World Travelers Wave Off Health Risks
World Travelers Wave Off Health Risks
Many International Travelers Fail to Research Infectious Diseases, Get Recommended Vaccinations, Study Finds
More recently, dengue fever, a tropical disease found mainly in Asia, Latin America, and in the Caribbean, has been reported in the southern part of the United States, the researchers say.
And in India, an epidemic of a viral infection called chikungunya was spread to Italy by travelers. The infection is characterized by fever, headache, weakness, and joint pain.
“International travel is the primary way many infections traverse the world,” says Edward Ryan, MD, a senior investigator of the study who is director of MGH’s Tropical and Geographic Medicine Center. “What many people don’t realize is that, without seeking the correct health information, they are putting themselves at increased risk of infection as well as creating a public health risk in their home communities after they return.”
One web site travelers might consider is the Travelers' Health web site operated by the CDC.
The study is published in the Journal of Travel Medicine.
World Travelers Wave Off Health Risks
Many International Travelers Fail to Research Infectious Diseases, Get Recommended Vaccinations, Study Finds
Diseases Contracted Abroad Can Spell Trouble for U.S.
More recently, dengue fever, a tropical disease found mainly in Asia, Latin America, and in the Caribbean, has been reported in the southern part of the United States, the researchers say.
And in India, an epidemic of a viral infection called chikungunya was spread to Italy by travelers. The infection is characterized by fever, headache, weakness, and joint pain.
“International travel is the primary way many infections traverse the world,” says Edward Ryan, MD, a senior investigator of the study who is director of MGH’s Tropical and Geographic Medicine Center. “What many people don’t realize is that, without seeking the correct health information, they are putting themselves at increased risk of infection as well as creating a public health risk in their home communities after they return.”
One web site travelers might consider is the Travelers' Health web site operated by the CDC.
The study is published in the Journal of Travel Medicine.
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