Post Travel Care

Nobody wants to return home infested with a series of illnesses, especially after one has travelled to a distant country either on a holiday or for official work. However, post-travel period might be full of either happy recollection of memories or bombardment of prolonged symptoms of various illnesses.

It is important to note that incubation period of diseases is varied and therefore some may not surface on the day of return. Few of the most common symptoms of travel-related infections are fever, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, cough, skin rashes and respiratory infections.

Risk of Illness in Travellers

Most post travel illnesses reported are mild in nature and only 2-5% of travellers become sick enough to seek medical help.

The likelihood of contracting any illness during travel largely depends on an individual’s medical history, travel destination, duration of travel, kind of accommodation and pre-travel health precautions and immunizations.

Post-travel illnesses

Few of the post-travel illnesses are –

• Gastrointestinal illness.
• Malaria.
• Tuberculosis.
• Measles.
• Hemorrhagic fever.
• Typhoid.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Skin ailments such as scabies, pyoderma, and cutaneous larva migrans.

Post-travel Care

After you reach your home country try to keep an eye on any unexplained changes in your health. If you suffer from prolonged illness then report the regions you visited and about any other exposure to illness in the foreign country. Also, you must inform your doctor about any illness you contracted while away from the home country.

See a doctor

As an ordinary person, you might not know the incubation periods of various illnesses. So, it is the best to see a doctor who could determine its diagnosis.

Laboratory Tests

Commonly available laboratory tests

• Blood count test.
• Thick and thin blood films to screen for malaria.
• Urine culture and urinalysis
• Culture test of other body fluids and tissues.
• Stool culture.
• Liver tests
• HIV tests.
• Serology tests for dengue, leishmaniasis, amebiasis and brucellosis.
• X-ray.
• Ultrasound.
• CT scan.
• MRI.

So if you’ve come back from a trip and notice any illness related symptoms you  must immediately report to a doctor. But if you’re healthy even after your return thank heavens for illness free post-travel period and gear up for your next trip away from home!