Infectious Disease and Travel Health Flashcards
In a HIV positive patient, the presence of which cancers would classify the patient as having AIDS?
Cervical cancer
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Which vaccines for use in the UK are live attenuated vaccines?
MMR nasal influenza chickenpox shingles rotavirus BCG
live travel vaccines: yellow fever
oral typhoid
When should a HIV test be repeated if negative testing after a potential exposure?
at 4 weeks post exposure
recommended test=4th generation lab HIV test (HIV antibody and p24 antigen)
if exposure event deemed to cause pt to be at high risk of infection then if -ve at 4 weeks should rpt again at 8 weeks.
If exposure to HIV how long should PEP be taken for?
at least 4 weeks
should be started as soon as possible after exposure-ideally within 1 hour, definitely within 48-72hrs
Window period for 4th generation serology for HIV testing?
45 days
POCTs 90 days
4th generation-IgM and IgG antibodies, and monoclonal antibody to p24 antigen
Who should have annual HIV testing?
MSM
Sex workers
People who inject drugs
more frequently for those reporting higher risk behaviours
Antibiotic tx if pt systemically unwell or immunocompromised and campylobacter suspected e.g. undercooked meat and abdo pain?
clarithromycin 250-500mg BD for 5-7/7, if treated early (within 3 days)
Most common malaria parasite outside sub saharan Africa?
plasmodium vivax-often acquired in South Asia
note long incubation period-can present months after travel
plasmodium falciparum-most prevalent malarial parasite in Africa, UK travellers often pick up in West Africa
Prophylactic regimen of chloroquine?
Take for 1 week prior to travel, continue in area and continue for 4 weeks after travel.
Shouldn’t be co-prescribed with amiodarone, don’t give if hx of epilepsy.
May exacerbate psoriasis and myasthenia gravis.
Contraindications to mefloquine for malaria prophylaxis?
hx of psychiatric disorder
caution in 1st trimester pregnancy
recommended in 2nd and 3rd trimesters if chloroquine resistant area e.g. sub saharan africa. Most areas now chloroquine resistant.
Prophylactic regimen of doxycycline for malaria?
start 1-2 days before travel, continue in area and continue for 4 weeks after leaving area
CI IN PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
Prophylactic regimen of atovaquone+proguanil (malarone) for malaria?
start 1-2 days before travel, continue there and for 1 week after return
generally avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding
CI if eGFR<30
Advice re standby emergency medication prescribing for malaria?
consider if person taking chemoprophylaxis and going to remote area where more than 24hrs away from medical care
should be different from chemoprophylaxis
should take within 24hrs of development of malaria sx, restart chemoprophylaxis 1/52 after tx
Tx of dengue fever?
sx usually resolve within 1 week with oral rehydration and paracetamol
spread by aedes aegypti mosquito (also spreads yellow fever and zika and chikungunya)
severe dengue needs hosp admission-resp distress, bleeding, fluid overload, organ damage
usual sx: severe myalgia, headache
Tx of rickettsial infections e.g. african tick typhus?
PO doxycyline
milder cases may not require tx
px-fever, central macular rash with eschar and lymphadenopathy
Cause of enteric fever?
ingestion of food/water contaminated with salmonella typhi and paratyphi (typhoid and paratyphoid fever)
usually travellers from South Asia
10-20 days incubation period
px: fever, malaise, abdo pain, diarrhoea, hepatosplenomegaly, macular rash, typhoid can cause a relative bradycardia-*also seen with yellow fever, brucellosis and some pneumonias
Complications of typhoid and paratyphoid fever?
encephalopathy, intestinal perforation/haemorrhage, toxic myocarditis
Tx of typhoid and paratyphoid fever?
seek micro advice due to Abx resistance
ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone commonly used
Examples of viral haemorrhagic fevers?
Ebola virus disease, yellow fever, dengue
Tx of giardiasis?
NICE states tinidazole 2g single dose if giardia confirmed or suspected
?alternative= metronidazole
presents with pale watery stools and large amounts of flatus
When should babies born to Hep B positive mothers be vaccinated against Hep B?
monovalent vaccine at birth and 4 weeks
then into routine immunisation schedule with hexavalent vaccine at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
then monovalent vaccine again at 1 year with test for HBsAg