TY - JOUR AU - Fenner, Lukas AU - Weber, Rainer AU - Steffen, Robert AU - Schlagenhauf, Patricia T1 - Imported Infectious Disease and Purpose of Travel, Switzerland T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2007 VL - 13 IS - 2 SP - 217 SN - 1080-6059 AB - We evaluated the epidemiologic factors of patients seeking treatment for travel-associated illness from January 2004 through May 2005 at the University Hospital of Zurich. When comparing persons whose purpose of travel was visiting friends and relatives (VFR travelers; n = 121) with tourists and other travelers (n = 217), VFR travelers showed a distinct infectious disease and risk spectrum. VFR travelers were more likely to receive a diagnosis of malaria (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–7.3) or viral hepatitis (OR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.1–9) compared with other travelers but were less likely to seek pre-travel advice (20% vs. 67%, p = 0.0001). However, proportionate rates of acute diarrhea were lower in VFR (173 vs. 364 per 1,000 ill returnees). Travel to sub-Saharan Africa contributed most to malaria in VFR travelers. In countries with large migrant populations, improved public health strategies are needed to reach VFR travelers. KW - visiting friends and relatives KW - travel KW - traveler KW - infectious disease KW - malaria KW - diarrhea KW - pre-travel advice KW - research KW - Switzerland DO - 10.3201/eid1302.060847 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/13/2/06-0847_article ER - End of Reference