Morocco
Travel Destination – Morocco
Morocco is a captivating destination where North African traditions meet striking natural beauty. From the vibrant souks and historic medinas of Marrakech and Fes to the rugged Atlas Mountains and vast Sahara Desert, Morocco offers rich cultural immersion and diverse landscapes. Colourful markets, centuries-old architecture, and warm hospitality create unforgettable travel experiences. Whether navigating lively cities, trekking mountain trails, or exploring desert regions, preparing for Morocco’s climate, health considerations, and travel conditions can help ensure a safe and enriching visit.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
For travellers heading to Morocco, booking a pre-travel appointment with a travel doctor is an important step in preparing for a safe and enjoyable trip. Your doctor can provide a detailed, personalised health plan based on your planned activities, whether exploring the vibrant medinas of Marrakech, trekking in the Atlas Mountains, or visiting desert regions like the Sahara. Your doctor will review your vaccination history, advise additional immunisations depending on your itinerary and length of stay, and provide prescriptions for necessary medications. Ideally, schedule your consultation six to eight weeks before departure to allow time for multi-dose vaccines, though last-minute appointments are still useful for accelerated vaccine schedules and essential travel health guidance.
Insect avoidance
In Morocco, sand flies can transmit leishmaniasis and mosquitoes can occasionally transmit illnesses such as West Nile virus during outbreaks. Protecting yourself from insect bites remains important, particularly in rural or agricultural regions.
Staying in air-conditioned or well-screened accommodation is advisable. When outdoors, especially in the evening, reduce the likelihood of bites by wearing long sleeves, long trousers, and socks. Applying repellents with DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus adds another layer of protection.
Food and water hygiene
Morocco’s cuisine is rich in flavour and tradition, featuring tagines, grilled meats, and fresh market produce, but travellers should be mindful of food and water hygiene. To lower the risk of gastroenteritis and other gastrointestinal infections, wash your hands thoroughly or use antiseptic hand gel before eating. When choosing your meals in Morocco, select food that is well cooked, freshly prepared, and served hot, but avoid raw, undercooked, or reheated meals. Street food can be enjoyed more safely when it is cooked in front of you and served immediately. Fruits and vegetables are generally safer when they can be peeled before eating, such as bananas or mangos. To reduce the risk of waterborne illness, drink only boiled, filtered, or bottled water, and avoid untreated tap water and ice made from it.
Rabies prevention
Australia does not have rabies, but in Morocco, the virus commonly carried in dogs. Travellers should avoid contact with animals, including stray dogs and cats, as well as wildlife. Prior to travel, speak with a travel doctor about whether pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended, particularly if you will be travelling rurally, spending time outdoors, or visiting areas where access to medical care may be limited. If you are bitten, scratched, or licked on broken skin by an animal while in Morocco, seek immediate medical care. Early treatment can prevent rabies, but once symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Morocco?
Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver is spread through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Hepatitis A is more common in Morocco than in Australia, and many Australians are not routinely immunised. Travellers who have not completed a two-dose Hepatitis A vaccination course are strongly advised to be vaccinated before travelling, particularly if visiting rural regions, eating street food, or staying with local families.
Typhoid
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Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi. It is spread through contaminated food or water, causing symptoms such as sustained fever, headaches, fatigue, abdominal pain, and digestive disturbances. Typhoid is more prevalent in Morocco than in Australia, especially in areas with variable sanitation. Without treatment, typhoid fever can be severe, so appropriate prevention including vaccination and safe food handling is essential. Vaccination is recommended for travellers who have not been immunised previously, particularly those planning longer stays, rural travel, or frequent street-food consumption. Even after vaccination, strict food and water precautions remain an important part of prevention.
Hepatitis B
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The hepatitis B virus can cause a long term viral infection of the liver. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, including through unprotected sex, unsterile tattooing or piercing, and sharing items such as razors. While many younger Australians received Hepatitis B vaccination in childhood, not all adults are immune. Hepatitis B vaccination may be recommended for travellers to Morocco who have not been vaccinated, especially those planning longer stays or activities that may increase exposure risk. A travel doctor can review your immunisation history and provide tailored advice before travel.
Routine vaccinations
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In Australia, routine immunisation keeps diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus well controlled. In Morocco, these infections occur more frequently, increasing the potential exposure risk for travellers. Before travelling, it’s advisable to review your vaccination history and ensure your routine immunisations are up to date. A travel doctor can determine whether boosters are recommended for vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus, influenza, and COVID-19, helping to protect your health throughout your trip.
Morocco
Other health risks in Morocco
Rabies
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Australia does not have rabies, but in Morocco, the virus commonly carried in dogs. Travellers should avoid contact with animals, including stray dogs and cats, as well as wildlife. Prior to travel, speak with a travel doctor about whether pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended, particularly if you will be travelling rurally, spending time outdoors, or visiting areas where access to medical care may be limited. If you are bitten, scratched, or licked on broken skin by an animal while in Morocco, seek immediate medical care. Early treatment can prevent rabies, but once symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal.
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis, otherwise called travellers’ diarrhoea, is a common concern in Morocco, mainly due to bacterial contamination of food and water. Symptoms can include abdominal cramps, loose stools, nausea, or vomiting, typically developing within one to three days after exposure. Keeping well-hydrated is essential, which can involve oral rehydration salts to help replace lost fluids and minerals. Antibiotics are usually reserved for severe or persistent illness, or for travellers with higher susceptibility. Preventive strategies include practicing thorough hand hygiene, avoiding raw or undercooked foods, and drinking only bottled or properly treated water.
Non-infectious conditions
Deep vein thrombosis
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Visitors to Morocco may spend considerable time on planes, buses, or trains, all of which can slow leg circulation and increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This condition occurs when stagnant blood in the deep veins forms clots. Preventive measures include standing and stretching periodically, walking during stops, and drinking plenty of water. Travellers at higher risk may benefit from below-knee compression stockings. If DVT occurs, treatment generally involves anticoagulant medications to reduce clotting.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
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Travelling in Morocco involves navigating a mix of modern highways, busy city streets, and rural roads where conditions may vary. Choose reliable transport options, wear seatbelts whenever available, and exercise caution when travelling long distances. If riding a motorbike or scooter, only do so if experienced, follow local road rules, and always wear a helmet, as traffic can be unpredictable in urban areas.
For activities such as hiking in the Atlas Mountains or exploring desert regions, wear well-fitted, broken-in boots, use sunscreen and insect repellent, and avoid routes beyond your experience level. Hiring a local guide is often advisable for remote areas. To protect yourself against unexpected events, comprehensive travel insurance covering medical treatment and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended when visiting Morocco.