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New Array of Medical Problems Unfurls
Newcomers to Cambodia find their vocabulary enlarges within a very
few weeks and diarrhea is only the beginning.
Malaria is no new discovery for most people, but dengue
fever gets less publicity. It’s spread by mosquitoes that
attack you during the day. Children are particularly at risk.
Frolic in the Mekong and you may learn to spell bilharzia or
live with liver flukes.
Giardia is a nasty stomach ailment caused by a parasite common
to the area. Amoebic dysentery is as horrid as it sounds, but
sufferers have lots of company.
Intestinal worms may give no immediate problems but the harm
they do to a liver can be major later in life. Many expats have a
routine exam for such uglies before they leave the country, just to
be sure.
Sounds awful, but look on the bright side—leprosy is quite
curable if caught early.
—Elizabeth Wright
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