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Published on: May 23, 2021
Protracted rheumatic manifestations in travelers
Shaye Kivity1, Eyal Meltzer, Hanna Bin
1Rheumatology Unit, Center for Autoimmune Diseases, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Kivitys@gmail.com
Background:
Travel returnees may complain of protracted rheumatic symptoms, but there are sparse data regarding their causes. We aimed to describe travelers returning with new rheumatic symptoms.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective analysis of Israeli travelers who were referred to the Sheba Medical Center from January 2005 to January 2010 with prolonged (>4 weeks) nontraumatic arthralgia or arthritis.
Results:
During 5 years, 14 patients (7 men and 7 women) with posttravel arthritis/arthralgia were seen. A total of 5 patients were diagnosed with reactive arthritis, and 9 were diagnosed with rheumatic symptoms related to infection with Alphaviruses: Chikungunya virus or Ross River virus. Some disability remained for several months in most cases, but only 1 case of reactive arthritis eventually evolved to a chronic spondyloarthropathy.
Conclusions:
Travel-related arthritis may persist even several months after the exposure. Assessing patients' travel history may help in the evaluation of some cases with rheumatic manifestations. Their prognosis may be better than that of autoimmune arthritides.
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