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Wiley InterScience

Journal of Travel Medicine

Journal of Travel Medicine

Volume 7 Issue 2, Pages 70 - 73

Published Online: 8 Mar 2006

© 2010 International Society of Travel Medicine



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Epidemiology of Giardiasis in German Travelers
Tomas Jelinek 1 , Thomas Löscher 1
  1 Tomas Jelinek, MD and Thomas Löscher, MD: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University of Munich, Germany.
Correspondence to  Reprint requests; Dr. Tomas Jelinek, Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Leopoldstr. 5, 80802 München, Germany.
Copyright 2000 by the International Society of Travel Medicine

ABSTRACT

Background: Giardiasis has been well characterized in individuals traveling from areas of low to high endemicity.

Methods: Clinical features, travel and medical histories in 352 patients with giardiasis who presented to a German outpatient clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases were investigated in order to identify common epidemiological factors and potential strategies of prevention.

Results: Compared to the total patient population of the outpatient clinic during the period of investigation (n=13, 566 patients), patients who presented with giardiasis traveled longer (median 28 days versus 19 days, p < .001). While only 19.2% of the total patient population had traveled to the Indian subcontinent prior to referral, 32.1% of the patients with giardiasis acquired the infection there (p < .0001). Similar results were obtained for West Africa: in contrast to 19% of patients with giardiasis (p < .0001), only 5.4% of the total patient population traveled there.

Conclusion: The risk of infection appears to be highest when making an extended journey to the Indian subcontinent. Short-time visitors to other parts of Asia and Latin America are apparently at a markedly lower risk. Risk factors such as type, duration and destination of the journey should be considered in pretravel counseling.


DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)
10.2310/7060.2000.00024 About DOI

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