Dengue Mosquito

With the recent increase of rain in the Dominican Republic is coming an increase in the number of mosquitoes and mosquito bore diseases like Dengue. New dengue cases are being reported through out the island on a daily basis so it is time to start slathering on the mosquito repellent again!

The Dominican Republic has a history of dengue as can be seen by the other Dengue reports from past years. Most cases are preventable. Basic tips like putting some chlorine in any rain water that you might save, putting screens on your windows, applying insect repellent and removing any areas where water may get trapped and become stagnant can greatly reduce the mosquito population and reduce the spread of the disease.

When traveling in areas where there is a denser population of mosquitoes (more…)

The official death toll has reached 59 with cases continuing to rise. The reports of the disease save been scattered through the Dominican Republic, with the many being reported in the Dominican Capital of Santo Domingo.

Dengue is a mosquito born disease that can be avoided with mosquito repellents, screens on window (very unpopular with most Dominicans), and if needed screens over your bed to keep you from getting bit at night (having a fan blowing on you works well too).

To try and combat the spread of this disease trucks have been driving up and down our street spraying mosquito spray into the air. So… (more…)

New cases of dengue fever have been reported in the small campo town of Fantino de Cotui, Dominican Republic.

Dengue also called “breakbone” or “dandy fever” is a serious disease that causes high fever and intense joint and muscle pain. More serious cases of dengue can also cause bleeding gums, sever pain behind the eyes and red palms and soles.

Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes (striped Aedes aegypti mosquito) so one of the best ways to prevent contracting this illness is to (more…)

The public health department of the Dominican Republic has reported more deaths due to dengue over the last few days. While dengue is always a risk due to humid air and frequent rain-showers (leaving pools of tepid water for mosquitoes to breed) , certain times of year seem to produce more reports.

As of today 10/11/12 there have been 10 recent reports of deaths with 3,538 probably cases of this mosquito born disease. Pretty much anywhere is the Dominican Republic is at risk (more…)

Right now if you plan on staying in the Dominican Republic the chances of you getting the Chikungunya Virus is very good. Well over ¾ of the people I know here have gotten the virus. Even after taking all the normal precautions it still gets passed around. If you are here for vacation and you are looking up information on how to treat it, sorry there isn’t much to do but take some pain medicine and wait it out.

However what you do while you are waiting it out can make a big difference on how comfortable you are and how long it lasts. Pushing through and remaining active will just complicate things and may even lead to more serious complication as you will see from the experiences I relate below.

The short answer for treating Chikungunya is: There is no real treatment; you just try to lower the symptoms. If you go to a hospital the first thing they will usually do is connect an IV and try to get you hydrated. With the IV they will often give you pain killers, vitamin B and also an anti-inflammatory.

Chikungunya Symptoms

While Chikungunya usually doesn’t kill, it is a very painful disease. It usually starts with pain in the feet  or other joints (more…)

Las Terrenas Beach Road

There are a lot of reasons to choose from to pack it up and move to a developing country like the Dominican Republic. Change of pace, climate, the beach, cost of living, or altruistic reasons like being a missionary, or need-greater. Regardless of which country you are moving from or whether you plan to stay months or years, you probably have a lot of questions.

What you will find here

Our site covers the topics you will need to know to live in the D.R. comfortably and how to have fun while you are here. Dr-DominicanRepublic.com documents the real life experiences of people that have moved here as well as up to date health and safety warnings, hurricane warning, and tips to stay safe while you are here. You will even find tips on renting a house, and buying real estate, cars, motorcycles and other property.

While you’re in the Caribbean you’re also going to want to check out the beaches, resorts and other attractions that can be found here. As our writers visit the various towns, all-inclusive resorts, beaches and local businesses we write about our experiences and prices to help you get the best price for the best vacations.

All articles and posts are written by people that actually live in the Dominican Republic and have experienced the problems and joys of living here.

Finding the information you want

No doubt you have particular questions you would like answered. Our main navigation (to the left) covers the Dominican Republic mostly by town, but often our “Most Popular Subjects” section will get you to the information you want the quickest.

Here is a short list from our Most Popular Subjects page to get you started.

• Culture – Get to know the people you will be living with. This is a good section to scan through to help you get along well with the locals as well as know what to watch out for.
• Internet – Yes, you can get internet here. These posts cover the most popular providers, which temporary or permanent plans are best and what other equipment you need. We also cover topics like Skype and MagicJack.
• Health – Living in a developing country has its health issues, dengue, cholera, parasites and amebas are all possible health threats here. Learn how to avoid health problems and what to do and where to go if you do get sick. There are also certain foods that can cause health problems here, this is the section to go to stay healthy here.
• Immigration Laws – These laws are constantly changing. It is important to know what is required even for short term stays as little as two months.
• Things to Avoid – We list things you will want to stay clear of are in this section, hurricane reports, health and food related problems and occasionally businesses whose practices warrant a warning.
• Resort Deals – Due to popular demand we also list some of the best resort deals we have found. Many of these will be for the Lifestyles Resorts in Puerto Plata. The Lifestyles Tropical and Colfresi Resorts often have some of the best all inclusive deals in the country.
• Most Popular Dominican Republic Subjects – If you haven’t found what you are looking for yet, than this page lists the most popular subjects discussed.
• Follow us on Goolge+ Google+

Recommended Businesses

Over the years we have used many of the local businesses and have several that we can recommend. Here are some that you might want to try.

Click image for information on Discounts		La Residencia Del Paseo

Whether you are vacationing or planning to stay do your research to ensure you get the most out of your trip and Enjoy your stay in the Dominican Republic!

If you’re planning a trip to the Dominican Republic and are checking the news, it is pretty certain you are seeing quite a bit about the cholera problem in Haiti. Reasonably, you might be concerned with how this should affect your vacation plans, maybe even wondering if it might be best to cancel them.

First what is Cholera? Cholera is an intestinal infection that brings on a watery diarrhea, stomach pains and often vomiting. Not a pleasant way to spend your vacation.

How is it spread? For the most part by drinking infected water or eating infected food. It’s stated that “Cholera is rarely spread directly from person to person” (source Wikipedia Cholera).
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