Travel Vaccines and Advice for Guatemala

• Typhoid – Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi, is transmitted through contaminated food and water sources. Vaccination is recommended for travelers and those at higher risk of typhoid exposure. Implementing rigorous hygiene practices and food safety measures is essential for comprehensive protection against infection.
• Hepatitis A – Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus, typically spreading through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, and abdominal pain. The hepatitis A vaccine is an effective prevention method, administered in two shots over six months. The vaccine is recommended for travelers to areas with high hepatitis A rates and certain high-risk groups.
• Chikungunya – Chikungunya, carried by Aedes mosquitoes, can be prevented through use of repellents, netting and vaccination.
• Rabies – Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects mammals and spreads through the saliva of infected animals, primarily through bites or scratches. Preventing rabies involves vaccinating pets, avoiding contact with wild animals, and seeking immediate medical attention if exposed. The rabies vaccine is a crucial preventive measure that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against the virus.
• Hepatitis B – Hepatitis B, a liver infection spread via infected fluids, can be prevented through safe practices and vaccination. The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies, offering strong and enduring immunity against the virus.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) – Measles, mumps, and rubella are preventable diseases that require a proactive approach through vaccination. The MMR vaccine, given in two doses, is a powerful tool in stopping the transmission of these viruses. Ensuring widespread vaccination coverage is essential to protect vulnerable populations and prevent outbreaks.

Malaria cases are primarily found in Alta Verapaz, Escuintla, Izabel, Peten, Quiche and Suchitapequez. Few cases happen outside these areas in Guatemala. Atovaquone, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine are recommended for travelers to the region. Speak with your travel health specialist to identify which antimalarial is best for your trip and medical history.

Guatemala has three different types of biting insects: mosquitoes, sand flies, and triatomine, or kissing bugs. Each one calls for a slightly different defense.

Dengue and Zika circulate nationwide, spread by the same daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes. A broad-spectrum repellent reapplied every few hours, loose long sleeves and permethrin-treated outdoor gear cover mosquitoes around the clock, not just at dusk.

Triatomine bugs hide in the cracks of adobe walls and thatch roofing, mostly in rural housing after dark. An overnight stay in that kind of structure calls for a bed net and a quick look at the walls before you settle in.

Sand flies come out at dusk and are small enough to slip through standard mosquito netting. Fine-mesh netting and covering exposed skin in the evening close that gap.

Contaminated food and water are behind most of the illness travelers pick up in Guatemala. The CDC points to travelers’ diarrhea, hepatitis A and typhoid as the most common. Both rural areas and cities carry this risk, the same rules apply no matter where you’re staying.

Drink only water that’s bottled, filtered or boiled. Avoid wading or swimming in slow-moving rivers, lakes, or floodwater. Contact with contaminated soil and standing water is another risk. Guatemala’s rainy season runs roughly May through November. Flooding is more common in low-lying areas during those months.

Order food that’s cooked through and served hot and choose fruit you can peel yourself over anything pre-cut or left sitting out. Street stalls vary widely in food handling, if you can’t see how something was prepared, it’s worth ordering something else.

A pre-travel visit with Passport Health covers hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination, along with guidance specific to your itinerary if it includes rural travel or an extended stay.

Altitude sickness, characterized by symptoms like headache and nausea stemming from oxygen deprivation at high elevations, can be prevented through gradual ascent, hydration, and medication like acetazolamide. Should AMS symptoms arise, immediate descent to lower altitudes, rest and seek medical attention.

• Chagas disease – Triatomine, or kissing bugs, carry this parasite in their feces. It enters the body through a bite wound, a scratch or the eyes and mouth after contact. Risk is concentrated in rural adobe or thatch-roof homes where the bugs shelter. Sleeping under a net in that housing lowers exposure.
• Dengue – Dengue spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Daytime repellent use matters here since it differs from the evening timing tied to malaria prevention.
• Hantavirus – People contract hantavirus by breathing in dust contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Staying out of rodent-infested buildings and airing out enclosed spaces before entering are the best available precautions.
• Leishmaniasis – Sand flies transmit leishmaniasis through their bite, they’re most active between dusk and dawn in forested or rural parts of the country. Sand flies are small enough to get through ordinary mosquito netting, fine-mesh netting offers meaningfully better protection.
• Leptospirosis – This bacterial infection spreads through contact with fresh water, mud or soil that’s been contaminated with infected animal urine. This risk climbs after flooding or heavy rain. Covering open cuts and staying out of floodwater are the most reliable ways to avoid it, particularly during the rainy season.
• Melioidosis – This spreads through contact with contaminated soil, mud or fresh water, especially following heavy rain, or by inhaling contaminated dust during severe weather. Keeping wounds bandaged and avoiding muddy or standing water after storms cuts the risk substantially.
• Tuberculosis (TB) – TB spreads when someone breathes in bacteria released into the air by a person with active disease who is coughing or speaking nearby. The CDC lists Guatemala among countries with ongoing TB transmission, though casual tourism carries far less risk than prolonged close contact. Extended stays or healthcare work raise the odds of exposure.
• Zika – Zika spreads mainly through mosquito bites, and less often through sex or from a pregnant individual to their unborn baby. Pregnant travelers face the highest stakes, since infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and should talk to a doctor before this trip.