Mary D. Nettleman, M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor, College of Medicine
Director, Travel and Tropical Medicine Clinic
University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Artwork by Robyn Hepker, M.S.
First Edition: 1993
Second Edition: 1995
Support for this project was provided by an Instructional Improvement Award from the Council on Teaching, University of Iowa.
Copyright © 1993. No portion of this book may be reprinted without the written consent of the author.
Table of Contents
Imagine for a moment that you had some free time, some extra money, and a desire for travel and adventure. Where would you go? Hiking in the Himalayas? Canoeing the Amazon? On a picture safari in Africa? To the temples of Asia? Perhaps you prefer the cities of the world...Cairo, Bombay, Rio, Bangkok. Exotic vistas stretch before you: new faces, new foods, new places. Picture yourself treading ancient highways and watching the sun sparkle on distant seas...no one ever pictures themselves becoming ill during travel. Yet, up to one half of visitors to the tropics will spend a large part of their journey flitting between bathrooms. Others will have the misfortune to encounter more rare, but potentially deadly, tropical diseases.
The study of travel-related disease has been called "emporiatrics." The physician's goal should be to minimize the risk of common diseases that may inconvenience travelers and uncommon diseases that may cause serious illness. Recommendations for immunizations and medications will vary according to the destination country. Children and travelers with special medical conditions - pregnancy, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes - require expert advice to protect them during travel.
This booklet will provide basic information for clinicians interested in the field of emporiatrics, with particular emphasis on prevention of travel-related illness. More detailed information and information on the evaluation of returned travelers with tropical illnesses can be found in the references and in standard Tropical Medicine texts. Information on vaccine side effects and dosage may be found in the package inserts.