The flukes, or trematodes, are long-lived parasites that can cause human disease by mechanical obstruction and by inciting local inflammatory responses in affected organs ( Table 48.1 ). Blood flukes ( Schistosoma spp.), hepatobiliary flukes ( Clonorchis sinensis , Opisthorchis…
General Considerations Medically important worms belonging to the phylum Nematoda (roundworms) parasitize the gastrointestinal tract of humans. It is estimated that 60% of the world population is infected with at least one intestinal helminth. The worms are commonly acquired through…
Toxic seafoods are causative agents in a number of gastrointestinal and neurologic illnesses. Historically, these illnesses were seen mainly in specific geographic locations, associated with local seafood products and affecting local resident populations. However, that situation has now changed remarkably:…
Once away from home, travelers are especially vulnerable to food-borne illness since with regard to food, they rely on the sourcing, processing, and culinary skills of others. Toxic syndromes due to food poisoning may occur after ingestion of foods that…
The various forms of viral hepatitis are a ubiquitous concern for travelers, immigrants, and the healthcare providers responsible for their care ( Table 22.1 ). This chapter will cover the five hepatitis viruses that are associated with the majority of…
Recommendations for travel immunizations are based on a risk assessment of each traveler's general health, trip itinerary, and knowledge of current health conditions at a given destination. Most travelers seek protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, yet their acceptance of the vaccines…
Once onboard a commercial jet aircraft headed to destination, the traveler faces the novel environment of the airplane cabin, in which a passenger's health may be impacted by the air quality and pressurization, among other prevailing conditions. Chronic health concerns…
In 1992 a landmark report by the Institute of Medicine titled “Emerging Infections: Microbial Threats to Health in the United States” highlighted the importance of the often underappreciated concept of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). This report brought EIDs back into…
A new medical specialty, travel medicine, emerged in the 1980s in response to the health needs of increasing numbers of international travelers—a phenomenon resulting from the rapid expansion and growing accessibility of commercial jet transportation. In 1990, the World Tourism…
Abstract Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is a disease caused by infection with parasitic flatworms known as blood flukes , belonging to the genus Schistosoma . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), schistosomiasis transmission has been reported from 78 countries, and it…