As a mostly midlatitude country, Chile presents relatively few health problems—even in the north, which lies within tropical latitudes, the arid climate precludes malaria and most tropical diseases.

A good general source is Dr. Richard Dawood’s Travelers’ Health (New York: Random House, 1994), a small encyclopedia on the topic. Dr. Stuart R. Rose’s regularly updated International Travel Health Guide (Northampton, MA: Travel Medicine Inc., 2001) is regionally focused. Try also the fifth edition of Dirk G. Schroeder’s Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000).

For up-to-date information on health issues throughout the Southern Cone, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Temperate South America regional page (www.cdc.gov/travel/temsam.htm). Another good source is the United Kingdom’s Department of Health (www.doh.gov.uk), which provides a chart of recommended prophylaxis by country.