Pneumonia among travelers returning from abroad.
BACKGROUND
Although respiratory tract infections represent a frequent cause of morbidity in travelers, and pneumonia a frequent cause of medical consultation among febrile travelers returning home, the etiologic spectrum of pneumonia in travelers has not been specifically studied.


METHODS
We reviewed the medical charts of all travelers hospitalized during a 12-month period in our department with pneumonia after returning home.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients (nine men, eight women, mean age 44 years, range 26 to 67 years) were included in this study. The etiology of pneumonia was established in 13 patients. Bacterial pneumonia was documented in 10 cases and was due to Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=2), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (n=2), Legionella pneumophila (n=1), Coxiella burnetti (n=1), Leptospira sp. (n=1) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n=3). Other etiologies included histoplasmosis, invasive schistosomiasis and dengue fever (one case each).


CONCLUSIONS
These results show the wide range of causes of pneumonia among travelers returning from abroad.
Ansart
Séverine
S
Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Pajot
Olivier
O
Grivois
Jean-Philippe
JP
Zeller
Valérie
V
Klement
Elise
E
Perez
Lucia
L
Bossi
Philippe
P
Bricaire
François
F
Caumes
Eric
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014195:Travel