Journal article
Illness in Long-Term Travelers Visiting GeoSentinel Clinics
Lin H Chen, Mary E Wilson, Xiaohong Davis, Louis Loutan, Eli Schwartz, Jay Keystone, Devon Hale, Poh Lian Lim, Anne McCarthy, Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas, Patricia Schlagenhauf
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES | CENTERS DISEASE CONTROL | Published : 2009
Open access
Abstract
Length of travel appears to be associated with health risks. GeoSentinel Surveillance Network data for 4,039 long-term travelers (trip duration >6 months) seen after travel during June 1, 1996, through December 31, 2008, were compared with data for 24,807 short-term travelers (trip duration 1 month, eosinophilia, cutaneous leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, and Entamoeba histolytica diarrhea. Areas of concern for long-term travelers were vector-borne diseases, contact-transmitted diseases, and psychological problems. Our results can help prioritize screening for and diagnosis of illness in long-term travelers and provide evidence-based pretravel advice.
Grants
Awarded by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Awarded by MRC
Funding Acknowledgements
Dr Chen directs the Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn Hospital and is assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. Her clinical interests include malaria, dengue, travelers' health, and travel-associated emerging infections.