Journal of travel medicine
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The wellbeing and safety of international tourists is a paramount concern for governments and stakeholders. Mortality among travellers and the causes of death serve as a significant metric of destination safety. We describe the epidemiology and causes of death among international travellers in Peru. ⋯ Rates of deaths among travellers to Peru increased over time. Most deaths were due to NCDs, followed by communicable diseases and injuries. Pre-travel medical optimization and effective advice focused on age-sex and destination specific risks could reduce risk among travellers. Increased awareness among travel medicine practitioners and improvement of emergency medical response systems in Peru could decrease mortality.
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Tropical infectious diseases and vaccine-preventable emergencies are the mainstay of pre-travel consultations. However, non-communicable diseases, injuries and accidents that occur during travel are not emphasized enough in these settings. ⋯ Pre-travel medicine encounters must include the topic of injuries and medical emergencies, such as the risk-taking behaviours and foster better planning in a comprehensive approach along with vaccines and infectious diseases advices.
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Vaccine-preventable infections are generally well controlled in Australia. However, gaps in immunity can lead to outbreaks and are important to identify. Young adults are a highly mobile population and a potential source of imported infections. We aimed to evaluate anti- measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMR&V) IgG seroprevalence and explore factors relating to antibody seropositivity. ⋯ Overall, this study suggests immunity to MMR&V is sub-optimal. We found the university student population to be highly mobile and unlikely to seek pre-travel advice; thus, they are a potential source of infection importation. The implementation of university immunization policies could address the gaps identified and our findings can inform the development of targeted vaccination campaigns.
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We performed a survey of US international travellers to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding mobile technologies related to health. We found that many international travellers carry smartphones and are interested in receiving health information from a mobile app when they travel abroad.
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Cutaneous larva migrans can affect even athletes who travelled to play beach volleyball in Zanzibar. We describe a cluster of CLM infections in travellers who contracted the disease during their trip to Africa, rather than bringing a volleyball trophy. Despite presenting typical changes, all of them were misdiagnosed.