Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasite which is present in many parts of the tropics. The illness results in approximately 400,000 to 600,000 deaths annually.

Read more about malaria here.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver which is rare in Australia. As it is contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water, it is more common in countries where water and sanitation infrastructure are less well established or maintained.

Read more about hepatitis A here.

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract and blood caused by Salmonella Typhi. It occurs in countries where water and sanitation infrastructure are less well established or maintained than in Australia. Among Australian travellers, those who are visiting friends and relatives in these areas are at particularly high risk.

Read more about typhoid here.

The dengue fever virus is carried by Aedes mosquitoes in many tropical countries. These mosquitoes are found most commonly in urban areas and tend to bite during the day-time. An estimated 400 million people are infected with the dengue fever virus each year and around a quarter of these people develop symptoms.

Read more about dengue fever here.

Gastroenteritis or traveller’s diarrhoea is an infection of the intestine most commonly involving bacteria. Causes include enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter. It can also be due to viruses such as norovirus and parasites like Giardia. Gastroenteritis is the single most common infection afflicting travellers from Australia.

Read more about gastroenteritis here.

Read more about preventable illness in travellers through our travel hub. These include malaria, typhoid, gastroenteritis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis virus, rabies and deep vein thrombosis.