Epidemiology and Infection
Volume 144, Issue 16, 2016, Pages 3554-3563

The contribution of travellers visiting friends and relatives to notified infectious diseases in Australia: state-based enhanced surveillance (Article) (Open Access)

Heywood A.E.* , Zwar N. , Forssman B.L. , Seale H. , Stephens N. , Musto J. , Lane C. , Polkinghorne B. , Sheikh M. , Smith M. , Worth H. , Macintyre C.R.
  • a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • b School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • c Public Health Unit, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health DistrictNSW, Australia
  • d School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • e Health Protection Branch, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • f NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • g Health Protection Branch, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  • h NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • i School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • j NSW Refugee Health ServiceNSW, Australia
  • k School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • l School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Samuels Building, Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Abstract

Immigrants and their children who return to their country of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFR) are at increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases compared to other travellers. VFR travel is an important disease control issue, as one quarter of Australia's population are foreign-born and one quarter of departing Australian international travellers are visiting friends and relatives. We conducted a 1-year prospective enhanced surveillance study in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia to determine the contribution of VFR travel to notifiable diseases associated with travel, including typhoid, paratyphoid, measles, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, malaria and chikungunya. Additional data on characteristics of international travel were collected. Recent international travel was reported by 180/222 (81%) enhanced surveillance cases, including all malaria, chikungunya and paratyphoid cases. The majority of cases who acquired infections during travel were immigrant Australians (96, 53%) or their Australian-born children (43, 24%). VFR travel was reported by 117 (65%) travel-associated cases, highest for typhoid (31/32, 97%). Cases of children (aged <18 years) (86%) were more frequently VFR travellers compared to adult travellers (57%, P < 0·001). VFR travel is an important contributor to imported disease in Australia. Communicable disease control strategies targeting these travellers, such as targeted health promotion, are likely to impact importation of these travel-related infections. © 2016 Cambridge University Press.

Author Keywords

Australia immigrants travel visiting friends and relatives Infectious diseases enhanced surveillance

Index Keywords

prospective study Australia immigration human hepatitis A travel typhoid fever controlled study Malaria Aged geographic distribution chikungunya disease surveillance Adolescent male female Infant newborn paratyphoid fever Article major clinical study adult age distribution infection measles Hepatitis E Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84984680132&doi=10.1017%2fS0950268816001734&partnerID=40&md5=da388ca287eb6ac7c95e239007821885
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816001734
ISSN: 09502688
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English