Schistosomiasis in Laos - to fear or not to fear?

I would call myself a reasonable cautious but not paranoid person (in life and while travelling). Can`t decide what to think about Schistosomiasis - a disease caused by parasites (worms) that can be found in fresh water.

Specifically, I will be in Laos (Luang Prabang) during their New year`s celebration in a few weeks where, from what I understand, buckets of water are thrown about in what promises to be a unique water festival/fight. I`ve also been warned to stay out of rivers, but tubing seems to be ';the thing to do'; while in Vang Vien.

I would usually prefer to err on the side of caution, but I`d hate to miss out on those two unique experiences. Anyone have any idea if this is a real danger?

Schistosomiasis in Laos - to fear or not to fear?

';Schistosomiasis';? I have never heard of it and I have lived here for a few years.

Secondly, tubing isn%26#39;t ';the thing to do in Vang Vieng';. You mostly get stoned and drunk backpackers who do this. Their behaviour is disrespectful of Lao culture.

The ';thing to do'; in VV is to enjoy the beautiful karst landscapes and see the caves. Try to get as far away from the drunken oafs as possible.

Schistosomiasis in Laos - to fear or not to fear?

Thanks, great to know that it`s no cause for great concern.

And thanks for the warning re:tubing. I had heard positive feedback from others but failed to realize it was a big drunkfest. I loathe being around drunk people so I guess I should avoid it ;-)

The karst scenery you speak of....how/where is it best viewed?

There are some nasty parasites you can pick up in the water if you have open wounds. Most people who travel there regularly (including myself) stay out of the water. Don%26#39;t worry about the buckets of water being thrown.

Regarding exploring caves, etc, just rent a mountainbike and the shops will have littel maps or will point you in the right direction. There are some caves/vilages right off the main (dirt-biking) road and the scenery is gorgeous. You can opt whether you want to go explore the caves or not. It%26#39;s a good idea if you bring a flashlight if you want to do this. (A couple of places will also rent you a flashlight)

Oh, re:tubing- most people who have done that while sober say it is rather dull, as you float very slowly along. Yes, a lot of people do that while drunk/stoned or whatever which is supposed to be a really nifty ';trip';, but I%26#39;d avoid the tubing if you want to steer clear of drunks and the like...

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;The karst scenery you speak of....how/where is it best viewed?%26gt;%26gt;

As well as the above, I suggest you stay at one of the riverside accommodations. Also, observed quite afew people hiring a boat to take them up river..

Mountain biking sounds right up my alley! When I think back about highlights of previous trips - there is usually a bicycle involved! (Not drunken/stoned revelry!)

Now I`m getting really excited about spending time there.

Thanks!

You can also go down to the river and hire a small boat with a driver, and he%26#39;ll take you up the river for an hour for 70,000 kip - beautiful early in am without mad ';tubers'; around. Saw locals harvesting greens from river, cattle crossing river in front of us, karsts from a different angle , fields being tended.

Go down to river down near thanonsouuk resort

By the way if you want to swim theres the pool at vansana you can pay 20,000 kip to use - we were biking for the day and went out to the blue lagoon cave and swam there which was terrific so didnt get to use hotel pool

go to

www.cdc.gov

here%26#39;s the link for Cambodia, it%26#39;s the same for Laos

wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationCambodia.aspx

scroll down to waterborne diseases...

and you can read all about Schistosomiasis %26amp; other assorted parasites that you can get from swimming in fresh water... there are many zoonotic (transmissible from animal to human) diseases in SE Asia... rabies is rampant.

Just because someone who lives in Vientianne hasn%26#39;t heard of it doesn%26#39;t mean it doesn%26#39;t exist.

Fresh water (lakes, rivers) harbor parasites, bacteria, disease %26amp; if you swim in it, you can get all sorts of stuff.

Remember, elephants are pooping in the river %26amp; there%26#39;s runoff from toilets, sewers, etc.

the link didn%26#39;t post well

here it is again, scroll down for SWIMMING %26amp; BATHING PRECAUTIONS... this is a medical website

mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/laos.php