Vol 68, No 4 (2017)
Review article
Published online: 2017-12-22
Travel health prevention
Abstract
All around the world there has been a rapid growth in the number of international travels. According to the World Tourism Organisation the number of international tourist arrivals reached 1,235 billion in 2016 and continues to grow at a high rate. This has been much due to the development of air transport (including low-cost airlines), increasingly common economic migration, a growing number of travellers visiting friends and relatives, and an increase in medical tourism. With tropical destinations becoming increasingly popular among travellers, doctors have seen a rising number of patients who seek medical advice on health risks prevalent in hot countries and health prevention measures to be taken in tropical destinations, especially where sanitation is poor. The risk for developing a medical condition while staying abroad depends on a variety of factors, including the traveller’s general health condition, health prevention measures taken before or during travel (vaccinations, antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, health precautions during air, road and sea travel, proper acclimatisation, prevention of heat injuries, protection against local flora and fauna, personal hygiene, water, food and feeding hygiene), as well as the prevalence of health risk factors in a given location. Health prevention is a precondition for safe travel and maintaining good physical health; in the era of a rapid growth in international tourism it has become of key importance for all travellers.
Keywords: health preventioninternational journeystravel medicine
References
- Hatz C, Chen LH. Pre-Travel Consultation. In: Keystone JS, Freedman DO, Kozarsky PE, Connor BA, Nothdurft HD. ed. Travel Medicine. 3rd Edition. Elsevier Saunders 2013: 31–35.
- Freedman DO, Chen LH, Kozarsky PE, et al. Medical Considerations before International Travel. N Engl J Med. 2016; 375(3): 247–260.
- Chen LH, Hochberg NS, Magill AJ. The Pretravel Consultation. In: Brunette GW. ed. Health Information for International Travel. Oxford University Press, New York 2017: 16–32.
- Korzeniewski K. Medycyna podróży. Kompendium. PZWL, Warszawa 2016: 11–58.
- Hartjes LB, Baumann LC, Henriques JB. Travel health risk perceptions and prevention behaviors of US study abroad students. J Travel Med. 2009; 16(5): 338–343.
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. General recommendations on immunization --- recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2011; 60(2): 1–64.
- Lupi E, Hatz C, Schlagenhauf P. The efficacy of repellents against Aedes, Anopheles, Culex and Ixodes spp. - a literature review. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2013; 11(6): 374–411.
- Frances SP, Waterson DGE, Beebe NW, et al. Field evaluation of repellent formulations containing deet and picaridin against mosquitoes in Northern Territory, Australia. J Med Entomol. 2004; 41(3): 414–417.
- Fradin MS. Protection from blood-feeding arthropods. In: Auerbach PS. ed. Wilderness Medicine. 5th Edition. Mosby Press 2007: 892–904.
- Arguin PM, Tan KR. Malaria. In: Brunette GW. ed. Health Information for International Travel. Oxford University Press, New York 2017: 233–255.
- Goodyer L, Rice L, Martin A. Choice of and adherence to prophylactic antimalarials. J Travel Med. 2011; 18(4): 245–249.
- Goodyer L, Gibbs J. Medical supplies for travelers to developing countries. J Travel Med. 2004; 11(4): 208–211.
- Jong EC. Approach to Travel Medicine and Contents of a Personal Travel Medicine Kit. In: Sanford CA, Pottinger PS, Jong EC. ed. The Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual. 5th Edition. Elsevier, Marickville 2017: 1–16.
- Sack RL. Clinical practice. Jet lag. N Engl J Med. 2010; 362(5): 440–447.
- Sack RL. The pathophysiology of jet lag. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2009; 7(2): 102–110.
- Waterhouse J, Reilly T, Atkinson G. Jet-lag. Lancet. 1997; 350(9091): 1611–1616.
- Reyes NL, Beckman MG, Abe K. Deep Vein Thrombosis & Pulmonary Embolism. In: Brunette GW. ed. CDC Yellow Book 2018. Health Information for International Travel. Oxford University Press, New York 2017: 120–123.
- Bartholomew JR, Schaffer JL, McCormick GF, et al. Air travel and venous thromboembolism: minimizing the risk. Cleve Clin J Med. 2011; 78(2): 111–120.
- Jong EC. Jet Health. In: Sanford CA, Pottinger PS, Jong EC. ed. The Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual. 5th Edition. Elsevier, Marickville 2017: 36–46.
- Mills KL, Griffin MJ. Effect of seating, vision and direction of horizontal oscillation on motion sickness. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2000; 71(10): 996–1002.
- Eyeson-Annan M, Peterken C, Brown B, et al. Visual and vestibular components of motion sickness. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1996; 67(10): 955–962.
- World Health Organization. Global status report on road safety. Geneva, 2009. www.who.int/violence¬_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2009 (30 Oct 2017).
- Sherry MK, Mossallam M, Mulligan M, et al. Rates of intentionally caused and road crash deaths of US citizens abroad. Inj Prev. 2015; 21(e1): e10–e14.
- Wenger CB. Human heat acclimatization. In: Pandolf KB, Sawka MN, Gonzalez RR. ed. Human Performance Physiology and Environmental Medicine at Terrestrial Extremes. Cooper, Carmel 1988: 153–198.
- Epstein Y, Moran DS. Thermal comfort and the heat stress indices. Ind Health. 2006; 44(3): 388–398.
- Bezruchka SA. Disequilibrium: Jet Lag, Motion Sickness, Cold Exposure, and Heat Illness. In: Sanford CA CA, Pottinger PS PS, Jong EC. ed. Cold Exposure, and Heat Illness. Elsevier, Marickville 2017: 121–137.
- Lipman GS, Eifling KP, Ellis MA, et al. Wilderness Medical Society. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of heat-related illness: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014; 25(4 Suppl): S55–S65.
- Epstein Y, Moran DS. Extremes of Temperature and Hydration. In: Keystone JS, Freedman DO, Kozarsky PE, Connor BA, Nothdurft HD. ed. Travel Medicine. 3rd Edition. Elsevier Saunders 2013: 381–390.
- Fewtrell L, Colford JM. Water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries: interventions and diarrhoea--a review. Water Sci Technol. 2005; 52(8): 133–142.
- Prüss A, Kay D, Fewtrell L, et al. Estimating the burden of disease from water, sanitation, and hygiene at a global level. Environ Health Perspect. 2002; 110(5): 537–542.
- DuPont HL, Ericsson CD, Farthing MJG, et al. Expert review of the evidence base for prevention of travelers' diarrhea. J Travel Med. 2009; 16(3): 149–160.
