Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, long-distance travel was not possible for some time. Fortunately, that has changed. The low temperatures and gloomy weather are now giving some people the idea of booking a trip to Asia, South America or Africa. Preparation is half the battle, especially for trips like this. This also applies to the vaccinations required. The standard Austrian vaccinations are a basic requirement, to which special travel vaccinations are added depending on the region and time of travel. Sun and insect protection as well as a personal travel first aid kit complement the medical precautions. It is advisable to go to a travel medicine center at least six weeks before departure. New dangers from dengue and chikungunya? Just recently, the headline "Dengue fever on Lake Garda" made the rounds in the media and caused a stir. "In fact, a few cases of dengue fever that were acquired in the country have been registered in Italy. This shows that some of the so-called tropical diseases are migrating further and further north," explains Doz.in Dr.in Ursula Hollenstein, travel medicine specialist and specialist in internal medicine. Worldwide, dengue fever is actually common. There are probably up to 390 million infections per year. While the initial infection is often mild, the risk of a serious course is significantly increased with a repeated infection and can even be fatal. Between 30 and 120 dengue virus infections are diagnosed in Austria each year - so far only in people returning from endemic areas. There has therefore been no transmission in the country. In southern European countries, however, smaller outbreaks have been observed repeatedly, always starting with an infected traveler returning from a trip, but then with the infection spreading and further spreading in the region.