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Hirata K, Ogawa T, Fujikura H, Ogawa Y, Hirai N, Nakagawa-Onishi T, Uno K, Takeyama M, Kasahara K, Nakamura-Uchiyama F, Konishi M, Mikasa K. Characteristics of health problems in returned overseas travelers at a tertiary teaching hospital in a suburban area in Japan. J Infect Chemother 2018; 24:682-685. [PMID: 29503227 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have analyzed the characteristics of patients who develop physical disorders after overseas travel. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 183 patients who visited Nara Medical University Hospital from 2008 to 2016 because of physical problems after traveling abroad. The main travel destinations were Southeast Asia (n = 100), Africa (n = 27), and South Asia (n = 23). The main reasons for the travel were leisure (n = 96), business (n = 51), and volunteer work (n = 19). The most common final diagnosis was gastrointestinal disease (n = 72), followed by febrile disease (n = 59) and respiratory disease (n = 19). There were eight malaria cases, including one patient who was infected after <14 days of overseas travel. Additionally, 61 of 71 cases of travelers' diarrhea and 15 of 21 cases of dengue fever occurred after <14 days travel. 26 cases of vaccine preventable diseases, such as hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and influenza, were observed. Consequently, healthcare providers should notify Japanese overseas travelers that there is a non-negligible health risk inherent to short-term travel, while stressing on the importance of pre-travel medical consultation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Hirata
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Taku Ogawa
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Fujikura
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Ogawa
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Nobuyasu Hirai
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan; Department of Pathogen, Infection and Immunity, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | | | - Kenji Uno
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | | | - Kei Kasahara
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Fukumi Nakamura-Uchiyama
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan; Department of Pathogen, Infection and Immunity, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Konishi
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Keiichi Mikasa
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
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