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3. Travel medicine—prevention based on epidemiological data

Steffen, Robert

In: Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1991, vol. 85, no. 2, p. 156-162

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    Titre
    • 3. Travel medicine—prevention based on epidemiological data
    Auteur
    • Steffen, Robert. Division of Epidemiology and Prevention of Communicable Diseases, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine of the University, Sumatrastrasse 30, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1991, vol. 85, no. 2, p. 156-162. Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
    Autre version électronique
    Classification
    • Santé
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:291202
    Summary
    In travel medicine efforts should be concentrated on preventive measures that are necessary, and travellers should be spared the side effects, costs and stress of superfluous measures. Excess mortality abroad is mainly due to traffic and swimming accidents, indicating the need for appropriate control strategies. The morbidity in travellers to developing countries is high, and is primarily due to traveller's diarrhoea. As prophylaxis is ineffective or unrealistic, and as travellers often need fast relief, it is recommended to include loperamide and an antimicrobial agent in the travel kit. Recent studies have shown that the incidence rate per month of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa may reach . The most frequently occurring immunizable diseases are hepatitis A () and hepatitis B (). For many tourists and some expatriates pre-travel advice (hygiene, measures against mosquito bites, etc.) as well as chemoprophylaxis and immunization can be limited to these infections, but those travelling or staying outside large centres need additional measures