Travel medicine and infectious disease
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Sep 2012
Case ReportsA case report and literature review of "Chiclero's ulcer".
An 86-year-old man with history of travel to Guatemala presented with a 4-month history of an enlarging ulcerative lesion on his right ear. After several weeks of empiric treatment for otitis externa, histopathology, culture, and PCR analysis of a biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis secondary to Leishmania mexicana. ⋯ The majority of cases of "Chiclero's ulcer" spontaneously re-epithelialize without treatment within 3-9 months. This patient's lesion completely resolved without therapy after 11 months. "Chiclero's ulcer" should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with a chronic ulcerative lesion and history of travel to an endemic area.
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With advanced air handling systems on modern aircraft and the high level of measles immunity in many countries, measles infection in air travelers may be considered a low-risk event. However, introduction of measles into countries where transmission has been controlled or eliminated can have substantial consequences both for the use of public health resources and for those still susceptible. In an effort to balance the relatively low likelihood of disease transmission among largely immune travelers and the risk to the public health of the occurrence of secondary cases resulting from importations, criteria in the United States for contact investigations for measles exposures consider contacts to be those passengers who are seated within 2 rows of the index case. ⋯ Although the pattern of cabin air flow typical of modern commercial aircraft has been considered highly effective in limiting the airborne spread of microorganisms, concerns have been raised about relying on the operation of these systems to determine exposure risk, as turbulence in the cabin air stream is generated when passengers and crew are aboard, allowing the transmission of infectious agents over many rows. Additionally, the characteristics of some index cases may reflect a greater likelihood of disease transmission. Investigators should continue to examine carefully both aircraft and index-case factors that may influence disease transmission and could serve as indicators on a case-by-case basis to include a broader group of travelers in a contact investigation.
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Tungiasis is a skin disease caused by the ectoparasite sand flea Tunga penetrans. Although tungiasis is an important health problem in endemic areas, mainly South America and sub-Saharan Africa, it is reported uncommonly in travelers. We describe an outbreak of tungiasis in a group of travelers to Ethiopia. ⋯ All skin lesions healed without a need for a major intervention and without major sequela within 5 weeks of their appearance. Tungiasis may be underdiagnosed in travelers. Medical personnel should include tungiasis in pre-travel recommendations, and post-travel assessment.
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Travel Med Infect Dis · May 2012
Professional organisation profile: a faculty of expedition and wilderness medicine for Australasia.
A profile of the recent genesis of the Sub-Faculty of Expedition Medicine into a Faculty of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine of The Australasian College of Tropical Medicine is presented. Information is given on aims, structure, professional grades of membership, and the various activities of the Faculty, including publications and scientific meetings.