[Epidemiology and clinical aspects of imported tropical diseases]

The number of people travelling of the tropical countries is in constant progression and today represents about 5% of the population of the developed countries. Mortality is mainly accidental. Morbidity essentially concerns transmissible diseases. Diarrhoeal symptoms occur in 20-55% of travellers, are bacterial in 2 cases out of 3, and can be prevented. Cholera should soon have an efficient oral vaccine. Hepatitis A is frequent in some travellers (2-3%) and can be prevented by vaccination. Hepatitis E is beginning to be observed. Strongyloidiasis can in some cases evolve to serious complications; it may be latent, so should be sought systematically after any visit to the tropics. Most affections on returning to the industrialised world concern paludism of the Plasmodium falciparum type, leading to a still high mortality rate of 400 per year in Europe, while the preventive and curative means available are sufficient. Any fever should therefore be suspected and suitable treatment given. Other causes of fever are acute viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, the arboviroses, and numerous other conditions. Dermatoses represent the third reason for consultation on returning. These mainly concern pruriginous symptoms with filariases and abnormal hosts being evidenced. Furunculous lesions indicate a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniosis or myases. Any form of pruritus should suggest a diagnosis of HIV infection, or pruritus should suggest a diagnosis of HIV infection, or particularly trypanosomiasis. The risk of sexually transmissible disease is overall 6-fold higher in tropical travellers; advice before travelling is therefore of paramount importance. Should a seropositive subject travel to the tropics?(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)