Journal article
Malaria after international travel: a GeoSentinel analysis, 2003-2016.
- Angelo KM Division 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 M McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases, Montreal, Canada.
- Caumes E Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
- Hamer DH Department of Global Health and Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Kain KC Tropical Disease Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Leder K Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
- Grobusch MP Center for Tropical and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Hagmann SH Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, New Hyde Park, New York, NY, USA.
- Kozarsky P Division 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 DG Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
- Lim PL Institute of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
- Patimeteeporn C Division 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 P Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, Aix Marseille Université, Tropical IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseillle, France.
- Odolini S Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Brescia and Spedali Civili General Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
- Chappuis F Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Esposito DH Division 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.
- 2017-07-22
Published in:
- Malaria journal. - 2017
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.
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.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1186/s12936-017-1936-3
- PMID 28728595
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/232812
Statistics
Document views: 18
File downloads: