Health risks for each individual and their trip to Timor vary greatly, with visitors including aid workers through to business and adventure travellers.
The following information provides some broad and general guidelines about health risks and recommendations for travel to Timor. This should not be taken as a substitute for a personal consultation with one of our travel health doctors, whose advice will be specific for you and your trip and may include other issues not mentioned here.
Six to eight weeks out from departure is a good time to have a travel health consultation. You may need blood tests to check immunity to diseases or need a course of vaccines like rabies for example, and this gives you plenty of time to get everything completed. If you are travelling sooner however it's not too late for an appointment, simply make one as soon as you can.
In Timor mozzies transmit to humans a number of viruses which have been on the increase due to global warming, changing environments and human travel. These include malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya and zika (which particularly affects the developing foetus). Avoid mosquito bites. Vaccines exists for JE
Observe strict food and water safety precautions (tap water in Timor is not safe to drink) and hand hygiene.
Travellers should be up to date for routine childhood vaccines such as tetanus, measles and hepatitis B. Any of the following vaccines may also be recommended – hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, cholera and influenza. Decisions regarding which are most appropriate depend on duration and nature of travel, itinerary, age underlying medical conditions and past vaccinations.
Hepatitis A vaccination is usually recommended for travel to Timor Leste.
Read MoreA food and water borne disease, typhoid vaccination is often recommended.
Consider taking a water filter and well stocked self treatment kit with guidelines for treatment. Seek medical advice or evacuation if persistent or severe illness, particularly for infants, the elderly or those with underlying medical conditions. Adequate medical insurance is essential.
Read MoreRisk is variable throughout the island, so it is best to seek expert advice from a travel health doctor about the need for preventive medication. Mosquito avoidance is essential. Any fever occurring during or after travel to Timor requires prompt investigation to exclude malaria or other diseases.
Read MoreConsider pre-travel rabies vaccination (well before travel) for longer trips, those at risk or anyone wanting lifelong protection. Avoid animals (dogs, monkeys, cats, bats). Thoroughly rinse and disinfect any animal wound and seek prompt medical care for post exposure management (whether or not pre-vaccinated).
Read MoreIt's important to understand how to avoid this rare but potentially catastrophic mosquito borne disease. For those at significant risk there are a couple of vaccine options.
Read MoreAn oral vaccine available for the prevention of cholera which also reduces the risk of travellers diarrhoea, is often taken by those wishing to significantly reduce their risk of gastro.
Read MoreInfluenza is one of the most common vaccine preventable illnesses in travellers. In tropical climates there is no 'flu season', risk being all year round.
Read MoreIncreasing in incidence in many parts of the world, dengue is a serious mosquito borne disease.
Read MoreNot just a disease of South America, travellers to many other destinations, including Timor Leste, will be at risk of Zika virus.
Read MoreWe generally think of Malaria and Hepatitis when we travel overseas, however Measles is usually long forgotten in the preparation. In fact there have been a significant amount of cases brought back to Australia by overseas travellers who are generally unaware that they are at risk. This has long known
MPox (formerly Monkey Pox) remains a concern in many parts of the world including Australia. Thankfully the risk to most travellers remains low but this is a dynamic space. Travelers should avoid close contact with persons with symptoms consistent with MPox; observe hand and respiratory hygiene and safer-sex practices; and
As there is no non-essential overseas travel at this time this article will simply remain as an information resource for COVID-19. See our main COVID-19 page for more detailed information. We hope to be able to inform our travelers once again after this crisis passes. The links below remain trustworthy
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