Travel Medicine Advisor Archives – August 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
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Murine Typhus in Returned Travelers
Murine typhus is an acute zoonotic infection caused by Rickettsia typhi, an obligate-intracellular Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the typhus group of rickettsiae. R. typhi infections occur worldwide, particularly in warm, humid coastal environments of the tropics; in the U.S., autochthonous transmission also occasionally occurs in Hawaii, Texas, and California. The rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis is generally considered the primary vector.Travel Infections: FoodNet Casts Doubt on Residual Immunity in VFR Travelers
FoodNet is an active surveillance program that collects data on 9 laboratory-confirmed pathogens from 10 sites in the United States: 7 states (Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee) and certain counties in California, Colorado, and New York. Kendall et al analyzed infections reported in this network from 2004-2009 that were considered to be travel-associated and compared them to infections in non-travelers; they also estimated risks according to travel destination.Case Study: Risk Assessment and Potential Interventions for Tuberculosis in Travelers
A 23-year-old woman with a past medical history of childhood asthma presented to our emergency room with cough, fever, chills and recent 5 lb. weight loss.Pharmacology Watch: FDA Approves First New Anti-Obesity Drug in Years
In this issue: Lorcaserin for weight loss; statins and fatigue; treatment-resistant gonorrhea; hydrocodone classification changes; USPSTF recommendations; and FDA actions.Clinical Briefs in Primary Care supplement