Health risks in travelers to South Africa: the GeoSentinel experience and implications for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Using the GeoSentinel database, an analysis of ill patients returning from throughout sub-Saharan Africa over a 13-year period was performed. Systemic febrile illness, dermatologic, and acute diarrheal illness were the most common syndromic groupings, whereas spotted fever group rickettsiosis was the most common individual diagnosis for travelers to South Africa. In contrast to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, only six cases of malaria were documented in South Africa travelers. Vaccine-preventable diseases, typhoid, hepatitis A, and potential rabies exposures were uncommon in South Africa travelers. Pre-travel advice for the travelers to the 2010 World Cup should be individualized according to these findings.
Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. marc.mendelson@uct.ac.za
Marc
M
Mendelson
Xiaohong M
XM
Davis
Mogens
M
Jensenius
Jay S
JS
Keystone
Frank
F
von Sonnenburg
Devon C
DC
Hale
Gerd-Dieter
GD
Burchard
Vanessa
V
Field
Peter
P
Vincent
David O
DO
Freedman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013177:Sports; D014195:Travel; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult