Travel Medicine Specialist Research Articles

Recent Progress in the Understanding and Management of Acute Mountain Sickness: A Narrative Review.

Individuals at higher altitudes may experience a decrease in blood oxygen levels, which can result in a variety of clinical illnesses, such as high-altitude pulmonary edema, high-altitude cerebral edema, and milder but more common acute mountain sickness (AMS). This study aims to review the current state of knowledge related to motion sickness, the risk of AMS, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for AMS. Several databases, including PubMed, Bentham Science, Elsevier, Springer, and Research Gate, were used to compile the data for the article following a thorough analysis of the various research findings connected to acute mountain sickness and motion sickness, along with treatments and prevention. This article covers the research on mountain sickness as well as every imaginable form of conventional and alternative medicine. It contains ten medicinal plants that are useful in treating mountain sickness and various other remedies. Additionally, case studies are provided. Therefore, the information in the paper will help travel medicine specialists better personalize their appropriate care for patients who travel to high-altitude locations. Additionally, all available antiemetic medications, serotonin agonists, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal treatments for motion sickness were discussed. The prevention and consequences of acute mountain sickness are also covered in this study.

Travel medicine updates for the NP.

This article provides an overview of the approach to preparing patients for travel, including travel counseling and risk mitigation through vaccination and chemoprophylaxis. Although some patients require referral for consultation with a travel medicine specialist, others can be managed by their primary care provider. In this article, traveler's diarrhea, updated travel-related immunizations, and malaria prophylaxis are discussed.

Seroprevalence of dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Zika among long-term expatriates in Thailand.

Travel to Southeast Asia increases the likelihood of acquiring mosquito-borne Flavivirus infections such as dengue (DENV), Japanese encephalitis (JEV) and Zika viruses (ZIKV). Expatriates are long-term travellers who have a higher risk of mosquito-borne illness at their destination country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of DENV, JEV and ZIKV infections and the determinants contributing to seropositivity among expatriates living in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was performed from December 2017 to February 2020. Expatriates from non-Flavivirus endemic countries were recruited. 5mL of blood was collected for DENV 1-4, JEV and ZIKV antibody testing by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50). Individuals with vaccination histories or diagnoses for dengue, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and tick-borne encephalitis were excluded. Among 254 participants, most participants (83.1%) were male, the mean age was 65years and the median duration of stay in Thailand was 6years. Seroprevalence rate of any Flavivirus, non-specific DENV, DENV1-4, JEV and ZIKV were 34.3, 30.7, 20.5, 18.1, 18.9, 10.6, 4.7 and 2.8%, respectively. The presence of neutralizing antibodies against DENV1-4 positively correlates with the duration of stay in Thailand. DENV seropositivity was associated with living in urban areas (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.36-5.57). Expatriates were unlikely to have detectable anti-JEV antibodies regardless of time spent in a JEV-endemic area. No risk factors were identified that were significantly associated with JEV or ZIKV seropositivity. Only 48.4% received pre-travel counselling services, while only 18.9% visited a travel medicine specialist. A high proportion (34.3%) of long-term expatriates living in Thailand were seropositive for flavivirus, mainly from dengue (30.7%). To minimize risk, travel medicine practitioners should provide adequate pre-travel health risk information on mosquito-borne flavivirus infection and offer advice on mosquito bite prevention strategies. Dengue vaccine might be considered in high-risk travellers such as long-term expatriate.

Traveler's knowledge, attitude, and practice about travel health insurance: A community-based questionnaire study.

Travel, especially international travel, has become one of the most popular leisure activities in the world. The risk of accidents and travel-related illnesses, including infectious and non-communicable diseases, should not be neglected. To provide a more comprehensive pre-travel consultation to international travelers, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of travelers about travel health insurance. This was a cross-sectional study. Anonymous structured questionnaires were distributed to 1000 visitors to the Taiwan International Travel Fair in May 2019. The top three important travel health insurances were accidental death and disablement insurance (92%), accidental medical reimbursement (90.4%), and 24-hour emergency assistance (89%). In addition to education level, travel-associated illness, and special activities during travel, a significant association was observed between the willingness to buy various travel health insurances and the willingness of pre-travel consultation. Most travelers would buy travel health insurance; however, disproportional respondents understood the content of travel health insurance. Most travelers considered travel clinics to be the most reliable information source regarding travel health insurance. Therefore, travel medicine specialists are encouraged to offer more information about travel health insurance during pre-travel consultation.

Cardiovascular Risk Profiles and Pre-Existing Health Conditions of Trekkers in the Solu-Khumbu Region, Nepal

High-altitude tourist trekking continues to grow in popularity on the Everest Trek in Nepal. We examined which pre-existing cardiovascular and health conditions these global trekkers had and what health issues they encountered during the trek, be it exacerbations of pre-existing conditions, or new acute ones. Trekkers (n = 350) were recruited from guesthouses along the Everest Trek, mostly at Tengboche (3860 m). After completing a questionnaire on their health and travel preparation, they underwent a basic physical examination with an interview. Almost half (45%) had pre-existing conditions, mostly orthopaedic and cardiovascular diseases. The average age was 42.7 years (range 18-76). The average BMI was 23.4 kg/m2, but 21% were overweight. A third were smokers (30%), and 86% had at least one major cardiovascular risk factor. A quarter (25%) were suffering from manifest acute mountain sickness (AMS), and 72% had at least one symptom of AMS. Adequate pre-travel examination, consultation, and sufficient personal preparation were rarely found. In some cases, a distinct cardiovascular risk profile was assessed. Hypertensive patients showed moderately elevated blood pressure, and cholesterol levels were favourable in most cases. No cardiovascular emergencies were found, which was fortunate as timely, sufficient care was not available during the trek. The results of earlier studies in the Annapurna region should be revalidated. Every trekker to the Himalayas should consult a physician prior to departure, ideally a travel medicine specialist. Preventative measures and education on AMS warrant special attention. Travellers with heart disease or with a pronounced cardiovascular risk profile should be presented to an internal medicine professional. Travel plans must be adjusted individually, especially with respect to adequate acclimatisation time and no physical overloading. With these and other precautions, trekking at high altitudes is generally safe and possible, even with significant pre-existing health conditions. Trekking can lead to invaluable personal experiences. Since organized groups are limited in their flexibility to change their itinerary, individual trekking or guided tours in small groups should be preferred.

Trend Analysis of Travel Medicine Topics Presented at an International Tropical Medicine Conference.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rapid increase in international travel. Travel medicine is a branch of preventive medicine focusing on risk assessment pre-travel, during travel and post-travel with the aim of promoting health and preventing adverse health outcomes. Travel medicine specialists inform travelers about potential health risks and mitigate infectious disease risks such as travelers' diarrhea, yellow fever, and malaria. Travel medicine topics were popular in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conferences between 2016 and 2020, and now comprise approximately 2% of all presentations. Most topics related to the post-travel assessment (44%), followed by diseases contracted during travel (24%), and pre-travel assessment and consultation (23%). Our analysis of the 10 sub-domains of travel medicine issues found that malaria (26%) and immunization (12%) were represented to the greatest extent. We anticipate that both travel and tropical medicine fields will regain their popularity after recovery from the pandemic.

Destination based errors in chloroquine malaria chemoprophylaxis vary based on provider specialty and credentials

BackgroundThe Deployment and Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Outcomes Study (KAPOS) evaluates health outcomes and provider practices associated with travel and deployments within the US Military Health System. We analyzed prescribing errors for chloroquine malaria chemoprophylaxis between travel medicine specialists and non-specialists over a five-year period. MethodsA sample of 291 chloroquine prescriptions were reviewed to determine if malaria chemoprophylaxis was appropriate for destination of travel based on both transmission and chloroquine resistance risk. We included non-active-duty beneficiaries of all ages seeking care at military treatment facilities. Results10.3% (n = 30) of patients were prescribed chloroquine inappropriately. Non-travel medicine specialists prescribed chloroquine inappropriately more frequently than travel medicine specialists with 16.5% vs 2.3% error, respectively. Physicians were less likely to erroneously prescribe chloroquine as compared to non-physicians with 6.4% vs 22.2% error, respectively. 93.3% of prescribing errors were due to chloroquine-resistance presence at the travel destination. Africa was the most common destination of erroneous prescriptions, creating significant risk for travelers. ConclusionsWhile chloroquine is infrequently prescribed, this analysis demonstrates travel medicine proficiency is associated with reduced errors, highlighting the need to supply travel medicine education and decision support tools to non-specialists, to safeguard patients who seek pre-travel medical care.

Military and Civilian Sector Practice Patterns for Short-Term Travelers' Diarrhea Self-Treatment in Adults.

ABSTRACT.The Deployment and Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Outcomes Study investigates the various clinician and traveler contributions to medical outcomes within the U.S. Military Health System. Travelers’ diarrhea is among the most common travel-related illnesses, making travelers’ diarrhea self-treatment (TDST) important for traveler health. A cohort of 80,214 adult travelers receiving malaria chemoprophylaxis for less than 6 weeks of travel were identified within the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System Data Repository. Associated prescriptions for TDST medications within 2 weeks of chemoprophylaxis prescriptions were identified. Prescription patterns were compared by service member versus beneficiary status and site of care, military facility versus civilian facility. At military facilities, medical provider demographics were analyzed by clinical specialty and categorized as travel medicine specialists versus nonspecialists. Overall, there was low prescribing of TDST, particularly among civilian providers and military nonspecialists, despite guidelines recommending self-treatment of moderate to severe travelers’ diarrhea. This practice gap was largest among service member travelers, but also existed for beneficiaries. Compared with nonspecialists, military travel medicine specialists were more likely to prescribe a combination of an antibiotic and antimotility agent to beneficiaries, more likely to provide any form of TDST to service members, and more likely to prescribe azithromycin than quinolones when using antibiotics. Our study suggests that enhancing provider knowledge and use of travelers’ diarrhea treatment recommendations combined with improved access to formal travel medicine services may be important to increase the quality of care.

Travel medicine facilities: The first nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Japan

IntroductionTravel medicine has gained importance in recent years; however, there is little data regarding travel medicine departments in Japanese hospitals. MethodsThis cross-sectional study contacted 488 hospitals designated by either the Japanese government or major Japanese associations. A questionnaire comprising 11 questions pertaining to the availability of pre-travel consultation, out-of-hours service for travel-related patients, number of medical doctors engaged in travel medicine and infectious disease specialists, and the number of negative pressure rooms available for inpatients and outpatients was distributed. It also asked about the facilities available to combat specific diseases like malaria, dengue, and post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies as these are most common diseases affecting returning travelers. ResultsOf the 263 hospitals (58.7%) that responded to our questionnaire, 82 hospitals (31.2%) provided pre-travel consulting, 188 hospitals (72.0%) accepted travel-related patients out-of-hours, median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of medical doctors involved in travel medicine was 1 (0–3), and median (IQR) number of patients accepted for admission was 2 (1–4). Only 106 (41%) hospitals could diagnose malaria at any time, 56 hospitals (21%) could immediately provide oral anti-malarial medicines; rapid diagnostic test for dengue was available in 99 hospitals (39%), while 67 hospitals (26%) could immediately administer post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies. ConclusionsJapan's medical care system is concerned about illnesses—especially malaria, dengue and rabies in returned travelers. We suggest construction of a medical care system centered on designated medical facilities for category I and II infectious diseases to build capacity for early diagnosis and treatment of common tropical infectious diseases.

Low uptake of Japanese encephalitis vaccination among Australian travellers

Less than a third of Australian travellers who attended a travel medicine specialist prior to a trip to a Japanese encephalitis (JE) risk area opted to be vaccinated. Perception of low risk of the disease and vaccine cost were possible drivers for the low uptake. Cheaper vaccination alternatives for travellers at risk of JE may increase the uptake.

How to Travel After the COVID-19 Pandemic?

As countries worldwide are beginning to end their lockdowns due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, travel and tourism are again becoming possible. However, pre-pandemic travel practices are not likely to resume for some time, at least until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. The current time is a crucial one that requires us to reconsider our strategies to protect health and prevent travel-related diseases. This article therefore addresses various considerations for the resumption of tourist activities and the near future of travel, such as pre-travel medical counseling, personal hygiene, luggage handling, food safety, and measures to ensure safety on airplanes and in hotels. These considerations may aid in delineating a way forward for the travel industry and for travelers alike. Author believes that this article is especially timely and of interest not only for travel medicine specialists but all participants in the field of travel business.

Deployment and Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Outcomes Study (KAPOS): Malaria Chemoprophylaxis Prescription Patterns in the Military Health System.

.The Deployment and Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Outcomes Study (KAPOS) examines the integrated relationship between provider and patient inputs and health outcomes associated with travel and deployments. This study describes malaria chemoprophylaxis prescribing patterns by medical providers within the U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Health System and its network of civilian healthcare providers during a 5-year period. Chemoprophylaxis varied by practice setting, beneficiary status, and providers’ travel medicine expertise. Whereas both civilian and military facilities prescribe an increasing proportion of atovaquone–proguanil, doxycycline remains the most prevalent antimalarial at military facility based practices. Civilian providers dispense higher rates of mefloquine than their military counterparts. Within military treatment facilities, travel medicine specialists vary their prescribing pattern based on service member versus beneficiary status of the patient, both in regards to primary prophylaxis, and use of presumptive anti-relapse therapy (PQ-PART). By contrast, nonspecialists appear to carry over practice patterns developed under force health protection (FHP) policy for service members, into the care of beneficiaries, particularly in high rates of prescribing doxycycline and PQ-PART compared with both military travel medicine specialists and civilian comparators. Force health protection policy plays an important role in standardizing and improving the quality of care for deployed service members, but this may not be the perfect solution outside of the deployment context. Solutions that broaden both utilization of decision support tools and travel medicine specialty care are necessary.

Travel Practices and Associated Risks in Thoracic Transplant Recipients: A Monocentric Survey

Little is known regarding the travel practices of thoracic organ transplant recipients and their potential associated morbidity. A questionnaire was distributed to thoracic organ transplant recipients in the transplant clinic at a single French center between October, 2015, and October, 2018. Questions addressed demographics, transplant history, current immune suppression, knowledge regarding vaccination status, past history of travel (any destination outside metropolitan France), including pre-travel advice, health issues during travels outside Europe, and travel intentions during the following year. 117 patients completed the survey (82 lung, 14 heart and 21 heart-lung transplant recipients). Mean age was 49.4 years, 61.5% were female. 19 patients (17%) were born outside metropolitan France. At the time of survey completion, 70%, 68%, 96% and 12% of patients were receiving steroids, mycophenolate, calcineurin inhibitors, and mTOR inhibitors, respectively. 36%, 16%, and 10% of respondents considered that being a transplant recipient increased their risk of travel-related health issues mildly, moderately, and greatly, respectively. 58 patients (50%) had traveled outside metropolitan France after transplant (mean number of travels=7; mean number of destinations=3.3). Among 34 subjects who had traveled outside Europe in the last 5 years, 23 had received pre-travel advice, predominantly by their transplant physician. Among 41 respondents having traveled outside metropolitan France, 6 (15%) had experienced health issues (all outside Europe), which led to consultation and hospitalization in 3 and 1 cases, respectively. No immunosuppressives shortage was reported. Among 102 respondents, 61 (60%) intended to travel within the following year, and 50 (82%) to sought medical advice before departure, predominantly from their transplant physician (50 patients, including 17 in combination with a general practitioner or a travel medicine center). These data highlight the significant number of international travels undertaken by thoracic transplant recipients, and a relatively low travel-associated morbidity. As very few patients intend to seek advice from travel medicine specialists, transplant physicians are expected to be the major players of pre-travel counselling in this specific population.

Development and Testing of a Clinical Practice Framework for Pharmacists to Assess Patients' Travel-Related Risks: The 5W Approach to Travel Risk Identification.

Objective: To assist with identifying patients who may be managed by pharmacists without additional travel medicine training, versus those who may benefit from referral, we developed and validated a clinical practice framework. This framework was then piloted in eight pharmacies in Ontario, Canada, from March to August 2019. Methods: A panel of experts, comprised of physicians and pharmacists from Ontario, Canada, holding a Certificate in Travel HealthTM from the International Society of Travel Medicine was recruited. This panel participated electronically in the development of the framework in three stages: (1) Sharing their current approach when performing information gathering and assessing risk in a traveling patient; (2) judging of items collated from all panellists on the basis of how essential they are to a risk assessment; and (3) validation of items deemed essential by the panel using the Item and Average Content Validity Index. The framework was then released to community pharmacies, where pharmacists that self-identified as beginners to travel medicine completed pre- and post-test phase surveys to determine the utility of the framework. Key Findings: A total of 64 items for consideration were deemed essential enough to proceed to content validation, organized into 5 ‘W’ domains: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Each item was ranked by the experts according to its relevancy, resulting in an Average-Content Validity Index of 0.91. The resulting framework was titled “The 5W Approach to Travel Risk Identification.” This clinical practice framework is the first published assessment tool for travel medicine tailored for pharmacy’s scope of practice that has been content validated. Pharmacists reported that the framework is simple to use and provides structure for interactions with travelling patients. However, it may not be as beneficial for those with a higher level of travel medicine expertise than the average pharmacist. Conclusion: The 5W Approach tool allows pharmacists inexperienced in travel medicine to collect information when required to use their professional judgement when assessing traveling patients as either high-risk (requiring a referral to a travel medicine specialist) or low-risk. With the aim of supporting pharmacists to be more confident in caring for traveling patients and increasing their involvement in travel medicine, future research will test this framework for feasibility in Canadian community pharmacy practice.

Travel medicine, transplant tourism, and the solid organ transplant recipient-Guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice.

These updated guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review recommendations for prevention and management of travel-related infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients as well as risks associated with transplant tourism. Counseling regarding travel post-transplant should be included during the pre-transplant evaluation, and all SOT recipients should be seen by a travel medicine specialist prior to traveling to destinations with higher rates of infection. Patients should be advised on vaccine-preventable illnesses as well as any need for prophylaxis (ie, malaria) based on their individual travel itineraries. Information with regards to specific recommendations for vaccines and prophylactic medications, along with drug-drug interactions, is summarized. Counseling should be provided for modifiable risks and exposures (ie, food and water safety, and insect bite prevention) as well as non-infectious travel topics. These guidelines also briefly address risks associated with transplant tourism and specific infections to consider if patients seek care for transplants done in foreign countries.

Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America.

The Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America clinical practice guideline is intended to guide clinicians caring for solid-organ transplant (SOT) donors, candidates and recipients regarding infectious diseases (ID) issues related to this geographical region, mostly located in the tropics. These recommendations are based on both systematic reviews of relevant literature and expert opinion from both transplant ID and travel medicine specialists. The guidelines provide recommendations for risk evaluation and laboratory investigation, as well as management and prevention of infection of the most relevant endemic diseases of Latin America. This summary includes a brief description of the guideline recommendations but does not include the complete rationale and references for each recommendation, which is available in the online version of the article, published in this journal as a supplement. The supplement contains 10 reviews referring to endemic or travel diseases (eg, tuberculosis, Chagas disease [ChD], leishmaniasis, malaria, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis, travelers diarrhea, arboviruses, endemic fungal infections, viral hepatitis, and vaccines) and an illustrative section with maps (http://www.pmourao.com/map/). Contributors included experts from 13 countries (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Italy, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay) representing four continents (Asia, the Americas and Europe), along with scientific and medical societies.

Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America - Map Gallery.

The Recommendations for Management of Endemic Diseases and Travel Medicine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors: Latin America clinical practice guideline is intended to guide clinicians caring for solid-organ transplant (SOT) donors, candidates and recipients regarding infectious diseases (ID) issues related to this geographical region, mostly located in the tropics. These recommendations are based on both systematic reviews of relevant literature and expert opinion from both transplant ID and travel medicine specialists. The guidelines provide recommendations for risk evaluation and laboratory investigation, as well as management and prevention of infection of the most relevant endemic diseases of Latin America. This summary includes a brief description of the guideline recommendations but does not include the complete rationale and references for each recommendation, which is available in the online version of the article, published in this journal as a supplement. The supplement contains 10 reviews referring to endemic or travel diseases (eg, tuberculosis, Chagas disease [ChD], leishmaniasis, malaria, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis, travelers diarrhea, arboviruses, endemic fungal infections, viral hepatitis, and vaccines) and an illustrative section with maps (http://www.pmourao.com/map/). Contributors included experts from 13 countries (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Italy, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay) representing four continents (Asia, the Americas and Europe), along with scientific and medical societies.

Which tropical medicine diploma?

Do you want to work for international non-governmental organisations, be a travel medicine specialist, a public health advisor, or a tropical doctor in the field? Tropical medicine diplomas expand clinical horizons, develop specialist knowledge, and leave you with contacts throughout the world. This article looks at four courses. In the UK, London and Liverpool have world leading faculties and superb teaching with excellent alumni opportunities. Abroad, you will be immersed in tropical medicine and have access to bedside teaching and unique field trips. Peru is cheaper, with a focus on the clinical aspects of healthcare, while East Africa offers teaching from the London School’s acclaimed lecturers. …

Pre-travel advice at a crossroad: Medical preparedness of travellers to South and Southeast-Asia - The Hamburg Airport Survey.

Specific travel-related recommendations exist for the prevention or self-treatment of infectious diseases contracted by travellers to the tropics. In the current study, we assessed the medical preparedness per these recommendations, focusing on whether travellers carried antidiarrheal and antimalarial medication with them stratified by type of pre-travel advice. We surveyed travellers departing from Hamburg International Airport to South or Southeast Asia, using a questionnaire on demographic, medical and travel characteristics. 975 travellers were analysed - the majority (817, 83%) being tourists. A large proportion packed any antidiarrheal medication (612, 63%) - most frequently loperamide (440, 72%). Only 176 of 928 (19%) travellers to destinations with low-to medium risk for malaria packed a recommended antimalarial medication. The majority (162, 17%) of them carried antimalarials as stand-by emergency treatment (SBET). 468 (48%) travellers had a pre-travel medical consultation. This lead to higher odds of carrying SBET- with the highest odds associated with a consultation at a travel medicine specialist (OR 7.83 compared to no consultation). Attending a travel medicine specialist was associated with better adherence to current recommendations concerning the carriage of stand-by emergency treatment of malaria. However, the proportion of travellers seeking pre-travel health advice was overall low in our population. Promoting pre-travel consultations may, therefore, lead to higher adherence to the current recommendations in travel medicine.

Imported Chikungunya fever case in Greece in June 2014 and public health response

We report about the first imported case of Chikungunya fever in Greece in a Greek traveler returning from the Dominican Republic and the associated public health response. We investigated the case and performed focused epidemiological and entomological investigation in all areas the patient visited during the infectious period, to identify the targeted interventions needed. Entomological investigation revealed the occurrence of the competent vector Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the environment surrounding the hospital where the patient was admitted and in her workplace. All captured mosquitoes tested negative for Chikungunya virus. We further conducted clinical and laboratory examination of the patient’s co-travelers, gave advice on appropriate personal preventive measures against mosquito bites to the patient and co-travelers and on vector control, and raised awareness among health professionals throughout Greece. The risk of introduction and local transmission of Chikungunya and other arboviruses in Greece and other European countries is present, as the competent vector exists in many parts of Europe. Public health professionals, travel medicine specialists and clinicians should maintain awareness regarding this possibility of importation of arbovirus cases in order to provide the appropriate advice, seek the prompt diagnosis, and implement appropriate interventions. Mobilization of various stakeholders will lead to enhanced epidemiological and entomological surveillance that will allow for improved risk assessment in each area.