Prevención de enfermedades en viajeros desde la atención primaria. A propósito de un caso de cólera importado

Abstract

A case of cholera is described in a patient who had toured India (Delhi, Agra and Jaipur). The woman developed severe vomiting and diarrhoea during her return flight from Delhi to London. She needed intensive care for dehydration associated with profound metabolic acidosis, and renal failure. She recovered slowly and continued to receive medical care from her family physician at the Primary Care Community Centre, Barcelona, Spain. During the tour she stayed in good-quality hotels. It is unusual for tourists staying in such hotels to develop serious cholera symptoms. We discuss the opportunity for primary care physicians to give health education and information for travellers in support of International Travel Vaccination Centres and public health authorities. General practitioners know their patients very well and could give appropriate information on the prevention of imported diseases. We propose that in special situations (tourists with risk factors), that health education and the possible administration of cholera vaccines to prevent both cholera and traveller’s diarrhoea due to Escherichia coli ETEC, should be considered.