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Emergencies

Certain circumstances require you to seek help as soon as possible: when you returned from abroad and have a fever, when you suspect having been exposed to HIV, and when you were bitten by an animal while travelling.

Serious complaints after travelling

Serious complaints include:

  • Fever

  • Severe diarrhoea

  • Extensive skin rashes

Exposure to HIV

If you believe you have been exposed to HIV, you need to act quickly. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs (PEP, short for post-exposure prophylaxis) reduces the chance of an HIV infection. The treatment has to start within 72 hours after exposure to HIV.

Exposure to rabies

If you were bitten by a dog, monkey, cat or bat during your travels, treatment with PEP should be started as soon as possible. You will receive a series of injections of the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin.

Contact

During office hours

Contact us as soon as possible during office hours (on weekdays, from 9am till 5pm). We'll discuss whether treatment should be considered.

Institute of Tropical Medicine
medsec@itg.be
+32 (0)3 247 66 66

Outside office hours

Contact the Antwerp University Hospital (Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen, UZA). Inform them if we are following your case as well.

Antwerp University Hospital
+32 (0)3 821 30 00