I still have not gotten sick here in India (except when I drank old milk), which defies all logic. One would have thought that the kind of "bugs" here would be new to my immune system, and I would spend my first year getting sick all the time. However, not even one cold or flu. Even in the US I got sick at least twice per year, so it is a big surprise.
Before coming to India I got all sorts of vaccines and warnings (don't eat street food, don't eat cut vegetables, only drink bottled water, use insect repellent). I have not followed any of these warnings. This is my home now, I can't live in a bubble. I was beginning to think that all the warnings were due to paranoia and hype.
As it turns out there were thousands of malaria cases in Ahmedabad during Aug/Sep. My coworker's grandfather got malaria (mosquito borne). My friend here got Chikungunya (insect borne) this week. A coworker in Indore got typhoid (water borne) in August, and is still suffering with fever and joint/organ pain. An expat from Denmark in my area got Dengue fever (insect borne) this month. These are all well-off people, who live in similar neighborhoods/flats as me with similar lifestyles/eating habits. In fact my eating habits are probably worse as I eat street food with abandon.
I am not sure if I am willing to change my lifestyle, but I may opt to at least get my immunizations up to date next time I visit US.
Not kidding, I just not now got bitten by a mosquito...
Before coming to India I got all sorts of vaccines and warnings (don't eat street food, don't eat cut vegetables, only drink bottled water, use insect repellent). I have not followed any of these warnings. This is my home now, I can't live in a bubble. I was beginning to think that all the warnings were due to paranoia and hype.
As it turns out there were thousands of malaria cases in Ahmedabad during Aug/Sep. My coworker's grandfather got malaria (mosquito borne). My friend here got Chikungunya (insect borne) this week. A coworker in Indore got typhoid (water borne) in August, and is still suffering with fever and joint/organ pain. An expat from Denmark in my area got Dengue fever (insect borne) this month. These are all well-off people, who live in similar neighborhoods/flats as me with similar lifestyles/eating habits. In fact my eating habits are probably worse as I eat street food with abandon.
I am not sure if I am willing to change my lifestyle, but I may opt to at least get my immunizations up to date next time I visit US.
Not kidding, I just not now got bitten by a mosquito...
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