Etiology and Outcome of Fever After a Stay in the Tropics

Abstract

International travel has increased tremendously in the last decades.¹ Consequently, Western physicians are increasingly confronted with sick travelers or migrants potentially exposed to various exotic infections. Roughly 10% of travelers to developing countries experience a febrile illness during travel or on return.^2-4 Fever is a leading reason for posttravel consultation, together with diarrhea and skin disorders.^5-7 It is also a challenging clinical problem, particularly for physicians unfamiliar with imported pathologic conditions, because of the wide differential diagnosis, the nonspecific features of most tropical diseases, and the risk of severe causative infections.^8-10