Imported Infectious Diseases

The increase of immigrant population in developed countries (mainly in Europe and North America) together with an important increase of international travel worldwide are the two most important causes that have contributed to the introduction and diagnosis of imported/tropical infectious diseases in these countries. These factors have had an important impact in developed countries in both social and economic aspects. Imported Infectious Diseases focuses not only on describing the infections, but also in evaluating the current epidemiology, the economic and social impact and the possibility to apply immunization measures and vaccines. The main purpose of this book is to give an overview of the current most important and frequent imported infectious diseases in developed countries. The first chapter informs about the medical services that are being offered to the immigrants in the main developed countries depending on the legal situation. Following chapters describe the main surveillance systems for these kinds of diseases, mainly in Europe and North America. Finally, remaining chapters contain sections on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Netter’s Infectious Diseases provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of current global infectious disease concerns. Elaine Jong and Dennis Stevens cover the basics of the field using beautiful Netter illustrations and accessible "need to know" information on major conditions and problems— including multi-drug-resistance, Staph infections, Chagas disease, and the flu. In print and online, it’s a great tool for quick review or for sharing with patients and staff. Review the basics of infectious disease through comprehensive coverage contained in a single volume reference. Apply "need to know" information from the uniformly concise text and instructive Netter paintings. View detailed Netter illustrations that provide a quick and memorable overview of microbiology, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation. Stay current on modern infectious disease concerns—such as multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, Staph aureus, Chagas disease, and the flu—with new illustrations in the Netter tradition specifically created to address new topics. Access a companion website at www.netterreference.com featuring the complete searchable text, an Image Bank containing all of the book’s illustrations...downloadable for your personal use, plus 25 printable patient education brochures.

This major reference work contains essential information on arthropod-borne infections affecting humans and domesticated animals. The encyclopedia is a key reference source for anyone working in medical and veterinary science, and related fields.Features of The Encyclopedia of Arthropod-transmitted Infections are:150 entries, describing arboviral, viral, bacterial and rickettsial, spirochaetal, protozoal and filarial infections, and the vectors that transmit themInformation on disease distribution, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, transmission cycles, vector life-cycles, and treatment and control measuresFigures, tables and photographs illustrate the textFollowing each entry is a selected bibliography, to aid further reading on the topicOver 80 different international authors, with expertise in medicine, veterinary science, parasitology, entomology, epidemiology, microbiology, and zoology have contributed to the encyclopedia

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in late 2002 and 2003 challenged the global public health community to confront a novel epidemic that spread rapidly from its origins in southern China until it had reached more than 25 other countries within a matter of months. In addition to the number of patients infected with the SARS virus, the disease had profound economic and political repercussions in many of the affected regions. Recent reports of isolated new SARS cases and a fear that the disease could reemerge and spread have put public health officials on high alert for any indications of possible new outbreaks. This report examines the response to SARS by public health systems in individual countries, the biology of the SARS coronavirus and related coronaviruses in animals, the economic and political fallout of the SARS epidemic, quarantine law and other public health measures that apply to combating infectious diseases, and the role of international organizations and scientific cooperation in halting the spread of SARS. The report provides an illuminating survey of findings from the epidemic, along with an assessment of what might be needed in order to contain any future outbreaks of SARS or other emerging infections.

THE ESSENTIAL WORK IN TRAVEL MEDICINE -- NOW COMPLETELY UPDATED FOR 2018 As unprecedented numbers of travelers cross international borders each day, the need for up-to-date, practical information about the health challenges posed by travel has never been greater. For both international travelers and the health professionals who care for them, the CDC Yellow Book 2018: Health Information for International Travel is the definitive guide to staying safe and healthy anywhere in the world. The fully revised and updated 2018 edition codifies the U.S. government's most current health guidelines and information for international travelers, including pretravel vaccine recommendations, destination-specific health advice, and easy-to-reference maps, tables, and charts. The 2018 Yellow Book also addresses the needs of specific types of travelers, with dedicated sections on: · Precautions for pregnant travelers, immunocompromised travelers, and travelers with disabilities · Special considerations for newly arrived adoptees, immigrants, and refugees · Practical tips for last-minute or resource-limited travelers · Advice for air crews, humanitarian workers, missionaries, and others who provide care and support overseas Authored by a team of the world's most esteemed travel medicine experts, the Yellow Book is an essential resource for travelers -- and the clinicians overseeing their care -- at home and abroad.

Travelers' Malaria is considered an essential resource for practitioners of travel medicine. This updated book focuses on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of malaria in non-immune travelers and immigrants. Each chapter is an up-to-date monograph (with an abstract) and contains detailed references to published literature as well as to appropriate web sites. The purpose of the book is to serve as a reference for specialists in the field and for any practitioner who may confront the complexities of caring for malaria-exposed travelers in both pre- and post-travel settings.Travelers' Malaria contains 26 chapters.

Public health must remain responsive to the population's changing health needs. As Canada's diversity grows through immigration, protecting the health of immigrants when they travel to visit friends and relatives (VFR) is one such need. Immigrants comprise a growing proportion of international travelers and experience disproportionate travel-related infectious disease morbidity and mortality. While many infections are preventable, few immigrant travelers access pre-travel health services, in part because they are not covered under provincial health insurance plans. In my dissertation, I present three studies designed to respond to current gaps in evidence regarding how immigrant travelers perceive and respond to travel health risks, and how to measure travel-related disease burden. In the first study, I use qualitative methods to explore how South Asian travelers in Peel region conceptualize travel health risks. I found that travelers face many health challenges when traveling but adjust their behaviours to avoid or minimize key risks where possible. Their responses to risks, however, can be constrained by competing concerns (e.g. rushed travel, wanting to avoid family conflicts, cost, and a desire to enjoy traditional cuisine). These results highlight the importance of the social context in which travelers make health decisions. In the second study, I use novel data linkages to evaluate the utility of health administrative data for identifying hepatitis A, malaria and enteric fever infections. While diagnostic codes were sensitive, and additionally identified individuals who were likely unreported to public health, I found that their predictive value for accurately identifying cases was low. These results caution against the use of health administrative data, on its own, for this purpose. In the third study, I use a matched cohort design to estimate the health care utilization and attributable cost of hepatitis A, malaria and enteric fever infections in Peel region. Over three years, 318 cases resulted in more than $2 million dollars in direct health care spending, and attributable medical costs ranged from $4,500 - $8,000 per case. These results highlight that travel-related infections require substantial resources for diagnosis and treatment as most medically-attended cases require inpatient health care. Together, results from this dissertation advance our understanding of the complex social settings in which immigrant travelers make health-related decisions, and identify how much these avoidable infections cost Ontario's health care system. Findings point to concrete opportunities to reduce disease burden through tailored health promotion strategies that are sensitive to the unique challenges immigrant travelers face. Costing estimates provide necessary model parameters to explore the cost-effectiveness of policies designed to improve access to pre-travel health services for high risk travelers.

Infectious Diseases of Canada is one in a series of GIDEON ebooks which explore all individual infectious diseases, drugs, vaccines, outbreaks, surveys and pathogens in every country of the world. Data are based on the GIDEON web application (www.gideononline.com) which relies on standard text books, peer-review journals, Health Ministry reports and ProMED, supplemented by an ongoing search of the medical literature. Chapters are arranged alphabetically, by disease name. Each chapter is divided into three sections: 1. Descriptive epidemiology 2. Status of the disease in Canada 3. References A chapter outlining the routine vaccination schedule of Canada follows the diseases chapters. There are 364 generic infectious diseases in the world today. 224 of these are endemic, or potentially endemic, to Canada. A number of other diseases are not relevant to Canada and have not been included in this book. In addition to endemic diseases, all published data regarding imported diseases and infection among expatriates from Canada are included.