title: A closer look at travellers' infections abroad: Finnish nationwide data with incidences, 2010 to 2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although infections represent the most common health problem of travellers abroad, data on morbidity and incidences of various infections are scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on infections of Finnish travellers during 2010-2012 were retrieved from the database of SOS International, an assistance organization covering 95% of Finns requiring aid abroad. The study included 30,086 cases. For incidence calculation, the data were linked to the numbers of Finns visiting these regions during the same period as recorded by the Official Statistics of Finland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of infections was particularly high in Africa, southern Europe plus the eastern Mediterranean, and Asia plus Oceania. The most frequent diagnoses were acute gastroenteritis (38.0%) and respiratory-tract infections (RTI) (34.5%), followed by infections of the ear (12.6%), skin or subcutaneous tissue (5.1%), urogenital tract (4.2%), eye (3.1%), and systemic febrile infections (2.2%). Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) accounted for 0.8% of cases, with varicella as most (49%) and influenza as second-most (27%) common.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidence of infections was higher in southern than in eastern and western Europe. Gastroenteritis and RTI proved the most frequent diagnoses, whereas systemic febrile infections were uncommon. Despite pre-travel immunizations, VPDs still occurred; pre-travel consultation should cover both varicella and influenza.
authors: Inflammation Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, POB 348, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland; SOS International, Nitivej 6, DK-2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark. Electronic address: heli.siikamaki@hus.fi.
authors: Heli
authors: H
authors: Siikamäki
authors: Inflammation Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, POB 348, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: pia.kivela@hus.fi.
authors: Pia
authors: P
authors: Kivelä
authors: SOS International, Nitivej 6, DK-2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark. Electronic address: mfo@sos.eu.
authors: Mikael
authors: M
authors: Fotopoulos
authors: Inflammation Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, POB 348, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland; Karolinska Institute, Department of Medicine/Solna, Unit of Infectious Diseases, SE 17176 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anu.kantele@hus.fi.
authors: Anu
authors: A
authors: Kantele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D001208:Asia; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014195:Travel; D014612:Vaccines
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines
keywords: Incidence; Infection; Morbidity; Respiratory infection; Travel; Traveller's diarrhoea; Vaccine-preventable