title: An overview of travel-associated central nervous system infectious diseases: risk assessment, general considerations and future directions.
abstract: Nervous system infections are among the most important diseases in travellers. Healthy travellers might be exposed to infectious agents of central nervous system, which may require in-patient care. Progressive course is not uncommon in this family of disorders and requires swift diagnosis. An overview of the available evidence in the field is, therefore, urgent to pave the way to increase the awareness of travel-medicine practitioners and highlights dark areas for future research. In November 2013, data were collected from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge (1980 to 2013) including books, reviews, and peer-reviewed literature. Works pertained to pre-travel care, interventions, vaccinations related neurological infections were retrieved. Here we provide information on pre-travel care, vaccination, chronic nervous system disorders, and post-travel complications. Recommendations with regard to knowledge gaps, and state-of-the-art research are made. Given an increasing number of international travellers, novel dynamic ways are available for physicians to monitor spread of central nervous system infections. Newer research has made great progresses in developing newer medications, detecting the spread of infections and the public awareness. Despite an ongoing scientific discussion in the field of travel medicine, further research is required for vaccine development, state-of-the-art laboratory tests, and genetic engineering of vectors.
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Hospital, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Is'haqi
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Is'haqi
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Hospital, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nematollah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jonaidi Jafari
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Hospital, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rahamaty
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banki
keywords: Infectious diseases; Nervous system disorders; Travel medicine