This Week in Travel and Health

Here in the States, everyone is still talking about the flu. Influenza has swept across the country and kept hundreds of thousands of people out of work or school, and it remains an issue that has plenty of people nervous. But in other parts of the world, they’re talking about dengue fever. Specifically, the BBC reports on a dengue outbreak in Brazil. A state of emergency was declared this week in the southern part of the country, where an especially heavy rainy season has increased the risk of reproduction of the mosquitos that carry the disease.

The World Health Organization has called dengue fever the world’s fastest spreading tropical disease. And it’s just awful, as described by Erica Rosenberg at the Washington Post

Rosenberg’s piece is part of a Special Report on Travel and Health in the Post (Hey guys! We were here first!). Other articles include Becky Krystal’s story on what to pack in your travel-health kit and Andrea Sachs’ story on the need to have health insurance that covers you when you’re abroad. Of course, if you’re a loyal reader of Healthy Travel Blog you already know this

American expats will be feeling a bit of a pinch in the pocketbook from the Affordable Care Act, aka Healthcare Reform, aka Obamacare. The Toronto Globe & Mail’s Barrie McKenna reports that the new 3.8 percent “health tax” on investment income extends to American citizens living abroad. Typically, expats can offset any taxes they owe to the U.S. because they’re paying taxes in the country in which they’re living; however that is not the case with this tax because of the way the law was drafted.

Let’s talk about a surefire way to relieve some of the stress that often comes with traveling – saving money. Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal had stories this week about ways to save on airfare. At the Times, Susan Stellin has advice on how to make the most of your frequent flyer miles potentially turn them into a seat on a trip you actually want to take. At the Journal, Scott McCartney writes about putting on your ”cheapskate hat” to create your own less expensive travel itinerary. And at USA Today, Jamie Moore reports on affordable Carribean getaways that will definitely soothe your overworked nerves. Everything irie, mon.

And, as we’ve often written, food is a big part of travel. At CNN, Sarah Gold writes about some awesome foodie excursions in which you can not only eat delicious food, but cook it too. Oyster omelets, anyone?