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HEALTH   

• Vaccinations
• Water
• Raw food

• Sicknesses
• Health care facilities

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required to enter Chile.

Water

In general, the city's water supply is absolutely safe. For people who are more susceptible to changes we suggest you drink bottled water for the first few days, which you can buy in supermarkets, kiosks, or liquor stores.

Raw food

It is generally not advisable to eat uncooked vegetables that grow close to the soil (i.e., lettuce, carrots, strawberries, etc.), unless you get them from an established supermarket chain (Jumbo, Unimarc, Almac, etc.), who monitor the source of their products. There are a large variety of packed products, guaranteed to have been irrigated with potable water from a well. Established restaurants will also guarantee this.

Sicknesses

Hanta virus. The Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a serious and frequently lethal respiratory disease originally discovered in Manchuria before WWII. It was later identified during the Korean Civil War (1951) and is now present in Asia, especially in China where it is a nationwide health problem. Cases have been reported in Japan and Eastern Europe as well. In the last few years, similar or identical agents have been found in rats and mice in the Western United States. There was an epidemic in 1993 in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile.

Presumably, this disease has been present in Chile for several centuries, but modern methods of diagnosis have only now allowed precise identification.

The disease has not reached epidemic status in Chile, and does not represent a significant risk to tourism in the affected zones. The virus has a short life outside the carrier (mostly long tailed mice), which means that in open, well ventilated areas or those exposed to sunlight, it will not survive.

Recommended preventive measures for campers or visitors to rural areas are:

• Before staying in an abandoned or inhabited cabin or refuge, open and ventilate the place for at least 1 hour. Check for the presence of rodents and do not stay inside if traces are found.
• If you are sleeping outside, check the site for mice droppings or dens.
• Do not bother the rodents in their dens or holes.
• Avoid sleeping close to woodpiles, garbage or typical rodent habitats.
• Avoid sleeping on the floor without protection. Use a sleeping pad or similar.
• If you use a tent, keep it closed to prevent rodents from getting in.
• Keep your food in rodent proof containers. Bury or burn garbage (where allowed) being careful not to cause a fire. Keep the camp area clean.
• Boil water if it is not apt for drinking or purify it with iodine or chlorine tablets.

Altitude sickness or Puna.  In the Chilean high plains, in the Northern regions of the country, and in some bordering areas, it is possible to be affected by altitude. The lack of oxygen and atmospheric pressure may cause headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and physical weakness in some people. In two to five days the body should adapt to the oxygen shortage. If the discomfort continues or gets worse (headache not yielding to aspirin, repeated vomiting, staggering and confusion) you must descend in altitude to prevent the development of acute mountain sickness which can be fatal. It is best to avoid smoking and alcohol, and to drink lots of water. In the North it is common to chew coca leaves or to drink tea with coca, which helps the body alleviate the symptoms of puna.

Health care facilities