ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Faecal-oral transmission refers to the process whereby disease is transmitted via the faeces of an infected individual to the mouth of a susceptible individual. This transmission can occur through failures in sanitation systems leading to exposure via various routes in particular contaminated water, food, and hands. Travellers' diarrhoea is the most common travel-related illness. A score could enhance risk assessment and pre-travel advice. METHODS: A simple score was developed based on the frequency of defecating in the open (country prevalence > 1%), occurrence of cholera in the period between 2021 and 2017 (one or more case in a country) and reported typhoid fever cases between 2015 and 2019. RESULTS: Data were available for 199 out of 214 countries for the score to be applied. 19% of the 199 countries scored as high risk countries for faecal-oral transmission (score 3), 47% as medium risk (score 2), and 34% as minimal risk (score 0). The percentage of countries scoring 3 was highest in Africa (63%) and lowest in Europe and Oceania (score 0). CONCLUSIONS: A global risk map was developed based on a simple score that could aid travel medicine providers in providing pre-travel risk assessment. For travellers to high and medium risk countries, pre-travel consultation must include detailed advice on food and water hygiene.
Subject(s)
Travel-Related Illness , Humans , Diarrhea/epidemiology , Europe , Feces , WaterSubject(s)
Diarrhea/microbiology , Escherichia coli Infections/pathology , Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Travel-Related Illness , Escherichia coli/classification , Escherichia coli/enzymology , Escherichia coli/pathogenicity , Escherichia coli Infections/history , Feces/microbiology , Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , Humans , Infant , beta-LactamasesSubject(s)
Geography , Hantavirus Infections , Orthohantavirus/physiology , Animals , Communicable Diseases/epidemiology , Communicable Diseases/transmission , Disease Vectors/classification , Orthohantavirus/classification , Hantavirus Infections/epidemiology , Hantavirus Infections/transmission , Humans , Travel MedicineSubject(s)
Babesiosis/history , Animals , Babesia , Babesiosis/microbiology , Cattle , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , Humans , Romania , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Public health authorities want to evaluate their sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveillance systems to promote the most effective use of health resources. GOAL: The goal of this study was to estimate the sensitivity of national laboratory reports of in Switzerland (the proportion of cases detected by national laboratory reports). STUDY DESIGN: A cross sectional prevalence study was conducted by the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network of Gynecologists in 1998. Two groups of women aged less than 35 years were included in the study: those having a first consultation for pregnancy and those having a routine check-up. RESULTS: A total of 1589 women were tested for. The prevalence among pregnant women (n = 817) was 1.3%, and that among sexually active women (n = 772) was 2.8%. Using the prevalences observed among check-up women, we estimate that there were at least 24,400 infections in Switzerland among women aged 20 to 34 years in 1998 (95% CI: 14,300-34,300). The number of laboratory reports of in this age group was 1,150 in 1998. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the sensitivity of national laboratory reports of in 1998 was less than 5% for women aged 20 to 34 years.
