title: Travelers to the FIFA world cup 2014 in Brazil: Health risks related to mass gatherings/sports events and implications for the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health threats during mass gatherings, such as the FIFA world cup 2014 differ from traditional health risks. The influence of event type, demographics of attendees and environmental conditions are still not fully understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, prospective case-control survey conducted at the Frankfurt international airport in Germany on 544 travelers to the FIFA world cup 2014 and 432 regular travelers to Brazil departing after the end of the world cup.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Travelers to the FIFA world cup 2014 were predominantly male whereas the gender distribution in the control group was more balanced. The majority in both groups obtained insect bites and sunburns as environmental risk factors. Every third traveler suffered from diarrheal complaints in both groups, whereas the proportion of travelers with flu-like symptoms was higher in the case group. Travelers to the FIFA world cup 2014 indicated alcohol intake and sexual contacts outside of a relationship more frequently than travelers in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The additional health risks of travelers to sporting events as the FIFA world cup 2014 should be addressed in addition to traditional health threats in pre-travel counseling for the Summer Olympic Games 2016 in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten Alexandra
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Section Tropical Medicine, I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christof David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Vinnemeier
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dehnerdt
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Section Tropical Medicine, I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rolling
authors.affiliation: University of Zurich Centre for Travel Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Travelers' Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: cramer@bni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Jakob Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cramer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012916:Soccer; D013177:Sports; D014195:Travel
keywords: Brazil; FIFA world cup 2014; Mass gathering; Summer Olympic Games 2016