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Infectious diseases in returned travellers, NSW, 2010-2011
Praveena Gunaratnam1, Sean Tobin2, Holly Seale3
1NSW Public Health Officer Training Program, NSW Ministry of Health.
New South Wales Public Health Bulletin
|June 19, 2014
Summary
A significant proportion of notified diseases in NSW, including hepatitis A and typhoid fever, were acquired overseas. Travelers should be aware of risks and preventive measures like vaccinations and food/water precautions.
Area of Science:
- Infectious disease epidemiology
- Public health surveillance
- Travel medicine
Background:
- Overseas travel is a known risk factor for acquiring infectious diseases.
- Understanding the burden of travel-associated diseases is crucial for public health interventions.
- Data on travel-related illness in New South Wales (NSW) requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the proportion of selected notified diseases in NSW attributable to overseas travel.
- To assess the quality of data on travel-associated risk factors.
- To inform targeted prevention strategies for travel-related infectious diseases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 2010-2011 notification data for dengue, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, malaria, paratyphoid fever, shigellosis, and typhoid fever in NSW.
- Extraction of data from the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System.
- Assessment of travel-associated risk factors for these diseases.
Main Results:
- The proportion of cases acquired overseas ranged from 48.7% (shigellosis) to 100% (hepatitis E, malaria, typhoid).
- Over half of hepatitis A, hepatitis E, malaria, paratyphoid, and typhoid cases were linked to travel to the person's country of birth.
- Hepatitis A vaccination rates were significantly lower in overseas-acquired cases (4.8%) compared to locally-acquired cases (22.2%).
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of selected enteric and vectorborne diseases in NSW are associated with overseas travel.
- Travellers need awareness of risks and preventive measures, including vaccinations (hepatitis A, typhoid) and precautions (food, water, malaria chemoprophylaxis).
- Improving data quality on risk factors and preventive measure barriers is essential for enhancing prevention strategies.
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