Characteristics of health problems in returned overseas travelers at a tertiary teaching hospital in a suburban area in Japan.

Abstract

Few studies have analyzed the characteristics of patients who develop physical disorders after overseas travel. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 183 patients who visited Nara Medical University Hospital from 2008 to 2016 because of physical problems after traveling abroad. The main travel destinations were Southeast Asia (n=100), Africa (n=27), and South Asia (n=23). The main reasons for the travel were leisure (n=96), business (n=51), and volunteer work (n=19). The most common final diagnosis was gastrointestinal disease (n=72), followed by febrile disease (n=59) and respiratory disease (n=19). There were eight malaria cases, including one patient who was infected after <14 days of overseas travel. Additionally, 61 of 71 cases of travelers' diarrhea and 15 of 21 cases of dengue fever occurred after <14 days travel. 26 cases of vaccine preventable diseases, such as hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and influenza, were observed. Consequently, healthcare providers should notify Japanese overseas travelers that there is a non-negligible health risk inherent to short-term travel, while stressing on the importance of pre-travel medical consultation.