Travel medicine and infectious disease
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Mar 2012
ReviewReview: Targeting trachoma: Strategies to reduce the leading infectious cause of blindness.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that in 2002, 1.3 million people were blind due to trachoma, an eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. This review examines the evidence behind current strategies to reduce the global burden of trachoma. Trachoma disappeared from most western nations before the advent of antibiotics, probably due to improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene. ⋯ A single oral dose of azithromycin can eliminate trachoma infection, but cannot be used in infants under 6 months old, and needs to be given every few years in communities with a high prevalence of disease. Improved health education and facial hygiene has been linked to a lower incidence of trachoma, but the evidence is less clear than for surgery and antibiotics. Pit latrines and spraying with permethrin insecticide may reduce the spread of trachoma via eye-seeking flies.
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Jan 2012
The prevalance of respiratory viruses among healthcare workers serving pilgrims in Makkah during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.
Despite the high risk of acquiring respiratory infections, healthcare workers who treat pilgrims at Hajj have not been studied in previous research on respiratory diseases during Hajj. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different respiratory viruses among healthcare workers who treated pilgrims during Hajj 2009, the year of the influenza A H1N1 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was performed just before and after Hajj (25-29 November, 2009). ⋯ Influenza A (including H1N1), influenza B. respiratory syncytial virus, other coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses, human metapneumovirus, adenovirus, and human bocavirus were not detected. The finding of high rates of rhinovirus infection corresponds to their frequent occurrence in adults. None of the participants had influenza A H1N1 2009, possibly because it was also infrequent among the 2009 pilgrims.
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Sep 2011
Disaster response from Australia: what is the role of Forward Teams?
Large scale Australian civilian medical assistance teams were first deployed overseas in 2004. The deployment of small Forward Teams in the early phase of a health disaster response allows for informed decisions on whether, and in what form, to deploy larger medical assistance teams. The prime consideration is to support the capacity of local services to respond to the specific needs of the affected population. In addition, Australian citizens caught up in large numbers in overseas disasters may need health assistance.
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Travel Med Infect Dis · Sep 2011
Case ReportsBabesiosis: an emerging infectious disease that can affect those who travel to the northeastern United States.
A case is presented of a healthy, 57 year-old male living in Ohio who traveled to Connecticut and later developed a severe case of babesiosis. The patient presented to his primary care physician with a history of intermittent fever and myalgias and was admitted to the hospital for investigation. On admission, he was found to have fever, left flank pain, and thrombocytopenia. ⋯ A serendipitous conversation led to the investigation into babesiosis and empiric treatment. Infection with Babesia microti was confirmed by blood smear and PCR. In conclusion, obtaining a domestic, as well as international, travel history is important for identifying diseases, such as babesiosis, endemic to other areas.
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Tungiasis is an endemic disease in many resource-poor communities some of which are in South America, which are visited frequently by Spanish travelers. Its diagnosis can be improved with the knowledge of the typical presentation and the correct management of its injuries. We report the first four cases identified of imported tungiasis in Mallorca. ⋯ Dermoscopy was used for the initial approach to the injuries. Tungiasis can be suspected easily by examining carefully the black lesions and asking about previous travel. It can be treated readily by minor surgical techniques.