See below for quick summaries of some common travel-related infections and tips on how to diagnose, treat, and avoid them.
Travelers’ Diarrhea
- What: A common travel-related gastrointestinal disease resulting from a variety of different microbes, including E. coli, salmonella, shigella, Vibrio cholera, rotavirus,and norovirus
- Where: Areas with poor hygiene and sanitation practices
- How: Ingestion of contaminated food and water
- Symptoms: Diarrhea, stomachache, nausea, bloating, fever, and vomiting
- Prognosis: Usually self-limiting, lasting 3-4 days
- Prevention: Frequent hand washing and wise choices in food consumption
- Treatment: Antibiotics and bismuth subsalicylate (a.k.a. Pepto-Bismol); oral rehydration solutions
- Travel Tip: Be careful what you eat!
Malaria
- What: Protozoan infection transmitted by mosquito bites
- Where: Endemic in Africa, Central and South America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the South Pacific
- How: Mosquito bites
- Symptoms: Fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, and general discomfort, occurring in intervals
- Prognosis: Curable when treated early.
- Prevention: No available vaccines, but antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine or mefloquine, may be administered before, during, and after exposure
- Travel Tip: Bring lots of insect repellent! See your medical provider for preventative planning!
Tuberculosis
- What: Bacterial infection, also known as “consumption” or “wasting disease”
- Where: Everywhere, but more predominantly in Asia, Africa, and parts of South America and Eastern Europe
- How: Transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation into the lungs
- Symptoms: A bad cough lasting at least 3 weeks, chest pain, coughing up blood, weakness, fever or night sweats, chills, loss of appetite and weight, and fatigue
- Prognosis: May result in active or persistent infection, diagnosed with a tuberculin skin test
- Prevention: The BCG vaccine used in other countries is not recommended in the U.S. because of variability in its effectiveness
- Treatment: Usually treatable with antibiotics, but multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, though rare, are a public health problem--especially among HIV patients
- Travel Tip: Avoid crowded environments where infected individuals may gather!
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
- What: Influenza virus carried by birds
- Where: Southeast Asia and parts of Eastern Europe
- How: Transmitted from bird-to-person through inhalation of bird saliva, nasal secretions, and feces into the lungs
- Symptoms: Fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and respiratory problems
- Prognosis: Not good—greater than 50% of infected individuals have died from the disease
- Prevention: A vaccine developed in 2007 is available only to public health officials and not to the general public
- Treatment: Some antiviral medications may be effective, with studies in progress
- Travel Tip: Be wary of live poultry and other birds in areas where bird flu is endemic!
Norovirus
- What: Gastrointestinal virus
- Where: Associated with large outbreaks in hotels and camps, but most notably on cruise ships
- How: Transferred by the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food or water or from person-to-person
- Symptoms: Severe vomiting and diarrhea
- Prognosis: Usually self-limited, but infants and the elderly are at risk for dehydration
- Prevention: No vaccines or antiviral drugs available
- Treatment: Rest and lots of fluids
- Travel Tip: Wash your hands frequently!
Hepatitis A
- What: Viral infection that causes acute liver disease
- Where: Greater risk in underdeveloped countries
- How: Transmitted by the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food or water or from person-to-person
- Symptoms: Fever, nausea, stomach discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice
- Prognosis: Lasts anywhere from 1-2 weeks to several months
- Prevention: Hepatitis A vaccination is available for persons over 1 year of age
- Treatment: No available treatments other than supportive care
- Travel Tip: Get vaccinated!
Resources:
Diseases Related to Travel. Travelers’ Health. CDC. July 30, 2008
Avian influenza (“bird flu”) – Fact sheet. WHO. July 30, 2008
