Malaria after international travel: a GeoSentinel analysis, 2003-2016.
Angelo KMDivision of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E03, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. kangelo@cdc.gov.
Libman MMcGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases, Montreal, Canada.
Caumes EService des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
Hamer DHDepartment of Global Health and Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Kain KCTropical Disease Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Leder KVictorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Grobusch MPCenter for Tropical and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Hagmann SHSteven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, New Hyde Park, New York, NY, USA.
Kozarsky PDivision of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E03, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
Lalloo DGLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Lim PLInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Patimeteeporn CDivision of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E03, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
Gautret PUnité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, Aix Marseille Université, Tropical IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseillle, France.
Odolini SDepartment of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Brescia and Spedali Civili General Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
Chappuis FGeneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
Esposito DHDivision of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop E03, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
English
BACKGROUND More than 30,000 malaria cases are reported annually among international travellers. Despite improvements in malaria control, malaria continues to threaten travellers due to inaccurate perception of risk and sub-optimal pre-travel preparation.
METHODS Records with a confirmed malaria diagnosis after travel from January 2003 to July 2016 were obtained from GeoSentinel, a global surveillance network of travel and tropical medicine providers that monitors travel-related morbidity. Records were excluded if exposure country was missing or unascertainable or if there was a concomitant acute diagnosis unrelated to malaria. Records were analyzed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of international travellers with malaria.
RESULTS There were 5689 travellers included; 325 were children <18 years. More than half (53%) were visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). Most (83%) were exposed in sub-Saharan Africa. The median trip duration was 32 days (interquartile range 20-75); 53% did not have a pre-travel visit. More than half (62%) were hospitalized; children were hospitalized more frequently than adults (73 and 62%, respectively). Ninety-two per cent had a single Plasmodium species diagnosis, most frequently Plasmodium falciparum (4011; 76%). Travellers with P. falciparum were most frequently VFRs (60%). More than 40% of travellers with a trip duration ≤7 days had Plasmodium vivax. There were 444 (8%) travellers with severe malaria; 31 children had severe malaria. Twelve travellers died.
CONCLUSION Malaria remains a serious threat to international travellers. Efforts must focus on preventive strategies aimed on children and VFRs, and chemoprophylaxis access and preventive measure adherence should be emphasized.