Health and Medical Concerns

From the 2025 Guide, pages 82–86. 3 listings.

See your doctor about vaccinations and medication. You'll need to get a typhoid vaccine, can be done with two pills, and will cost between $120-140. You will need malaria pills for ten days more than your total stay in India (so 40 pills if you're going for a month). Insurance may only cover 12 pills and the rest you have to pay out of pocket. This may be only $40 or $50, try CVS and use Good Rx for a coupon. You'll need antibiotics in case you eat something and get the runs. Three pills over three days is one course of antibiotics.During mosquito season you may want to bring bug repellent. Deet makes wet wipes which are more convenient to pack than a spray. Bring long pants and long sleeve t-shirts to cover up if needed.

Water

It is advisable to drink bottled water or filtered water. Most restaurants have filtered water but you should inquire before drinking it. Do not drink water directly from the tap. You can purchase packaged purified water or pay a deposit on a dispenser drum with a tap. Stores will deliver the 20-liter refill that fits on top of a dispenser drum.

UV Steripen and Nalgene bottle

$88 at Amazon, this is a great investment if you are traveling and have doubts about water. I used this, even with unfiltered water in my apartment, and I stayed healthy for three months in India this past trip. The UV light kills everything in the water and the rays can't exit the water surface, so it is safe.

— a student

Check that water filters in apartments are serviced. They need to be serviced every year to be effective.

Our daughter has had filtered drinking water since she was a baby. It is better quality than bottled water and has no excess plastic.

— a local resident yoga student

Gastrointestinal Precautions

Living in a tropical country, one can be prone to gastrointestinal infections. December is considered to be a "safer" season, but it is advisable to err on the side of caution. Always eat food that has been freshly cooked and is hot. Avoid eating frozen, precooked food or raw food that has not been washed in filtered water (or in salted water). Use water purification tablets or silver filters. Avoid infection by washing your hands frequently.

To prepare the intestinal tract for the potential onslaught of new bacteria and parasites, you should start to take GSE (grapefruit seed extract) one week before departure and continue taking it throughout your stay in India. "I took some when I got a stomach upset and it cleared it up quickly - not sure I would take it as a preventative though." It is a horrible-tasting goop, but with fruit juice or yogurt, it's easier to ingest. Another way to take it is to add it to a fizzy vitamin C drink (Emergen-C) or Airborne. GSE also boosts the immune system and is a good remedy for candida.

We do have malaria, dengue and chikungunya but there are no vaccines for that. People do tend to get stomach upsets...just be careful and use filtered water. Rabies is not common unless you get dog bites - don't play with stray dogs! Worse situation: if you get bitten then you can go to a local doctor. There is no typhus or yellow fever in Pune

— Rajiv Mehta

STAY HEALTHY

Microbiologically, Pune is an exotic environment and to stay healthy one has to take a few precautions.

Of course, wash your hands whenever you can. But getting across town in a rickshaw means you are exposed to some local dust. So, don't pick your nose or rub your eyes. All restaurants have hand washing facilities. Shower twice a day.

Pune has a low incidence of Malaria. But Malaria and Dengue Fever are known to occur, so take precautions and avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.

The smell of your skin makes a difference to your attractiveness to mosquitoes. One theory is that it is not until you have ingested local food long enough for its odors to emerge on your skin are mosquitoes tempted to pick you out for attention. They usually leave me alone for the first couple of days on arrival in India. People swear by various B vitamins as they emit an odor repellent to mosquitoes. Odomos is effective and one has to remember to keep covered up with it all the time, not just in the mornings or evenings as Dengue mosquitoes bite in the afternoon. There is another theory to the effect that some blood groups are more attractive than others. A, my group is apparently least attractive to mosquitoes and O is very attractive.

— Richard Agar Ward

Malaria aside, mosquito bites can be very uncomfortable. Metal nets on the windows and Mosquito repellents should be used. But the mosquito coils, a sort of anti-mosquito incense that one can burn, do not seem very effective.

The problem with many mosquito repellents is that they are insecticides and a biohazard to humans. When using something like DEET, which is effective, some people only put it on their clothes and hair and avoid putting it on their skin. But plant-based products containing Pacardin (chemically derived from the pepper plant) and others containing insect repellent plant products with a small percentage of DEET can be found on Amazon.

Artemisinin is a traditional plant based anti-malarial prophylactic; it can be taken without problems, started three days before you leave and continued throughout your stay.

— Lindsey Clennell

MOSQUITO REPELLENTS in the form of vaporized liquids may be used. Common brands All Out and Good Night are available at any drug store or general store. Mosquito repellent ointments are also available. So are Plug-in repellent diffusers and anti-mosquito creams etc.There is a local one called Odomos–it is cheap and seems fairly effective. The only 100% safe repellant is DEET - no need for jungle strength, it comes at 50%.Cover yourself up (long sleeves, long pants—like the locals dress) from dusk to evening hours. For international travel, Off Deet Wipes are recommended so that you can take a large amount and not go over the 4oz liquid restriction for carry on items.

Dengue

Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that has rapidly spread in tropical and subtropical regions, including most of India. The female Aedes aegypti mosquito — recognized by the white markings on its legs and a lyre-like mark on its upper thorax — transmits dengue. The mosquito breeds in clean fresh loose water — as little as a spoonful — and are most commonly active at dawn and dusk. Several students at RIMYI have fallen ill over the past several months. A first infection typically begins with a severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and/or flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually last from 2–7 days, after an incubation period of 4–10 days. A feeling of weakness and lack of energy often persists for a few weeks. If you believe you have these symptoms, see a doctor because a blood test can confirm the disease and you should be monitored thereafter since, in some cases, dengue can progress to a more severe form that requires hospitalization. Take reasonable precautions to avoid mosquito bites and make sure there is no standing water in your flat. Sleep under a mosquito net!

Pollution

Pollution is pretty bad in Pune. It is less bothersome during the monsoon season in July and August. You can purchase an I Can Breathe® mask with a carbon filter at Icanbreathe.com or magellans.com. Sally Rutzky, from Ann Arbor, who has been to Pune eight times over the last 20 years, said that she used one in January and that it was the very first time she did not contract a sinus infection. Change the filter and wash the mask on a weekly basis.

Amazon is another source of MSA N95 masks for a good price: 20 pack for $19. Here is another mask: 3M Face Mask. 9332. EBay

Healthy Hygiene Reminders

• Use bottled water for brushing your teeth and cleaning your toothbrush. Keep shower water out of your eyes and mouth. You can buy hydrogen peroxide at a local pharmacy.
• In some places (though not all) the use of toilet paper is not a tradition in India. Water is always provided in Indian toilets (including the one at the Institute) for washing after using the toilet; use only your left hand for this. Take your own toilet paper to the Institute (for drying purposes only); place it in the wastebasket near the toilet.
• After using the toilet, wash your hands and feet before coming into the asana hall.
• Traditionally, Indians eat with their right hands (see above for Indian toilet customs).
• Eat the local yogurt (curds), which provides good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus) that reduce the number of bad bacteria in the gut. In addition, it is a good idea to take some kind of probiotic (good bacteria) supplement—you can get it at any good health food store. Additional fiber in the diet (such as Metagenics Herbulk or a similar mixed-fiber product) can also be useful. Efficient elimination reduces the risk of a parasitic infection.
• Products such as Tyler Para-Gard and Metagenics Ultra Parex are worth taking on a daily basis. They both contain a blend of anti-parasitic herbs. Garlic is also an effective antibacterial and anti-parasitic herb.
• Carry cold and cough medications that you rely on, so that if you happen to contract a respiratory infection, you'll have these items on hand. It's common to get a cold while visiting. Herbal tea can be handy as well.
• A neti pot and salt used at the end of each day is a good preventative and helps rid one of pollution.

Parasites

If anyone gets parasites they should get to a local doctor and follow up when back home as parasite infections tend to recur if not completely eliminated.

American Doctors (New York)

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