Hotel based surveillance of health conditions amongst travellers to Jamaica

ABSTRACT

Pursuant of the goal to implement a strategy for prevention and control of travellers' diarrhoea (TD), a programme for the surveillance of selected health conditions amongst visitors and staff was pilot tested in 5 resort hotels in Jamaica. Surveillance reports submitted on a weekly basis by the hotel nurses were analyzed for usage of hotel medical facilities; cases due to accidents, diarrhoea and associated symptoms; and acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). Diarrhoea visits accounted for the lowest number of visits to the nurses' station of all properties, ARIs for the highest. Highest frequency of diarrhoea visits occurred in hotels 4 and 5 being 9.3 and 7.3 percent of all visits to the nurses' station. 70 percent of guest TD cases and 26 percent of staff reported with more than 6 evacuations per day. Abdominal cramps was the most frequent complaint, being present in 38 percent and 43 percent of staff. Vomiting was an associated symptom in 17.6 percent of guest cases and in 26.4 percent of staff cases. A hotel 1, fever was an associated symptom in 23.6 percent and blood in stool in 4.9 percent of guest cases. At hotel 4, fever was present in 14.1 percent and blood in stool of 1.5 percent of guest cases. Amongst staff at hotels 1 and 4, 22.2 percent and 3.8 respectively, and fever. Blood in stool was infrequent amongst staff. These data confirm the usefulness of the surveillance tool for the analysis of TD in hotels.(AU)