Imported Tropical Infections

Overview

The rising number of our tourists, who spend their holiday in tropical countries together with the rising immigration from the countries with low hygienic standard, increases the risk of import of some tropical infections. The most common are diarrhoeal diseases; to the more serious belong febrile infections (malaria, typhoid fever, ricketsioses), that without early treatment can be fatal. The diagnosis is based on the precise history, physical, laboratory and special microbiological examination. Among the laboratory methods of the first choice belong the thin smear, the thick blood film, blood count and differential counting, haemocultivation, and detection of inflammatory markers. Finding of the high eosinophilia suggests helmintosis (schistosomosis, filariosis, cystecerkosis, hydatiodosis). Though the tourists become better informed on the health risks during the stay in tropical countries, it is still possible to encounter persons living for high risk countries without proper vaccination and antimalarian prophylaxis.

Key words:
imported tropical diseases, malaria, travellers’ diarrhoea.