Tropical infections

Question 1

what aspects are important in travel history?

Answer 1

where did they go
what was accommodation like
when did they go
when did they become unwell
any insect bites
symptoms
anyone else unwell
what did they do while away (water,animals, sex etc)
what precautions did they take (vaccinations etc)

Question 2

what can fever be in returned traveller?

Answer 2

resp tract infection
travellers diarrhoea
malaria
enteric fever (typhoid/paratyphoid fever)
arbovirus (dengue/chikungunya)

Question 3

what precautions for returned travellers?

Answer 3

isolation

PPE

Question 4

what is acute travellers diarrhoea?

Answer 4

3 loose stool in 24 hrs
usually enterotoxigenic E. coli
can be campylobacter, salmonella, shigella
in cruises - norovirus, rotavirus

Question 5

how is acute travellers diarrhoeas investigated/treated?

Answer 5

investigation:
- stool culture
- stool wet prep
treatment:
- fluid rehydration
- ciprofloxacin if bloody diarrhoea

Question 6

what is enteric fever?

Answer 6

typhoid or paratyphoid fever

common in india and south asia

Question 7

what are the symptoms of enteric fever?

Answer 7

fever
headaches
constipation/diarrhoea
dry cough

Question 8

what is giardiasis?

Answer 8

giardia intestinalis
flagellated protozoa
invades duodenum and proximal jejunum

Question 9

what are the symptoms of giardiasis?

Answer 9

watery malodorous diarrhoea
bloating, flatulence
abdominal cramps
weight loss

Question 10

how is giardiasis investigated?

Answer 10

stool microscopy for cysts
.
.
.

Question 11

what are helminth infections?

Answer 11

in the gut and tissue
associated with eosiniphillia
diagnosed by adult worm/eggs in stool