Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 88-94

Travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) and imported infectious disease: Travelers, immigrants or both? A comparative analysis (Article)

Monge-Maillo B. , Norman F.F. , Pérez-Molina J.A. , Navarro M. , Díaz-Menéndez M. , López-Vélez R.*
  • a Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain
  • b Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain
  • c Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain
  • d Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain
  • e Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain
  • f Tropical Medicine and Clinical Parasitology, Infectious Diseases Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Carretera de Colmenar Km 9.1, Madrid 28034, Spain

Abstract

Introduction Immigrants are increasingly traveling back to their countries of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFRs). They account for an important proportion of all international travelers and have a high risk for certain travel-related infectious diseases. Methods We describe the spectrum of infectious diseases diagnosed in a cohort of 351 VFRs and compare them with two previously published cohorts: of immigrants and travelers attended at our centre. Results The most frequent diagnoses observed among VFRs were typical travel-associated infections such as malaria (75 [21.4%]), traveler's diarrhea 17 [4.8%]), intestinal parasites (16 [4.6%]) and dengue (11 [3.1%]). Asymptomatic chronic infectious diseases, such as latent tuberculosis (56 [16%]), chronic viral hepatitis (18 [5.1%]) and filariasis (18 [5.1%]), probably acquired before migration, were also observed. Conclusions VFRs should thus be approached from two perspectives as concerns imported infectious diseases: as travelers and as immigrants. Etiological studies focusing on the presenting complaint as well as systematic screening for other latent infectious diseases should be performed. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Author Keywords

Public health travel medicine Infectious diseases immigrants

Index Keywords

filariasis immigrant human friend Communicable Diseases middle aged Cohort Studies travel priority journal Malaria comparative study nonhuman chronic disease dengue Young Adult immigrants Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants latent tuberculosis female chronic hepatitis high risk population Article Retrospective Studies major clinical study adult infection Travel Medicine relative traveller diarrhea Infectious diseases intestine parasite public health Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84893783367&doi=10.1016%2fj.tmaid.2013.07.004&partnerID=40&md5=11f0a43c2133a1fafc1494a85f116a8c
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.07.004
ISSN: 14778939
Cited by: 28
Original Language: English