travel related infection Flashcards
what questions should you ask to determine cause of travel related infection?
- where have you come from?
- when did you return to the UK?
- when did the symptoms develop?
- what are your symptoms?
- have you taken appropriate vaccinations before travelling?
what is the most common travel related infection in the UK?
malaria causes by plasmodium
what are the 5 species of plasmodium?
- falciparum
- vivax
- ovale
- malariae
- knowlesii
what is the vector for malaria?
anopheles mosquito
what is the incubation period for malaria?
min 6 days
p. falciparum can be by 4 weeks
p. vivax/ovale can be up to 1 year
what are the symptoms and signs of malaria?
- fever
- chills
- headache
- confusion
- jaundice
what investigations should be done to diagnose malaria?
- blood film
- blood work: FBC, U+E
- CXR
- head CT
how is malaria managed?
removal of vector: bed nets, sanitation facilities
drugs: doxycycline
what is enteric fever?
typhoid fever secondary to salmonella typhi or paratyphi
what is the mechanism of infection for enteric fever?
faecal-oral from contaminated food + water
what are virulence factors for enteric fever?
- low infectious dose
- survives gastric acid
- reside within macrophages
which patients are susceptible to enteric fever?
usually children
travel from asian countries
what is the incubation period for enteric fever?
7-14 days
what are the symptoms and signs of enteric fever?
- fever
- headache
- abdominal discomfort
- dry cough
- bradychardia
how is enteric fever diagnosed?
blood culture
