Rev Esp Quimioter 2017, 30(2):96-102

Non-febrile syndromes in the traveler returning from tropical regions admitted in a monographic unit                     

ÁLVARO ANULA-MORALES, BÁRBARA MARTIN-GINER, MICHELE HERNÁNDEZ-CABRERA, CRISTINA CARRANZA-RODRÍGUEZ, ELENA PISOS-ÁLAMO, NIEVES JAÉN-SÁNCHEZ, JOSÉ-LUIS PÉREZ-ARELLANO           

 

Background. The aim was to analyse those syndromes without fever in travellers who return from tropical regions evaluated at our Department of Infectology and Tropical Medicine. Clarifying these conditions intends to reach earlier diagnoses and, perhaps, to avoid the emergence and spread of imported diseases, as well as to establish appropriate preventive measures. 
Methods. An observational descriptive transversal study was performed, selecting those patients who returned from tropical regions without fever (n = 281), amongst all travellers evaluated in our department between 1998 and 2013. We analysed demographic features, information related to the trip, as well as the presenting complaints and the diagnoses.
Results. A total of 281 international travellers presenting without fever were analysed. Only 39% had received health counsel prior to travelling. The most visited regions were Lat-in America (38.8%), Africa (37.8%) and Asia (13.6%). 15% of patients were asymptomatic or suffered from non-infectious conditions. Among the rest, most had either gastrointestinal (46%) or cutaneous (34%) syndromes. The main gastrointestinal condition was diarrhoea, with a microbiological diagnosis reached in almost 50% of cases. Regarding cutaneous syndromes, arthropods bites (31%) and different bacterial lesions (20%) were most common.
Conclusions. Approximately 10% of patients in Travel Medicine are international travellers returning from tropical regions, half of them with no fever. Most are diagnosed with infectious diseases, mainly gastrointestinal or cutaneous syn-dromes. Eosinophilia is the third problem in frequency among this group of patients, and sexually transmitted infections are rare in our cohort. It is important to emphasize in preventive activities.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; 30(2):96-102  [pdf]