title: The spread of vaccine-preventable diseases by international travellers: a public-health concern.
abstract: Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) are costly at both the individual and societal levels. The most common VPDs recorded in travellers are enteric (typhoid or paratyphoid B) fever, acute viral hepatitis, influenza, varicella, measles, pertussis and bacterial meningitis. Travellers suffering from VPDs are frequently hospitalized, illustrating the point that VPDs are serious and expensive. Many travellers are not properly immunized before travel. In addition to individual consequences, VPDs can have public-health consequences if they are introduced or re-introduced by infected travellers returning to areas with susceptible populations. The international spread of poliomyelitis, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 meningococcal infections, measles and influenza provides strong evidence of the role of international travel in the globalization of VPDs. The surveillance of the emergence, re-emergence or spread of VPDs is essential to adapt pre-travel advice and the responses to the VPD.
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo Universitaire des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Nord, AP-HM, Chemin des Bourrelys, Marseille Cedex, France. philippe.gautret@club-internet.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gautret
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Botelho-Nevers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brouqui
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D014195:Travel; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines