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Published on: November 7, 2018
Travel-associated illness trends and clusters, 2000-2010
Karin Leder1, Joseph Torresi, John S Brownstein
1Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria,Australia. karin.leder@monash.edu
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|June 15, 2013
Summary
Ill travelers returning from common destinations like Africa and Asia show shifting disease patterns. Malaria decreased, while enteric fever and dengue increased, with specific disease clusters identified.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Travel Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Longitudinal data on travel-associated illnesses are scarce.
- Understanding disease patterns in travelers is crucial for public health.
- Sentinel surveillance provides valuable insights into global disease activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze longitudinal trends and identify clusters of travel-related illnesses.
- To examine patterns of illness among 42,223 ill travelers from 2000-2010.
- To inform travel medicine recommendations based on disease surveillance data.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection from 18 GeoSentinel sites worldwide.
- Analysis of illness patterns based on destination, travel purpose, and time period.
- Statistical detection of case clustering for specific diseases.
Main Results:
- Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South-Central Asia, and South America were common return destinations.
- Proportion of tourism travel decreased; visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel increased.
- Malaria proportionate morbidity decreased; enteric fever and dengue increased, with identified clusters for malaria, dengue, and enteric fever.
Conclusions:
- Multisite sentinel surveillance effectively tracks travel-related disease trends.
- Shifting travel patterns and disease activity necessitate updated travel health advice.
- This data provides an evidence base for enhancing travel medicine recommendations.
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