Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease最新文献

{"title":"Immune profiling and prognosis implications in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome with and without hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis","authors":"Siyu Zou ,&nbsp;Ting Wang ,&nbsp;Danning Xu ,&nbsp;Wei Wei ,&nbsp;Yun Wang ,&nbsp;Ming Huang ,&nbsp;Shiji Wu ,&nbsp;Feng Wang ,&nbsp;Hongyan Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102940","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102940","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease with high mortality, particularly when complicated by hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). This study aimed to characterize the immunological and clinical features of SFTS patients with and without HLH, and to determine the impact of HLH on disease severity and prognosis.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A total of 233 patients with laboratory-confirmed SFTS were enrolled, including 112 who developed HLH during hospitalization (SFTS-HLH group) and 121 with SFTS alone. Clinical, laboratory and immunological parameters were analyzed. Immune cell subsets, activation/exhaustion markers, proliferation and cytotoxicity were assessed using flow cytometry. Prognostic factors for 28-day mortality were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>SFTS-HLH patients exhibited more severe clinical manifestations, higher mortality, greater organ dysfunction and more frequency co-infections than the SFTS group. Immunologically, SFTS-HLH patients exhibited more profound lymphopenia, upregulation of exhaustion markers (PD-1, Tim-3, CD39), impaired CD8⁺ T cell cytotoxicity, and reduced NK cell proliferation compared with SFTS and HC groups. These abnormalities were more pronounced in non-survivors than in survivors. SFTSV RNA viral load was significantly higher in SFTS-HLH patients and correlated positively with proinflammatory cytokines and organ injury markers. Multivariate Cox analysis identified SFTS-HLH (HR = 2.942, 95 % CI: 1.277–6.775) and high viral load (HR = 1.636, 95 % CI: 1.239–2.159) as independent predictors of 28-day mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>SFTS complicated by HLH is characterized by immune dysregulation, high viral burden, and increased mortality. Early recognition of HLH and immune-virological surveillance may aid risk stratification and improve patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102940"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145514251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal and spatial dynamics of dengue fever in mainland China from 2004 to 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 public health interventions","authors":"Zhiqun Lei ,&nbsp;Zhixin Lei ,&nbsp;Qi Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102938","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102938","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Dengue fever (DF), a mosquito-borne viral disease, presents critical public health issues worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. This study analyzed temporal and spatial patterns of DF in mainland China from 2004 to 2020 and evaluated the association between COVID-19-related public health interventions and DF incidence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The dataset was sourced from China's Public Health Science Data Center. Joinpoint regression identified changes in incidence and mortality rates. Local Indicators of Spatial Association identified high-incidence clusters. To forecast DF incidence rates, time series models were employed, including Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), Exponential Smoothing (ETS), and Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS). Model performance was evaluated by RMSE, MASE, and SMAPE. Counterfactual forecasts for 2020 (assuming no COVID-19 public interventions) were generated to quantify reductions in DF incidence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Between January 2004 and December 2020, a total of 94,725 DF cases and 13 related fatalities were documented in China. The incidence showed multi-stage trends with joinpoints in 2011 and 2014 and phase-specific APCs of −3.07 % (95 % CI −73.07 to 53.87) for 2004–2011, +301.54 % (38.41–697.77) for 2011–2014, and −25.60 % (−78.89 to 18.10) for 2014–2020. High-incidence clusters were in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Hainan. Global Moran's I was 0.0298 (P = 0.62), indicating no significant global spatial autocorrelation, but Local Moran's I identified significant high–high clusters in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Age-specific analysis showed the highest incidence rates in the 15–64 age group. On the national test set, ETS performed best (RMSE = 0.81, MASE = 0.82, SMAPE = 0.71), while province-specific optimal models varied. Observed 2020 incidence was 96.5 % lower than counterfactual predictions overall, with Guangdong and Guangxi showing reductions of 99.5 % and 49.3 %, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>DF incidence in mainland China exhibited significant temporal and spatial variations from 2004 to 2020, with high-risk areas mainly in the south. The multi-model forecasting framework yields robust, interpretable province-level predictions and reveals a substantial 2020 decline associated with COVID-19–related public interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102938"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145524152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Travel-associated carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales: Epidemiology and risk factors in a Finnish cohort","authors":"Mikael Kajova ,&nbsp;Tamim Khawaja ,&nbsp;Katariina Kainulainen ,&nbsp;Anu Kantele","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102926","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102926","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are increasing worldwide, with strains associated with difficult-to-treat infections. We previously reported that international travel is a major source of CPE acquisition in the Helsinki region, Finland. To clarify the extent of importation, we investigated the epidemiology and associated risk factors of foreign-acquired CPEs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We revisited two earlier cohorts. Cohort A (n = 187 after a one-year extension) comprised patients from 2010 through 2024 presumed to have acquired CPE abroad; CPE types were categorized by travel region. Cohort B included 3029 patients screened for CPE from 2010 through 2019 within 12 months after hospitalization abroad. Multivariable analysis identified factors that predispose to colonization.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among patients hospitalized abroad (Cohort B), CPE rates were particularly high for South Asia (14.6 %) and North Africa (13.7 %). Across the 24 individual countries with data, the highest CPE colonization risks were observed for Egypt (20.8 %) and India (16.4 %). In addition to destination, independent risk factors included antibiotic use, travel type, short interval between discharge from a foreign hospital and screening (within one week or one month) and male sex. For South/Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, over 70 % of CPE carriers (Cohort A) had metallo-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, predominantly NDM, whereas OXA-48–like enzymes predominated in North Africa and the Middle East.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Hospitalization in high-prevalence countries and antibiotic use emerged as key risk factors for CPE acquisition. Regional variation was evident: OXA-48–like enzymes dominated among CPEs linked to the Middle East and North Africa, whereas NDM was prevalent elsewhere in Eurasia and Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102926"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145347506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria from sub-Saharan Africa: a retrospective study","authors":"Federica Ciminelli ,&nbsp;Dora Buonfrate ,&nbsp;Cristina Mazzi ,&nbsp;Andreas Neumayr ,&nbsp;Daniel Camprubí-Ferrer ,&nbsp;Federico Gobbi","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102923","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102923","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the recommended first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. However, growing reports of artemisinin resistance, particularly in Southeast Asia, raise concerns about the efficacy of ACTs. This study aimed to assess potential changes over time in the effectiveness of a three-day regimen of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) for treating imported uncomplicated <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> malaria.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective observational study was conducted. We reviewed the records of patients treated for uncomplicated <em>P. falciparum</em> malaria in a single centre in Italy (2013–2024). The inclusion criteria were treatment with DHA-PPQ and available data on parasitaemia at baseline and on day three. The primary objective was to determine the rate of parasitaemia clearance on day three.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All 90 patients but one were infected in sub-Saharan Africa. We excluded the patient infected in Yemen to obtain a more homogenous cohort. Baseline median parasitaemia was 0.136 % (IQR 0.029–0.750). On day 3, only 6 patients (6.7 %) still had circulating parasites, though in absence of early treatment failure. Follow-up data (available for 63 patients) excluded also late parasitological failures. No significant trend in day-3 positivity was observed across the three study periods (2013–2015, 2016–2019, 2020–2023; <em>p</em> = 0.339).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study revealed no significant reduction in the effectiveness of DHA-PPQ over time for the treatment of uncomplicated <em>P. falciparum</em> malaria imported from Africa. While ACT failure remains rare in sub-Saharan Africa, continued surveillance is essential, especially to monitor resistance trends and inform treatment protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102923"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145313779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leptospirosis in the United Kingdom: a decade of experience from a large regional hospital","authors":"Andrew Taylor ,&nbsp;Paul N. Newton ,&nbsp;Ivo Elliott","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Leptospirosis is one of the most common bacterial zoonoses worldwide, with a broad spectrum of illness from mild and self-resolving to multi-organ failure and death. There have been few reports of the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of the disease in the United Kingdom.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We present experience of 29 patients with confirmed leptospirosis from 924 tested patients over a 10-year period at a large tertiary hospital in the UK.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All patients reported a fever and eit travel overseas in the 6 weeks prior to illness, or documented exposure to water or animals in the UK. Acute kidney injury occurred in 18/29 (62 %), 6 patients (20 %) required admission to the intensive care unit and 1 died. There were no recorded acquired UK cases during winter when water temperatures are usually below 10 °C.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Epidemiological awareness and documented exposure history may increase the proportion of positive tests and offer potential laboratory cost savings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102920"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145303683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical, therapeutic, and stigma-related challenges in leprosy and the emerging role of apremilast in managing leprosy reactions","authors":"Diego Gayoso Cantero ,&nbsp;Pablo Fernández-González ,&nbsp;Sandra Chamorro-Tojeiro ,&nbsp;Carmen Quereda ,&nbsp;Marta Tato ,&nbsp;Emilio Berna-Rico ,&nbsp;Jorge Naharro-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Jose A. Perez-Molina","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102918","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102918","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infection caused by <em>Mycobacterium leprae</em> (or <em>M. lepromatosis</em>) that targets macrophages and Schwann cells. The resulting neuropathy and skin lesions can lead to lifelong deformities and disabilities. Despite being poorly transmissible and readily treatable, leprosy remains a neglected disease. Management is hampered by delayed diagnosis, multidrug resistance, recalcitrant leprosy reactions, and entrenched social stigma. We report a case of imported multidrug-resistant borderline lepromatous leprosy that progressed with recurrent, steroid-dependent erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). The patient experienced multiple toxicities secondary to the medications used for treating leprosy and managing ENL. Disease was controlled through a clofazimine–clarithromycin–minocycline regimen combined with the phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor apremilast, enabling complete withdrawal of corticosteroids and thalidomide while maintaining sustained clinical and microbiological remission. We examine the key clinical challenges in managing this patient and summarise current evidence, including a literature review on apremilast as treatment for refractory leprosy reactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102918"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145303714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical application value of droplet digital PCR detection of Em-cfDNA in the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis","authors":"Yuan Jiang ,&nbsp;Lingqiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Yaogang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jing Hou ,&nbsp;Zhixin Wang ,&nbsp;Tao Zhang ,&nbsp;Zihan Yang ,&nbsp;Tingting Jia ,&nbsp;Zhiqin Li ,&nbsp;Li Sun ,&nbsp;Yuhu Hou ,&nbsp;Haining Fan ,&nbsp;Yanyan Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102912","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102912","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a parasitic disease caused by the <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em> (<em>E. multilocularis</em>), primarily affects the liver and has the potential to spread to other organs, which can be quite invasive. This disease has been receiving increasing attention on a global scale. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical value of droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) technology in the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) through the detection of plasma and to explore the relationship between ddPCR quantitative results and lesion size and staging.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Researchers collected blood samples from 57 confirmed HAE patients and 34 control samples from individuals without AE. Subsequently, ddPCR was utilized to detect <em>E. multilocularis</em> circulating free DNA (Em-cfDNA) in the plasma. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and antibody tests were utilized as comparative methods.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The sensitivity of ddPCR was found to be 91.22 %, with a 100 % specificity, thereby demonstrating superiority over conventional serum antibody tests, which exhibited a sensitivity of 89.50 % and a specificity of 85.3 %. ddPCR demonstrated a comparable performance to NGS testing, which also demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.50 % and a 100 % specificity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>ddPCR is characterized by its ease of operation and cost-effectiveness. It also holds significant value for screening in resource-limited areas, thereby helping to improve early diagnosis rates for HAE and enhance patient prognosis. Subsequent research endeavors will concentrate on the refinement of this technology and the validation of its applications in the domains of diagnosis, monitoring, and follow-up.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102912"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145287000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Travel Healthy, a mobile app for participatory surveillance among U.S. international travelers","authors":"Andrés Colubri ,&nbsp;Nicole Willing ,&nbsp;Andonaq Grozdani ,&nbsp;Yinan Dong ,&nbsp;Hung Hong ,&nbsp;Mansi Khandpekar ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Oliver ,&nbsp;Julie Thwing ,&nbsp;Edward T. Ryan ,&nbsp;Regina C. LaRocque","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Global travel plays a role in the spread of infectious diseases. Existing travel surveillance programs collect data before and after trips, resulting in data incompleteness and recall bias. We developed the Travel Healthy mobile app to address these gaps, by enabling U.S. travelers to report daily symptom surveys including GPS location. The app offers traveler tools, including outbreak notices, a travel wallet, and a malaria medication reminder.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We developed Travel Healthy following a user-centric approach. We recruited study participants through an online platform and at the Travelers’ Advice and Immunization Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, between July 2023 and August 2024. We analyzed demographic, GPS, and self-reported symptom data from the first 50 participants. Data were collected starting one day before the trip and ending three days after. A post-travel feedback survey was performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants visited 204 locations in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Mean age was 33 years and 66 % were female. The most common purposes of travel were leisure and/or business, with 46 (92 %) of participants listing these as traveling reasons. A total of 755 daily symptom surveys were entered, with 105 reporting symptoms, corresponding to 29 of the 50 (58 %) participants. Among all symptoms with GPS data, 58 % were upper respiratory symptoms, 25 % were gastrointestinal (clustered in South Asia), and 17 % were other. Post-travel questionnaires showed that participants found the application easy to use.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This pilot study underscores the potential of participatory surveillance tools to complement traditional public health surveillance methods for travel-related illness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102922"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145286934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review of contact tracing interventions for international arrivals by air, sea, or land","authors":"Rosalie Allison ,&nbsp;Anjali Pai ,&nbsp;Bharat Sibal ,&nbsp;Robert Sookoo ,&nbsp;Sarah R. Anderson","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>As part of the public health response, one role of health protection specialists is to identify contacts of people who have travelled whilst infectious, and provide advice or other public health actions.</div><div>This paper aims to review the latest evidence for contact tracing of specific infectious diseases on incoming international travel by air, sea, or land. Twenty key gastrointestinal, respiratory, rash, and high consequence infectious diseases were included in this systematic review.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies published between 2008 and 2023, that focused on people arriving from international destinations with an infectious disease, and their contacts. Results were exported to Endnote; duplicates removed; eligible studies identified and critically appraised by two independent reviewers; and data extracted. Due to heterogeneity across studies, results were presented narratively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There was some evidence for contact tracing to reduce community transmission for international arrivals by aircrafts, but less rigorous evidence for those arriving by sea-vessels, and even less for ground crossings.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Informed by this systematic review, public health agencies should consider developing or reviewing their national disease-specific guidance, ensuring guidance for all key modes of international transport is included. Higher quality studies are required to inform the effectiveness of contact tracing for preventing further transmission related to international travel. Strategic efforts should continue to concentrate on improving the relationship between public health organisations and transport providers to facilitate timely public health actions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102924"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145287126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ZIeKA monitor study: travel-related arbovirus infections among Dutch travellers, 2018–2020","authors":"Chiara de Bellegarde de Saint Lary ,&nbsp;Marieke L.A. de Hoog ,&nbsp;Lotte Jonker ,&nbsp;Johan Reimerink ,&nbsp;Renée A.H. van Schaijk ,&nbsp;Leo G. Visser ,&nbsp;Susan Hahné ,&nbsp;Patricia C.J.L. Bruijning-Verhagen","doi":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aims to estimate the incidence of arbovirus infections among Dutch travellers and subsequent potential risk of importation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>For this prospective, fully remote study, Dutch travellers visiting arbovirus endemic countries between August 2018 to March 2020 were recruited through (social) media and travel-clinics. Interested travellers could register online. Participants completed questionnaires and kept a daily symptom log during travel using a custom-made study app. Travellers reporting symptoms suggestive of arbovirus infection were invited to self-collect a dry-blood spot sample (DBS) upon return. In a sub-cohort of participants, post-travel DBS were also collected if asymptomatic. Participants mailed the DBS to the laboratory to be tested by PCR for ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV, along with IgG and IgM antibody testing.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 1222 subjects registering online, 737 (60.3 %) completed the baseline questionnaire and ≥60 % of symptom diaries and were included in the analysis. Arbovirus-like symptoms were reported by 73 participants (9.9 %). A post-travel DBS was obtained from 67 symptomatic and 154 asymptomatic travellers. None were RT-PCR positive for ZIKV, DENV or CHIKV. Two symptomatic travellers were IgM positive indicating probable recent arbovirus infection. An additional ten cases were IgG positive/IgM negative suggesting possible previous arbovirus exposure. The estimated incidence proportion and rate of travel-related arbovirus infection were 2.7–16.3/1000 trips and 3.9–23.4/1000 person-months, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>While a small proportion of travellers to arbovirus endemic areas have evidence of recent infection, the risk of arbovirus importation by returning travellers appears low as viraemia was not detected in any participant upon return.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23312,"journal":{"name":"Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 102921"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145287010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}