Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand
Abstract Objective: To describe illnesses of returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand. Methods: Record data for all patients presenting for travel‐related illnesses seen at two GeoSentinel sites, operating as commercial travel clinics, in Auckland and Hamilton, NZ, were ext...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2003-02-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00386.x |
| _version_ | 1797707359958597632 |
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| author | Marc T.M. Shaw Peter A. Leggat Leisa H. Weld Megan L. Williams Martin S. Cetron |
| author_facet | Marc T.M. Shaw Peter A. Leggat Leisa H. Weld Megan L. Williams Martin S. Cetron |
| author_sort | Marc T.M. Shaw |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: To describe illnesses of returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand. Methods: Record data for all patients presenting for travel‐related illnesses seen at two GeoSentinel sites, operating as commercial travel clinics, in Auckland and Hamilton, NZ, were extracted for the period November 1997 to December 2001. Results: 205 patients were identified with 262 diagnoses. Just over half were females (54.21 %) and nearly half were in the 25–35 years age group (47.3%). About two‐fifths of patients reported a pre‐travel health consultation (41.0%). The commonest diseases diagnosed were diarrhoeal illnesses (23%), dermatological diagnoses (16%, excluding animal bites), animal bites (10%), and non‐specific viral illnesses (8%), many of which manifest as respiratory infections. Tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis (4%) malaria (2%) and dengue fever (0.5%), were not common. Conclusions: Information on travel‐related illnesses, when reported through a global reporting system, can be useful for the travel health adviser in identifying issues of current concern. Although the frequency of tropical disease is low, it remains important to prevent these potentially fatal diseases. Implications: GeoSentinel makes a global contribution to the surveillance of emerging and re‐emerging infectious diseases through a network of individual sites in various countries including New Zealand. This information can be used to help provide preventive advice for travellers as well as help in assessing illness in post‐travel patients and potentially assist in preventing the secondary spread of some diseases acquired abroad following return. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:06:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef0550ac239c42c48665717acdcc0e39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:06:14Z |
| publishDate | 2003-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef0550ac239c42c48665717acdcc0e392023-09-03T03:38:49ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052003-02-01271828610.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00386.xIllness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New ZealandMarc T.M. Shaw0Peter A. Leggat1Leisa H. Weld2Megan L. Williams3Martin S. Cetron4Worldwise Travellers Health Centres of New ZealandSchool of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, QueenslandDivision of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, United States of AmericaWorldwise Travellers Health Centres of New ZealandGlobal Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, United States of AmericaAbstract Objective: To describe illnesses of returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand. Methods: Record data for all patients presenting for travel‐related illnesses seen at two GeoSentinel sites, operating as commercial travel clinics, in Auckland and Hamilton, NZ, were extracted for the period November 1997 to December 2001. Results: 205 patients were identified with 262 diagnoses. Just over half were females (54.21 %) and nearly half were in the 25–35 years age group (47.3%). About two‐fifths of patients reported a pre‐travel health consultation (41.0%). The commonest diseases diagnosed were diarrhoeal illnesses (23%), dermatological diagnoses (16%, excluding animal bites), animal bites (10%), and non‐specific viral illnesses (8%), many of which manifest as respiratory infections. Tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis (4%) malaria (2%) and dengue fever (0.5%), were not common. Conclusions: Information on travel‐related illnesses, when reported through a global reporting system, can be useful for the travel health adviser in identifying issues of current concern. Although the frequency of tropical disease is low, it remains important to prevent these potentially fatal diseases. Implications: GeoSentinel makes a global contribution to the surveillance of emerging and re‐emerging infectious diseases through a network of individual sites in various countries including New Zealand. This information can be used to help provide preventive advice for travellers as well as help in assessing illness in post‐travel patients and potentially assist in preventing the secondary spread of some diseases acquired abroad following return.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00386.x |
| spellingShingle | Marc T.M. Shaw Peter A. Leggat Leisa H. Weld Megan L. Williams Martin S. Cetron Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| title | Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand |
| title_full | Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand |
| title_fullStr | Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand |
| title_short | Illness in returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand |
| title_sort | illness in returned travellers presenting at geosentinel sites in new zealand |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00386.x |
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