Guinea

Country fact file

General information

The information on these pages should be used to research health risks and to inform the pre-travel consultation. Travellers should check the Foreign Office travel advice page (where available) which provides information on travel entry requirements in addition to safety and security advice. Travellers should ideally arrange an appointment with their health professional at least four to six weeks before travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. This appointment provides an opportunity to assess health risks taking into account a number of factors including destination, medical history, and planned activities. For those with pre-existing health problems, an earlier appointment is recommended. All travellers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance. A list of useful resources including advice on how to reduce the risk of certain health problems is available below.

Vaccine recommendations

What vaccines do I need for Guinea?

Details of vaccination recommendations and requirements are provided below.

¿Quién debe vacunarse?

Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine. Country-specific diphtheria recommendations are not provided here. Diphtheria tetanus and polio are combined in a single vaccine in the UK. Therefore, when a tetanus booster is recommended for travellers, diphtheria vaccine is also given. Should there be an outbreak of diphtheria in a country, diphtheria vaccination guidance will be provided. Those who may be at increased risk of an infectious disease due to their work, lifestyle choice, or certain underlying health problems should be up to date with additional recommended vaccines. See details on the selective immunisation programmes and additional vaccines for individuals with underlying medical conditions at the bottom of the Complete routine immunisation schedule document and the individual chapters of the Green Book Immunisation against infectious disease for further details.

What are the certificate requirements?

Please read the information below carefully, as certificate requirements may be relevant to certain travellers only. For travellers further details, if required, should be sought from their healthcare professional. There is a risk of yellow fever transmission in all areas of this country. Under International Health Regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. According to World Health Organization (WHO), from 11 July 2016 (for all countries), the yellow fever certificate will be valid for the duration of the life of the person vaccinated. As a consequence, a valid certificate, presented by arriving travellers, cannot be rejected on the grounds that more than ten years have passed since the date vaccination became effective as stated on the certificate; and that boosters or revaccination cannot be required. View the WHO list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. Travellers who intend to visit Guinea for four weeks or more should be aware that proof of polio vaccination recorded on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) given 4 weeks to 12 months before departure from Guinea, may be required on exit. Failure to produce an ICVP may result in vaccination on departure.

What vaccines are recommended for most travellers?

The vaccines in this section are recommended for most travellers visiting this country. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a viral infection transmitted through contaminated food and water or by direct contact with an infectious person. Symptoms are often mild or absent in young children, but the disease can be more serious with advancing age. Recovery can vary from weeks to months. Following hepatitis A infection immunity is lifelong.

Prevention
All travellers should take care with personal, food and water hygiene.

Hepatitis A vaccination
As hepatitis A vaccine is well tolerated and affords long-lasting protection, it is recommended for all previously unvaccinated travellers.

Hepatitis A in brief

Tétanos

Tetanus is caused by a toxin released from Clostridium tetani bacteria and occurs worldwide. Tetanus bacteria are present in soil and manure and may be introduced through open wounds such as a puncture wound, burn or scratch.

Prevention
Travellers should thoroughly clean all wounds and seek medical attention for injuries such as animal bites/scratches, burns or wounds contaminated with soil.

Tetanus vaccination
Travellers should have completed a tetanus vaccination course according to the UK schedule. If travelling to a country or area where medical facilities may be limited, a booster dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine is recommended if the last dose was more than ten years ago even if five doses of vaccine have been given previously. Country-specific information on medical facilities may be found in the 'health' section of the FCDO foreign travel advice pages.

Tetanus in brief

Tifus

Typhoid is a bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food and water. Previous typhoid illness may only partially protect against re-infection. Vaccination is recommended for most travellers, particularly travellers visiting friends and relatives, those in contact with an infected person, young children, frequent or long-stay travellers visiting areas where sanitation and food hygiene are likely to be poor, and laboratory personnel who may handle the bacteria for their work.

Prevention
All travellers should take care with personal, food and water hygiene.

Typhoid vaccination
Oral and injectable typhoid vaccinations are available.

Typhoid in brief

Fiebre amarilla

Yellow fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes which predominantly feed between dawn and dusk, but may also bite at night, especially in the jungle environment. Symptoms may be absent or mild, but in severe cases it can cause internal bleeding, organ failure and death.

Yellow fever in Guinea
There is a risk of yellow fever transmission in all areas of this country.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid mosquito bites at all times.

Yellow fever vaccination
Vaccination is recommended for travellers aged 9 months and older. The yellow fever vaccine is not suitable for all travellers, there are specific undesirable effects associated with it. This vaccine is only available at registered yellow fever vaccination centres. Health professionals should carefully assess the risks and benefits of the vaccine, and seek specialist advice if necessary.

Yellow fever in brief

What vaccines are recommended for some travellers?

The vaccines in this section are recommended for some travellers visiting this country. Information on when these vaccines should be considered can be found by clicking on the arrow. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes which bite mainly during daytime hours. It causes a flu-like illness and can cause severe joint and muscles pains which usually improve in 1–2 weeks but may persist for months or years. It is rarely fatal. This country has not reported chikungunya cases but shares a large land border with a country that has evidence of recent transmission.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid mosquito bites, particularly during daytime hours.

Chikungunya vaccination
Vaccination is not usually recommended. Exceptionally, vaccination can be considered for individuals aged 12 years and older. In these situations, further expert advice should be considered. The final decision on vaccination rests with the health professional and the traveller after a detailed risk assessment has been performed.

Chikungunya in brief

Cólera

Cholera is a bacterial infection transmitted by contaminated food and water. Cholera can cause severe watery diarrhoea although mild infections are common. Most travellers are at low risk.

Prevention
All travellers should take care with personal, food and water hygiene.

Cholera vaccination
This oral vaccine is recommended for those whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk. This includes: aid workers, those going to areas of cholera outbreaks who have limited access to safe water and medical care, those for whom vaccination is considered potentially beneficial.

Cholera in brief

Dengue

Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes which mainly feed during daytime hours. It causes a flu-like illness, which can occasionally develop into a more serious life-threatening illness. Severe dengue is rare in travellers. The mosquitoes that spread dengue are more common in towns, cities and surrounding areas. There is a risk of dengue in this country.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid mosquito bites, particularly during daytime hours.

Dengue vaccination
Vaccination can be considered for individuals aged 4 years of age and older who have had dengue infection in the past and who are: travelling to areas where there is a risk of dengue infection or areas with an ongoing outbreak of dengue, or are exposed to dengue virus through their work, such as laboratory staff working with the virus. Exceptionally, vaccination can be considered in those who have not had dengue in the past.

Dengue in brief

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection spread through blood, semen and vaginal fluids. This mostly occurs during sexual contact or as a result of blood-to-blood contact (for example from contaminated equipment during medical and dental procedures, tattooing or body piercing procedures, and sharing of intravenous needles). Mothers with the virus can also pass on the infection to their baby during childbirth. This country is considered to have an intermediate or high prevalence of hepatitis B.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid contact with blood or body fluids. This includes: avoiding unprotected sexual intercourse, avoiding tattooing, piercing, public shaving, and acupuncture (unless sterile equipment is used), not sharing needles or other injection equipment.

Hepatitis B vaccination
Vaccination could be considered for all travellers and is recommended for those whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk. This includes: those who may have unprotected sex, those who may be exposed to contaminated needles through injecting drug use, those who may be exposed to blood or body fluids through their work (e.g. health and aid workers).

Hepatitis B in brief

Polio

Polio is caused by one of three types of polio virus and is transmitted by contaminated food and water. Previous infection with one type of polio virus does not protect against other types of the virus. Those at increased risk include travellers who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated visiting friends and relatives, those in direct contact with an infected person, long-stay travellers, and those visiting areas of poor sanitation.

Prevention
All travellers should take care with personal and food and water hygiene.

Polio vaccination
All travellers should have completed a polio vaccination course according to the UK schedule. A booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is recommended for the following travellers if they have not had a polio containing vaccine within a year of their planned departure from this country: immunosuppressed individuals and their household contacts, pregnant women, or others for whom live oral polio vaccine is contraindicated.

Polio in brief

Rabia

Rabies is a viral infection which is usually transmitted following contact with the saliva of an infected animal most often via a bite, scratch or lick to an open wound or mucous membrane. Although many different animals can transmit the virus, most cases follow a bite or scratch from an infected dog. In some parts of the world, bats are an important source of infection. Rabies symptoms can take some time to develop, but when they do, the condition is almost always fatal.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid contact with all animals. Rabies is preventable with prompt post-exposure management. Following a possible exposure, wounds should be thoroughly cleansed and an urgent local medical assessment sought, even if the wound appears trivial.

Rabies vaccination
A full course of pre-exposure vaccines simplifies and shortens the course of post-exposure treatment and removes the need for rabies immunoglobulin which is in short supply worldwide. Pre-exposure vaccinations are recommended for travellers whose activities put them at increased risk.

Rabies in brief

Tuberculosis

TB is a bacterial infection most commonly affecting the lungs but can affect any part of the body. When a person with TB in their lungs or throat coughs or sneezes they could pass TB on to other people. TB is curable but can be serious if not treated. This country has reported an annual TB incidence of greater than or equal to 40 cases per 100,000 population at least once in the last five years.

Prevention
Travellers should avoid close contact with individuals known to have infectious pulmonary (lung) or laryngeal (throat) TB. Those at risk during their work should take appropriate infection control and prevention precautions.

Tuberculosis (BCG) vaccination
BCG vaccine is recommended for those at increased risk of developing severe disease and/or of exposure to TB infection.

Tuberculosis in brief

Paludismo

What do I need to know about malaria in Guinea?

Malaria is a serious illness caused by infection of red blood cells with a parasite called Plasmodium. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes which predominantly feed between dusk and dawn. Symptoms usually begin with a fever (high temperature) of 38°C (100°F) or more. Other symptoms may include feeling cold and shivery, headache, nausea, vomiting and aching muscles. Symptoms may appear between eight days and one year after the infected mosquito bite. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is required as people with malaria can deteriorate quickly. Those at higher risk of malaria, or of severe complications from malaria, include pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly, travellers who do not have a functioning spleen and those visiting friends and relatives.

Prevention
Travellers should follow an ABCD guide to preventing malaria:

• Awareness of the risk – Risk depends on the specific location, season of travel, length of stay, activities and type of accommodation.

• Bite prevention – Travellers should take mosquito bite avoidance measures.

• Chemoprophylaxis – Travellers should take antimalarials if appropriate for the area.

• Diagnosis – Travellers who develop a fever of 38°C [100°F] or higher more than one week after being in a malaria risk area should seek immediate medical care.

Otros riesgos

What other risks should I be aware of while traveling in Guinea?

There are some risks that are relevant to all travellers regardless of destination. These may for example include road traffic and other accidents, diseases transmitted by insects or ticks, diseases transmitted by contaminated food and water, or health issues related to the heat or cold. Some additional risks are mentioned below and are presented alphabetically.

Biting insects or ticks

Insect or tick bites can cause irritation and infections of the skin at the site of a bite. They can also spread certain diseases. Diseases in Western Africa include African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), African tick bite fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, leishmaniasis, Rift Valley fever and West Nile virus.

Prevention
All travellers should avoid insect and tick bites day and night.

Gripe

Seasonal influenza is a viral infection of the respiratory tract and spreads easily from person to person via respiratory droplets when coughing and sneezing. In healthy individuals, symptoms improve without treatment within two to seven days.

Prevention
All travellers should avoid close contact with symptomatic individuals, avoid crowded conditions, wash their hands frequently, and practice ‘cough hygiene’.

Outdoor air quality

Poor air quality is a significant public health problem in many parts of the world. Exposure to high levels of air pollution over short time periods and longer time periods is linked to many different acute and chronic health problems.

Prevention
Travellers with health problems that might make them more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution should discuss their travel plans with their doctor, and carry adequate supplies of their regular medication.

Esquistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection. Schistosoma larvae are released from infected freshwater snails and can penetrate intact human skin following contact with contaminated freshwater. There is a risk of schistosomiasis in this country.

Prevention
There is no vaccine or tablets to prevent schistosomiasis. All travellers should avoid wading, swimming, or bathing in fresh water.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

STIs are a group of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections spread during sexual intercourse or by intimate contact. Anyone who is sexually active is at risk of getting an STI wherever they are in the world.

Prevention
Using condoms consistently and correctly with new or casual partners is the most effective way to reduce risk of STIs.

Virus Zika

Zika virus is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes which predominantly feed during daytime hours. Most people infected with ZIKV have no symptoms.

Prevention
All travellers should avoid mosquito bites, particularly during daytime hours. There is no vaccination or medication to prevent Zika virus infection.

Recursos

• Food and water hygiene

• Insect and tick bite avoidance

• Personal safety

• Protección solar

Source and disclaimer

This travel health information is based on data supplied by NaTHNaC (the National Travel Health Network and Centre). All intellectual property rights in the data are owned by NaTHNaC. It must not be copied, reproduced, distributed, amended or offered for sale without NaTHNaC’s prior written consent.
Patient.info ensures that this information is reviewed and updated on at least a weekly basis. However, NaTHNaC’s data is accurate only as at the date it was prepared, and Patient.info is solely responsible for maintaining its accuracy and completeness after that date. NaTHNaC accepts no liability for the use of this data by Patient.info or its users.