title: Effectiveness of pre-travel consultation in the prevention of travel-related diseases: a retrospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-travel counselling carried out in Travel Clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cohort. Three hundred international travellers were enrolled; 150 people were from users of Bari Travel Clinic, 150 were users of a travel agency. Enrolled subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the enrolled subjects was 37.5 ± 13.9, without statistically significant differences between the two groups. 86% of cases and 19.3% of the controls reported the use of anti-malaria prophylaxis (p < 0.0001). Vaccination against cholera was given to 62% of cases and 7.3% of the controls (p < 0.001). Travel Clinic users, 6% reported diarrhoea and these figures were 27% in the control group (p < 0.0001). The proportion of those interviewed who reported fever (3.7) or insomnia (1.3) did not differ between the two groups. Mosquito bites were reported by 8% of cases and 20% of the controls (p = 0.003). Three cases of malaria were reported among the controls but no cases were detected among the cases (chi-square = 3.03; p = 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of pre-travel counselling; in the future, new studies must investigate the cost-effectiveness of pre-travel prevention measures.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Maria Serena
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gallone
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanotte
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germinario
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002771:Cholera / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D057236:Travel Medicine; D014611:Vaccination