should check if the water of the rivers and lakes of the country of destination has this parasite (bilharzia or schistosoma). There is no risk of schistosomiasis in salt water. However, risks such as bacterial infections or animal bites are present.