The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections

by Charles E. Davis MD

Overview

The last thing a world traveler wants is to get sick. To stay healthy, travelers need to protect themselves from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, including many they have seldom, if ever, encountered. With precise, simple explanations, this indispensable guide helps international travelers avoid common—and uncommon—infections wherever they go.

Relating important medical findings, Dr. Charles E. Davis provides the latest recommendations for healthy travel planning. He describes the precautions travelers can take to prevent infection, including

• pre-trip travel clinic visits
• essential immunizations and medications
• travel insurance and medical kits
• safe food and water practices
• personal protection measures
• post-trip checkups

The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections is organized by disease, with highly accessible discussions and detailed illustrations of all the major travelers' infections. Maps make it easy to see where infections are commonly acquired, and specific prevention strategies for each destination enhance travel planning.

Tourists and professionals such as military personnel, journalists, aid workers, and businesspeople need the tools provided here to stay healthy during their trip and after they return home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421403793
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	06/15/2012
Series:	A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book , #1
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Charles E. Davis, M.D., a specialist in microbiology and infectious diseases, is professor emeritus of pathology and medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and director emeritus of microbiology at the UCSD medical center.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables ix

Preface xiii

Part I Sources of Travel Advice

1 Personal Physicians and Travel Clinics 3

2 Websites for Travelers 11

3 Medical and Evacuation Insurance 16

4 Overseas Medical Care and Medical Tourism 23

Part II Pre-Travel Planning

5 Devising a Prevention Strategy 33

6 The Geographic Distribution of Major Travelers' Infections 37

7 Immunizations 53

8 Personal Protection Measures 71

9 Drug Prophylaxis and Self-Treatment 79

10 Special Circumstances 87

11 Travel Medical Kits 99

Part III Bacterial Infections

12 What You-and Your Doctor-Need to Know-about Bacteria 109

13 Typhoid Fever 119

14 Plague 129

15 Cholera 139

16 Leptospirosis 149

17 Typhus and Other Rickettsial Infections 257

18 Oroya, Trench, and Q Fevers 168

19 Relapsing Fevers 176

20 Anthrax, Brucellosis, and Listeriosis 183

21 Bacterial Meningitis 189

22 Tuberculosis 198

Part IV Viral Infections

23 What You-and Your Doctor-Need to Know about Viruses 213

24 Arbovirus Infections: An Overview 222

25 Yellow Fever 226

26 Dengue Fever 237

27 Other Arboviruses 245

28 Ebola and Other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers 259

29 Poliomyelitis 267

30 Acute Viral Hepatitis 275

31 Rabies 285

32 Influenza 295

Part V Parasitic Infections

33 What You-and Your Doctor-Need to Know about Parasites 311

34 Malaria 323

35 Amebiasis 335

36 Leishmaniasis 345

37 African and American Trypanosomiasis 355

38 Intestinal Roundworm Infections 366

39 Tissue Roundworm Infections 374

40 Schistosomiasis and Other Flatworm Infections 385

Part VI Infections Caused by Multiple Microbes

41 Sexually Transmitted Infections 405

42 Travelers' Diarrhea 424

43 Tropical Skin Infections and Infestations 444

Part VII Post-Travel Considerations

44 Fever in Returning Travelers 457

45 Post-Travel Screening: Yes or No? 468

Glossary 473

References 479

Index 497

Color illustrations follow page 334.

Editorial Reviews

Davis . . . provides advice about what to do before, during, and after a trip to prevent infection and explains options if an illness does occur . . . VERDICT: Essential for international travelers.
—Library Journal

A best new travel read . . . lists the essentials of a travel medical kit, outlines basic food and water practices, and details the viruses, bacteria, and parasites that may be encountered around the world.
—Scott Podmore, Courier-Mail

Follow his 'Considerations for ALL travelers' advice before zipping your suitcase shut and heading for the airport . . . and follow his 7 most important travel medical kit considerations to ensure the safest and healthiest travel experience possible.
—Timothy Boyer, EmaxHealth

This book is amazing and explains all the different types of infections worldwide . . . I will recommend this book to all my friends and family.
—Cybertron Reviews

This work offers much practical and sound medical advice to travelers.
—Reference and Research Book News

Fine health coverage for travelers who want the latest guidelines for avoiding common and uncommon infection around the world, and provides the latest recommendations . . . Any travel or international health collection must have this!
—Midwest Book Review

This book is remarkable in its capacity to deliver essential knowledge that will enable travelers to be well informed and well prepared but also to cover a wide range of travel-related infections in suitable detail interspersed with historical anecdotes and facts . . . This book will be of great benefit to the 'worried well' traveler.
—Irani Ratnam, Clinical Infectious Diseases

This book is remarkable in its capacity to deliver essential knowledge that will enable travelers to be well informed and well prepared.
—Clinical Infections Diseases

The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections presents well-written and well-organized information on geographic infectious diseases.
—JAMA

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Dr. Davis has written a book that will serve as an incredibly valuable travel resource for many types of travelers . . . A must read book for anyone traveling to tropical areas, sub-Saharan Africa and developing nations.
—Nancy Parode, About.com

From the Publisher

This book is amazing and explains all the different types of infections worldwide . . . I will recommend this book to all my friends and family.

Cybertron Reviews

This book is remarkable in its capacity to deliver essential knowledge that will enable travelers to be well informed and well prepared.

Clinical Infections Diseases

A best new travel read . . . lists the essentials of a travel medical kit, outlines basic food and water practices, and details the viruses, bacteria, and parasites that may be encountered around the world.

Courier-Mail - Scott Podmore

This work offers much practical and sound medical advice to travelers.

Reference and Research Book News

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Dr. Davis has written a book that will serve as an incredibly valuable travel resource for many types of travelers . . . A must read book for anyone traveling to tropical areas, sub-Saharan Africa and developing nations.

About.com - Nancy Parode

The International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections presents well-written and well-organized information on geographic infectious diseases.

JAMA

Follow his 'Considerations for ALL travelers' advice before zipping your suitcase shut and heading for the airport . . . and follow his 7 most important travel medical kit considerations to ensure the safest and healthiest travel experience possible.

EmaxHealth - Timothy Boyer

This book is remarkable in its capacity to deliver essential knowledge that will enable travelers to be well informed and well prepared but also to cover a wide range of travel-related infections in suitable detail interspersed with historical anecdotes and facts . . . This book will be of great benefit to the 'worried well' traveler.

Clinical Infectious Diseases - Irani Ratnam

Fine health coverage for travelers who want the latest guidelines for avoiding common and uncommon infection around the world, and provides the latest recommendations . . . Any travel or international health collection must have this!

Midwest Book Review

Follow his 'Considerations for ALL travelers' advice before zipping your suitcase shut and heading for the airport... and follow his 7 most important travel medical kit considerations to ensure the safest and healthiest travel experience possible.

— Timothy Boyer

EmaxHealth

A best new travel read... lists the essentials of a travel medical kit, outlines basic food and water practices, and details the viruses, bacteria, and parasites that may be encountered around the world.

— Scott Podmore

Courier-Mail

Many people who travel internationally are at risk of picking up unwanted souvenirs in the form of microbes, bacteria, and parasites. Davis (pathology & medicine, emeritus, Univ. of California, San Diego) provides advice about what to do before, during, and after a trip to prevent infection and explains options if an illness does occur. Pre-travel planning advice covers immunizations, personal preventative measures, traveling with children, immune-compromised travelers, and information for adventurous travelers more likely to come into contact with diseases. Maps and tables illustrate regions where specific diseases are endemic, and suggestions include what to carry in a medical kit. The chapters on bacterial, viral, parasitic, and multiple microbial infections review tests and laboratory procedures and give detailed information on diseases. Symptoms and treatments are listed for conditions including typhoid, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, and many more exotic diseases. In case prevention measures fail, a chapter called "Post-Travel Considerations" covers what to tell your doctor and whether screenings are needed for tuberculosis, malaria, or parasites. VERDICT Essential for international travelers.—Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Library Journal