Health Safety When Traveling to Rio de Janeiro
Drinking Water
Public water in Brazil is OK, but may still contain some microbes that are not very friendly to tourists. Except for the very poor, most people in Brazil DO NOT drink tap water unfiltered. Your hotel will be able to tell you if the tap water is safe, but I recommend drinking bottled water whenever in doubt – even to brush your teeth. It is available in many places and very cheap, particularly in the larger size plastic bottles. Ask your hotel for info about small shops nearby. Its not like the water is so dangerous that you need to be concerned if some gets in your mouth in the shower. Traveler's diarrhea or "Montezuma's Revenge" is not common for visitors to Brazil and you should be fine with ordinary precautions.
Ice at most tourist places is filtered and OK, as are salads, etc. Be careful if you are off the beaten path or at a very cheap place. Supposedly, ice with a hole in the middle comes from a filtered machine and ice without the hole does not. It is not clear if this is always the case. However, it is certain that when you buy ice in Brazil, it can be had in either filtered or unfiltered varieties. The latter is cheaper and is used to cool down beer and soft drinks in cans.
If you are staying with us at Rio Holiday, we provide free large bottles of drinking water in dispensers in several places in each house. Any ice made at the houses is for drinks and is made from this bottled water.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are more of a nuisance in Brazil than a health hazard – just like in the US. Dengue Fever is a serious problem in some areas of Brazil and has even been encroaching on metropolitan areas. It is carried by a certain type of mosquito and, unfortunately, will give you a malaria like fever and ruin your vacation at a minimum. There is no cure or vaccine for this and some cases are fatal. Still, most people in Brazil are not too worried about it. The best analogy in America is the West Nile Virus. The government has many laws about standing water and they will spray insecticide from trucks during certain seasons.
Precautions. Even a little wind will defeat a mosquito. Try to sit in a breeze or under a ceiling fan if you are on the veranda. Don’t go into the jungle without a lot of mosquito repellant and wearing clothing that covers your limbs. If I am going to be out in a still area (i.e., no breeze), I usually put on a little spray. While most of the mosquitoes there are not dangerous, they can still bring bites that itch and if you are in shorts (like everyone), the bites will show.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are generally not necessary unless you are visiting an area that has yellow fever. This includes most of the Amazon areas, but not the southern coast like Rio. Other vaccinations may be advisable depending on your general health and health history. See you doctor for advise 4 to 8 weeks prior to departure.
Yellow Fever
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required only if you have traveled within the last 90 days, to any of the following countries: Angola, Bolivia, Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guyana, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan or Venezuela).
Yellow fever vaccination is advisable if your destinations in Brazil include any of the following Brazilian states: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Federal District of Brasilia, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and/or Tocantins.
Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diphtheria
These are normally physician recommended precautions for everyone, regardless of where you live, and are especially helpful when traveling.
Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Malaria
Most travelers do not need these. These may be recommended by your physician if you are a truly adventuresome traveler or you will be in mostly rural or jungle areas. If you will be doing missionary work or have other intimate contact with the poorest strata of Brazilian society, you will want to consider these.