Malaria and Co .: souvenirs from vacation

Larissa Melville completed her traineeship in the editorial team of . After studying biology at Ludwig Maximilians University and the Technical University of Munich, she first got to know digital media online at Focus and then decided to learn medical journalism from scratch.

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MunichFor most people, vacation is the best time of the year. But sometimes the vacation ends badly: some travelers come back sick. Swiss researchers have now investigated what the most common souvenirs are and how you can protect yourself.

In particular, a slight fever after a vacation is not a good sign - Professor Patricia Schlagenhauf from the Center for Travel Medicine at the University of Zurich and her colleagues analyzed the infectious pathogens with which most travelers return from their vacation. For this purpose, they evaluated the data of over 32,000 travelers who were patients between 2008 and 2012 in one of the travel medicine clinics of the EuroTravNet network in Europe.

Malaria and diarrhea are the most common diagnoses

The result: the most frequently diagnosed with malaria with 70.9 cases per 1,000 travelers and acute diarrhea (70.1 out of 1,000). The turmoil in the gastrointestinal tract was caused by flagellates (giardiasis) in more than 30 out of 1,000 cases. Dengue fever - the way malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes - was also common: During the study period, the number rose from 22 to 36 patients.

Whether someone fell ill also strongly depended on the holiday destination: a third was infected in sub-Saharan Africa, 14 percent in Southeast Asia, 13 percent in South or Central Asia and less than ten percent in South America or Europe. Malaria was particularly common among travelers in sub-Saharan Africa as well as in South and Central Asia. The danger of catching diarrhea existed worldwide - but especially in Central Asia.

In general, the researchers were able to determine an increase in diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes and the like over the course of five years. Dog, cat and monkey bites also increased during this period.

Education prevents illness

A total of 40 percent of the participants had been informed in advance about conceivable dangers and possible protective measures. With success: They fell ill significantly less often on vacation - especially from malaria, hepatitis and HIV. In addition, fewer animals were bitten. “This shows how important and effective it can be to obtain appropriate recommendations before traveling,” write the researchers. Good advice failed against diarrhea alone - travelers who were informed in this way fell ill more often than those who had received no tips.

Measures for your own protection

So that you get back from your vacation healthy, here are the important tips:

Many of the infectious diseases are transmitted by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes or sand flies. If you are in a country where these are known as vectors, the best prevention is to protect yourself against the stings:

Always sleep under an impregnated mosquito net.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, long trousers and closed shoes (in malaria areas especially at dusk and after sunset, because this is where the Anopheles mosquitoes are most active.)
Use the local mosquito repellent spray and be sure to repeat the application in good time.
If you are traveling to a high-risk malaria area, there is the option of preventive treatment or of carrying emergency medication with you. Find out more about this from your doctor.

Basic rules to protect against travel infections such as diarrhea or hepatitis A:

Only use boiled water from the tap, also for brushing your teeth.
Only take drinks from sealed bottles and do not use ice cubes.
Only eat freshly peeled fruit and do not eat salads or other raw vegetables.
Raw meat, seafood or vegetables should only be enjoyed thoroughly heated (boiled, steamed or fried).
Beware of cold buffets, for example in hotels. The food is often left on the table for hours or has already been touched by other guests.

Source:

Schlagenhauf P. et al .: Travel-associated infection presenting in Europe (2008-12): an analysis of EuroTravNet longitudinal, surveillance data, and evaluation of the effect of the pre-travel consultation. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-309971000-X

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