Health in Australia

HEALTH CONCERNS

There are no major health concerns in Australia and New Zealand that you should be too worried about, even though it is regularly reported in international news bulletins about people being attacked by salt water crocs, dingoes, and other animals. Australia has all of the health facilities of your home country and fatalities by animals in the bush are quite small. Although animals that are dangerous do exist in Australia and Australia have eight of the ten deadliest snakes in the world. But don’t worry we have enough anti-venom in the country to keep you alive.
But a rule of thumb in Australia when you are unaware of the toxicity of an animal or plant is that; if it is pretty or beautiful in a unique sort of way than it is probably toxic, because it has nothing preying on it and therefore does not need to blend into the natural environment.

Here is a list of potentially deadly creatures: Salt Water Crocodile / Dingo / Eastern Brown Snake / Platypus / Red Belly Black / Sydney Funnel Web / Red Back Spider / White Tail Spider / Red Kangaroo / Cassowary / Blue Ringed Octopus / Stone Fish / Sting Ray / Great White Shark / Bull Shark / Taipan and whole bunch of others that are equally worth mentioning.

But, your chances of running into any of them are pretty slim. To give you an understanding of the threat level that any of these animals pose to you is like saying; you would not go to the USA because you are frightened of getting eaten by a Grizzly Bear. That is about the same threat level to your well being that these animals pose.

(H1N1) STRAIN: SWINE FLU

But, the most important health concern that affects Australians at the present is that brought about influenza, particularly the pandemic (H1N1) strain, known as Swine Flu. From 30/10/09 there have been 187 recorded fatalities of Swine Flu in Australia and the southern capital of Victoria (Melbourne) is the most infected area in the country. Although the disease is more common in the northern hemisphere, where many governments have developed vaccination plans to combat the condition. So, it would be wise to have the appropriate shot before you come to Australia. But, if you are in Australia and you have not had the shot and believe that you want to then contact your OSHC provider to see if it is covered under their policy with you.  US based researchers have shown concern over the possibility of the (H1N1) strain mutating and becoming resistant to the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir that is used to keep the disease in check. So, this is another reason to
 have the appropriate shots because the more people who are protected by the vaccine the less chance the disease has of mutating.


SLIP / SLOP / SLAP

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. I doubt whether there has been an Australian family in the last 100 years that has not been affected by this disease. So, if you are auburn haired with freckles and kind of celtic looking than you are a prime target for the disease. So slip / slop / slap while you are in Australia, so you do not become a victim of this killer.