Module 5: Travel Medicine - Travel Risks

RISKS IDENTIFIED:

Exacerbation of existing illnesses:

• During travel.
• At host location.

During travel:

• Deep Vein Thrombosis.
• Travellers’ diarrhoea.
• Exacerbation of pre-existing conditions.
• Effects of particular mode of travel (for example, barotrauma associated with flying.
• Jet lag.

Host location:

• Various diseases.
• Animal and other insect bites.
• Trauma - Motor Vehicle Accidents.
• General illness.
• Stress.
• Environmental conditions - extremes of temperature.
• Food hygiene and potable water.

Conditions caused by travel:

• Motion sickness.
• Barotrauma.
• Thrombosis/embolism.
• Jet lag.
• Exacerbation of pre-existing conditions.

Issues at host location:

• Disease associated with:
  • Vectors.
  • Food and water spread.
  • Person to person spread.
  • Animal bites.
  • Water or environmental contact.
• Disease associated with environmental conditions.
• Threats to personal security.
• Psychocultural issues.

Diseases associated with vectors:

Disease associated with food and water spread:

Diseases resulting from person to person spread:

Condition resulting from animal bites:

• Rabies.
• Envenomation (for example, jelly fish, sea urchin, scorpion, snake).

Diseases associated with water/environmental contact:

• Cutaneous larva migrans.
• Legionella.
• Schistosomiasis.
• Tetanus.

Conditions associated with environmental factors:

• Sunburn, heat exhaustion and sun stroke.
• Frostbite and hypothermia.
• Respiratory distress/failure (associated with humidity, pollution, etc).
• Altitude sickness.

Threats to personal security:

• Transportation/motor vehicle accidents.
• Violence-related injuries.
• MVAs still account for the highest number of deaths among travellers.

Psychocultural issues:

• Travel stress.
• Culture shock/adaptation.
• Repatriation.