Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 13, Issue 4, 2015, Pages 285-294

Chinese travellers visiting friends and relatives - A review of infectious risks (Article)

Ma T.* , Heywood A. , MacIntyre C.R.
  • a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Kensington, NSW, Australia
  • b School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Kensington, NSW, Australia
  • c School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Kensington, NSW, Australia, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia

Abstract

Background Travellers are potential vectors in the transmission of infectious diseases across international borders. Travellers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) have a particularly high risk of acquiring certain infections during travel. Chinese VFR travellers account for a substantial proportion of all travel in Western countries with high migrant populations. Methods A literature review was undertaken regarding major infectious disease risks for VFR travellers visiting China. This included an examination of the previous pandemics arising in China, the likelihood of future outbreaks in China from H5N1 and H7N9 avian influenza viruses, the potential role of travellers in disease transmission, and the special risks for VFR travellers. Results China has been the origin of several influenza pandemics in past few decades, and the origin of several emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential, including SARS. Travel to and from China has the potential for global spread of emergent infectious diseases, as seen in the SARS outbreak in 2003. For VFR travellers, the risk of other infectious diseases may also be greater in China compared to their countries of migration, including hepatitis A and B, dengue fever, typhoid, and other diseases. Conclusions VFR travel to China may be associated with increased risk of acquiring a range of infectious diseases, and also poses a potential risk for importation of future pandemics to other countries. Chinese VFR travellers need to be cognisant of these risks and health professionals should consider educational interventions to minimise these risks. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Author Keywords

China Emerging infectious diseases Infectious diseases Hong Kong travel medicine

Index Keywords

filariasis China Chinese transmission risk human friend Communicable Diseases hepatitis A travel pandemic typhoid fever hand foot and mouth disease priority journal Malaria leptospirosis influenza A (H5N1) tick borne encephalitis influenza A (H7N9) chikungunya influenza A Japanese encephalitis dengue Humans tuberculosis Review leishmaniasis Communicable Diseases, Emerging Disease Outbreaks epidemic communicable disease severe acute respiratory syndrome Rabies schistosomiasis migration infection risk virus transmission infection vaccination plague relative hepatitis B systematic review measles
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84939564140&doi=10.1016%2fj.tmaid.2015.05.004&partnerID=40&md5=2d2b5730951dd51fd79648e7e96f825e
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2015.05.004
ISSN: 14778939
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English