Atlanta area residents concerned over deaths in Dominican Republic

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Atlanta area health experts are weighing in about the precautions travelers should take if they are going to the Dominican Republic. This comes after nine Americans have now mysteriously died while vacationing there.

Medical consultants at the DeKalb County travel clinic said travelers should always be aware of the known health risks associated with the country they are traveling to.

“So if you want to enjoy your vacation, do what you can before you leave and do your homework to find out what the risks are,” said Alawode Oladele, DeKalb County Medical Consultant.

It is still not known what lead to the death of nine Americans in the Dominican Republic, but health experts are reminding travelers, who are going to the Dominican Republic to get vaccinated accordingly, including for Hepatitis A and Typhoid.

“Those are food and water born precautions and you also want to take a good look at what you are eating,” said Oladele.

Some travelers are now thinking twice about going including, including Kaye Turner.

“The only other thing I know to do is skip it and stay home,” said Turner.

Turner said she was going to lose money on her flight, so she’s going to stick to her trip.

“All I can do is put it in God’s hands,” said Turner. “It’s scary, definitely.”

For travelers like Turner, experts recommend keeping tabs on the State Department’s Travel Advisory for the Dominican Republic. Right now, it’s at a Level 2, warning travelers about possible violence but it doesn’t say anything about potential health risks. The State Department sent a statement to FOX 5 News after inquiries into if they planned to change their advisory. It reads in part:

“Local authorities have not found a connection between the cases... Should we learn of safety risks to the public - we will share that information.”

“Unfortunately you have to make a decision as to whether it’s worth it to travel to a place where there is something going on that you don’t know,” said Oladele.

FULL TEXT: State Department's current travel advisory for the Dominican Republic