Cases of malaria, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever among VFRs, Quebec (Canada).
BACKGROUND
Visiting friends and relatives (VFRs), especially young VFRs, are increasingly recognized in the industrialized world as a high-risk group of travelers.


METHODS
We performed a descriptive, cross-sectional design study of cases of malaria, hepatitis A, and typhoid reported to the Quebec registry of notifiable diseases between January 2004 and December 2007, occurring in VFRs and non-VFRs travelers.


RESULTS
VFRs account for 52.9% of malaria cases, 56.9% of hepatitis A cases, and 94.4% of typhoid cases reported in Quebec travelers. Almost all (91.6%) of the malaria cases among VFRs were acquired in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. An important proportion of malaria cases among VFRs (86.4%) were due to Plasmodium falciparum. The vast majority (76.6%) of typhoid fever cases among VFRs were reported by travelers who had visited the Indian subcontinent. Among VFRs, 40% of total cases were under 20 y of age, compared to less than 6% among non-VFRs. Those under 20 years of age also accounted for 16.9% of malaria cases, 50% of typhoid cases, and 65.2% of hepatitis A cases among VFRs.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study clearly shows that VFR children should be a primary target group for pre-travel preventive measures.
Department of Public Health, Charles-LeMoyne Hospital, Longueuil, Canada. y.bui@rrsss16.gouv.qc.ca
Yen-Giang
YG
Bui
Stéphane
S
Trépanier
François
F
Milord
Manon
M
Blackburn
Sylvie
S
Provost
Suzanne
S
Gagnon
D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008288:Malaria / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult