When people picture rabies, an image of a frothing, vicious animal often comes to mind.

This misconception means countless visitors to China are at more risk than they know when going to pet an innocent stray on the street. As the World Health Organization notes, this is most true for dogs. The animals are responsible for 99 percent of rabies transmission to humans in China.

The country has a known problem with homeless canines. China has 80 million registered dogs and only 10-20 percent of them are vaccinated against the rabies virus. The WHO reports that rabies kills one person every 10 minutes in developing countries (including China), showing a high risk for unprotected tourists.

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Though deserts can be some of the most daunting places for travel, people across the globe are still flocking to the arid regions.

What’s in store for travelers willing to brave the hot, dry weather? A combination of time spent hiking, camping, rock climbing and natural photography.

Over the years, desert tourism has fast become a popular travel option for those seeking a change of pace. As it turns out, the desert is a great place to thaw out and enjoy the sun during the cold winter months. The Middle East offers some of the best places for desert travel and the most popular destinations include, the Sahara Desert, the White Desert, and the Great Pyramid at Giza.

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Staying true to its name, river blindness can lead to some permanent issues with your eyes.

Also known as onchocerciasis, river blindness is an eye and skin disease that is spread by blackflies. Also accurate in the name, these tiny flies live near fast-running streams and rivers in inter-tropical zones.

According to the World Health Organization, it is the world’s second leading infectious cause of blindness. Africa poses the greatest risk, with over 90 percent of cases found on the continent. Other areas like Yemen and some Latin American countries also pose a risk.

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While cholera outbreaks are still occurring today, these epidemics are nothing new. Most of the world’s cholera epidemics can actually be traced back to a single place: India’s Ganges delta.

Cholera is an intestinal infection spread through contaminated food and water. Symptoms of cholera usually include diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. The disease doesn’t always show those signs though. Sometimes cholera is present with no symptoms to speak of. If an individual does not seek treatment, the symptoms can quickly become severe and victims can die within hours.

Many of the world’s worst cholera outbreaks can be traced back to the Ganges delta. Due to the fact that cholera spreads through contaminated food and water, the Ganges is a perfect breeding ground for the disease. The Ganges delta provides a source of water for millions of people living in India, all of which could be using contaminated water to bathe or cook.

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We naturally want vaccines to be as safe as possible. What’s the point in getting vaccinated if you’re risking a different illness?

While many people worry about side effects from vaccines, others don’t know about the other risks: bacteria.

While a syringe is injected into a vial, the vaccine can develop dangerous fungus. To combat this, manufacturers started to use a preservative called thimerosal. Thimerosal would prevent the fungus in multi-dose vaccines and make the drugs far safer.

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Since the first vaccine centuries ago, immunizations have become more important. But, with mass vaccinations come high costs.

With less known diseases at the time, children only received two vaccines in the 1950s: smallpox and diphtheria. According to a report by Clinical Infectious Diseases, pediatricians were able to administer these shots for as little as a dollar.

The polio vaccine was administered for the first time in 1955 which became part of the immunization schedule for children. These three shots became the standard for quite some time. In the 1970’s and 1980s, only half of school-aged children were vaccinated.

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The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival, is just a couple weeks away.

The Chinese New Year dates back nearly 4,000 years and originated to raise sacrifices to the agricultural gods and ancient ancestors. This was a way of honoring them for sustaining the Chinese people for another year. Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty set the date from the lunar calendar. More than celebrating a turn of the calendar, the event signifies the beginning of the planting season.

The celebration may only land on one day, but the new year’s festival is a massive event covering 15 days.

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Animals get sick just like humans, and feathered friends are no exception.

The bird flu, also called avian influenza, is very common and stems from two strains the virus, H5N1 and H7N9. The virus affects different kinds of birds including, but not limited to turkeys, ducks, chickens and wild turkeys.

Not only does the virus mutate quickly, but bird flu spreads easily in people who spend a lot of time around the animals. This leaves farmhands at great risk of starting an epidemic if their flock gets sick.

The bird flu has been resurging in the news of late. This is due to recent cases reported throughout the United Kingdom, China and Iran. Each country is addressing the problem accordingly by enforcing the laws and reevaluating farmers and their flocks. All governments are taking action to keep bird flu from the general public.

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It probably feels like there’s no shortage of diseases to worry about thanks to dirty water. Cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A can all come from contaminated liquid.

Unfortunately, another one seems to be on the rise with melioidosis.

Melioidosis is also referred to as Whitmore Disease or the bacterium’s more complicated name, Burkholderia pseudomallei.

The bacterium survives in stagnant, murky water and soil and when rains fall, it also has the ability to become airborne. It is commonly found in animals, but humans can also become very ill with this harmful germ. For example, a person may cut their hand while doing some landscaping, farming or construction work. The bacteria will then enter the body through that small entryway.

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There is often a misconception when it comes to Chinese cuisine. Many assume that because it’s all from the same country, all Chinese food is the same.

Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You could travel all across the country of China and not eat the same thing twice. Every region of China has unique flavors and dishes that make traveling to China all the more exciting:

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