Tag: Health

World Travel Watch: Hundreds Killed in Phnom Penh Stampede, Dutch ‘Coffee Shops’ Closing to Tourists

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Cholera Outbreak in Haiti, Tsunami in Indonesia and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Airplane Air: ‘No Worse Than the Office You Sit in Every Day’

That’s from a New York Times story about recent studies showing “that, in general, an airplane is no more a health threat to occupants than any other enclosed environment, like a theater or subway.” Dr. Mark Gendreau, an “aviation medicine expert,” explains:

Cabin air, he said, is refreshed about 15 times an hour, compared with less than 12 an hour in an office building. On most full-size jets, the air is also circulated through hospital-grade HEPA filters, which are supposed to remove 99.97 percent of bacteria and the minuscule particles that carry viruses. The cabin air is also divided into separate ventilation systems covering every seven rows or so, limiting the ability of germs to travel from one end of the plane to the other.

The story also notes a couple of caveats, like the possibility of germ-laden bathroom doorknobs or tray tables, so don’t ditch your travel-sized hand sanitizer just yet.


World Travel Watch: Second Bomb Threat at the Eiffel Tower, Rabies in Bali and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Plague in Bolivia and Peru, Warnings in Northern Ireland and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Rats, Exploration and the Benefits of Travel

This passage in a New York Times story about the downsides of frequent exposure to information and entertainment on mobile devices caught my eye:

At the University of California, San Francisco, scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory of the experience.

The researchers suspect that the findings also apply to how humans learn.

Sounds to me like the perfect day of travel away from the rat race: exploring an unfamiliar place, followed by some good downtime in the evening.

As if you needed another reason to travel, right?


Ohio: The Bedbug State?

With bedbug infestations apparently on the rise across the country, the Daily Beast has put together a list of the top ten buggiest cities in America—and burgs in Ohio landed in the first, second and eighth spots. If you’re headed to Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, or any of the other cities on the list, you may want to put this retro travel technique to use.


World Travel Watch: Flesh Fines in France, Medical Tourism Risks in South Asia and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Deadly Heat Wave in Moscow, Underground Colosseum Tours and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: New Trekking in Kashmir, Dengue in Venezuela and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Violence in Guadalajara, Dengue Fever in Puerto Rico and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Striptease at Uluru, Ongoing Strikes in Greece and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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In-Flight Peanut Debate Rears Its Head Again

Yep, a possible airplane peanut ban is back on the table this week, and, much like the legume in question, opinions are split down the middle. Over at Salon’s “Ask the Pilot,” Patrick Smith thinks a switch to pretzels or another peanut-free snack should be a straightforward decision. Christopher Elliott isn’t so sure, noting the difficulties in enforcing a complete ban.


World Travel Watch: Travel Insurance Now Required in Cuba, Maoists Shut Down Kathmandu and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Typhoid in Fiji, Khmer Rouge Tourism in Cambodia and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Chile Earthquake Aftermath, Rallies in Bangkok and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Dengue Fever in Brazil, Strikes Across Europe and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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World Travel Watch: Strikes in Belgium and Greece, Bombing in India and More

Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

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Haggis Ban Lifted After 21 Years*

The sheep offal delight had been banned in the United States since the ‘80s due to BSE fears, but now Scotland’s most famous dish is back on the American dinner table. (Via Andrew Sullivan)

Update 3:01 p.m. PT: Sorry, haggis fans. A representative from the Department of Agriculture writes, “At this time, haggis is still banned in the U.S. The APHIS rule covers all ruminant imports, which includes haggis. It is currently being reviewed to incorporate the current risk and latest science related to these regulations. There is no specific time frame for the completion of this review.”


First-ever FDA-Approved Jet Lag Cure on the Way?

The agency should wrap up its review of the new drug, a variant on an earlier sleep-fighting stimulant, by the end of March. The New York Times has all the pharmaceutical details.