Health problems after travel to developing countries

Travelers to developing countries participated in a follow-up study of the health risks as-sociated with short (less than three months) visits to these nations. Travelers to the Greek or Canary Islands served as a control cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire to elicit information regarding pretravel vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, and health prob-lems during and after their journey. Relevant infections were confirmed by the respon-dent's personal physician. The questionnaire was completed by 10,524 travelers; the an-swer rate was 73.8070. After a visit to developing countries, 15 % of the travelers reported health problems, 8 % consulted a doctor, and 3 % were unable to work for an average of 15 days. The incidence of infection per month abroad was as follows:giardiasis, 7/1,000; amebiasis, 4/1,000; hepatitis, 4/1,000; gonorrhea, 3/1,000; and malaria, helminthiases, or syphilis, <1/1,000. There were no cases of typhoid fever or cholera. Recommendations for disease prophylaxis before travel to developing countries should be based on well-founded information about potential health risks. Some general surveys of health problems in