Respiratory tract infections in travelers: a review of the GeoSentinel surveillance network.
Respiratory tract infections are common in travelers, and improving our knowledge of risk factors associated with specific types of respiratory infections should enable implementation of better preventive strategies. Data collected by the GeoSentinel surveillance network were analyzed, and the most significant predictors for developing specific categories of respiratory infections while abroad were age, sex, season of travel, trip duration, and reason for travel. In particular, influenza was associated with travel to the Northern Hemisphere during the period of December through February, travel involving visits to friends or relatives, and trip duration of >30 days. Lower respiratory tract infections were associated with male sex and increasing age. Knowledge of the respiratory tract infections that occur in specific groups of travelers allows for the development of targeted pretravel preventive strategies to high-risk groups.
Leder
Karin
K
Victorian Infectious Disease Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. karin.leder@med.monash.edu.au
Sundararajan
Vijaya
V
Weld
Leisa
L
Pandey
Prativa
P
Brown
Graham
G
Torresi
Joseph
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors; D014195:Travel