Travel Related Infection Flashcards
What factors make travellers more at risk from infection?
Temptation to take risks when away from home (food, water, animals, sex)
Different epidemiology of some diseases
Incomplete understanding of health hazards
Stress of travel
Refugees
What infections are common world wide?
Influenza
Community-acquired pneumonia
Meningococcal disease
Sexually transmitted disease
What are some climate/temperature related health problems?
Sunburn Heat exhaustion and heatstroke Fungal infections Bacterial skin infections Cold injury Altitude sickness
What are some common water-related travel-related infections?
Schistosomiasis Leptospirosis Liver flukes Strongyloidiasis Hookworms Guinea worms
What are the common tropical diseases to be aware of?
Malaria Typhoid Dengue Fever Schistosomiasis Rickettsiosis Viral haemorrhagic fevers (ie ebola) Zika fever
What pathology underlies a malaria infection?
parasites replicating within red blood cells, causing these cells to burst and the disease to spread to other red cells
Where is malaria most common?
In the tropics and subtropics
What is the vector for malaria?
The female anopheles mosquito
What is the non-benign species of malaria?
Plasmodium falciparum
What are the symptoms of malaria?
Fever Rigors Aching bones Abdominal pain Headache Dysuria Frequency Sore throat Cough
What are the signs of malaria?
Often none
Splenomegaly
Hepatomegaly
Mild jaundice
What are the complications of malaria?
Cerebral malaria (potentially fatal, more common in non-immune visitors and children in endemic areas, causes hypoglycaemia, convulsions and hypoxia)
Blackwater fever (causes severe intravascular haemolysis, high parasitaemia, profound anaemia, haemoglobinuria and acute renal failure. Also causes urine to be very dark due to renal system damage) Pulmonary oedema
Jaundice
Severe anaemia
Algid malaria (gram-negative septicaemia)
How is malaria diagnosed?
Thick and thin blood films (gold standard)- Giemsa, Field’s stain (can identify species of malaria)
Quantitative buffy coat- centrifugation, UV microscopy (quicker than blood films)
Rapid antigen tests- OptiMal, ParaSight-F (used when no access to healthcare)
How is malaria graded?
Severe or non-severe Severe if one or more of following present: -Impaired consciousness or seizures -Hypoglycaemia -Parasite count >/=2% -Haemoglobin >/= 8mg/dL -Spontaneous bleeding / DIC -Haemoglobinuria -Renal impairment or pH <7.3 -Pulmonary oedema or ARDS -Shock (algid malaria)- ?Gram negative bacteraemia
What are the treatment options for uncomplicated P falciparum malaria?
Riamet- 3 days (first line)
Eurartesim- 3 days
Malarone- 3 days
Quinine plus oral doxycycline or clindamycin- 7 days
What are the treatment options for complicated P falciparum malaria?
IV quinine (SE- cardiac depression, cerebral irritation, N&V) plus oral doxycycline or clindamycin IV artenusate (unlicensed in UK) When patient is stable and able to swallow, switch to oral treatments
What are the other malarial species other than P. falciparum?
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium knowlesi
How are the other malarial species other than P. falciparum treated?
Cholorquine- 3 days
Riamet- 3 days
Add primaquine for 14 days in vivax and ovale to eradicate liver hypnozoites