Journal of travel medicine
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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic disease among persons with African ancestry. This article provides a background to SCD and reviews many important aspects of travel preparation in this population. ⋯ Travelers with SCD face considerable medical risks when traveling to developing tropical countries, including malaria, bacterial infections, hypovolemia, and sickle cell-associated vaso-occlusive crises. For individuals with SCD, frank counseling about the risks, vigilant preventative measures, and contingency planning for illness while abroad are necessary aspects of the pre-travel visit.
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Globally, the Swiss have one of the highest proportions of the population traveling to tropical and subtropical countries. Large travel clinics serve an increasing number of customers with specific pre-travel needs including uncommon destinations and preexisting medical conditions. This study aims to identify health characteristics and travel patterns of travelers seeking advice in the largest Swiss travel clinic so that tailored advice can be delivered. ⋯ New insights into the characteristics of a selected and large population of Swiss international travelers results in improved understanding of the special needs of an increasingly diverse population and, thus, in targeted preventive advice and interventions.
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Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia. Although the risk for acquiring JE for most travelers to Asia is low, it varies based on the destination, season, trip duration, and activities. ⋯ JE should be considered in the differential diagnosis for any patient with an acute neurologic infection, who has recently been in a JE-endemic country. Health-care providers should assess the itineraries of travelers to JE-endemic countries, provide guidance on personal protective measures to prevent vector-borne diseases, and consider recommending JE vaccine for travelers at increased risk for JE virus infection.
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This report focuses on epidemiological and clinical features of dengue fever (DF) in Tuscany (Italy) between 2006 and 2012. Sixty-one DF cases were diagnosed, 32 of which were in the period of Aedes albopictus activity. Some clinical (arthralgia/myalgia, nausea/vomiting, and skin rash), laboratory (leukopenia and thrombocytopenia), and epidemiological characteristics (travel in a continent other than Africa) significantly distinguished DF cases from other febrile illnesses. Our data stress the importance of increasing awareness on dengue in Italy among clinicians in order to reach an early diagnosis in returning travelers and to implement appropriate clinical and public health interventions.