A Study on Travel-associated Febrile Illness among Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India

Background: Diagnosing the etiology of travel-associated febrile illness can be challenging due to the wide range of potential causes and the diverse geographic locations travelers may visit.Several factors contribute to this complexity including diverse pathogens, incubation period, multiple exposures, vector-borne diseases, immunization status, local outbreaks, and uncommon pathogens.The present study aimed to explore the characteristics and etiology of fever in returned travelers.Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out over one year which included patients presenting with fever, who had a recent travel history of not less than 1 week.Each patient was enquired regarding their basic demographics, comorbidities, etiology, symptoms on presentation, days of fever, and travel-related details.Patient-reported risk factors were noted.Results were statistically analyzed. Results:The study included 63 returned travelers who reported fever.The majority of the presentation was from the age group of 19-35 years, with the most common etiology being malaria (14.29%), followed by scrub typhus (9.52%) and typhoid (7.94%).While there were 6.34% cases of intercountry travel, 34.92% were cases of interstate travel and the rest were within the state.Average days of fever and symptom presentation widely varied with etiologies.Symptoms included rash, headache, hepatomegaly, anemia, chest abnormalities, leukocytosis, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, hyperbilirubinemia, and transaminitis. Conclusion:It is important on the part of clinicians, especially, tropical medicine specialists to formulate pretravel consultation guidance and immunization strategies.Prompt evaluation and management of febrile illness among returned travelers is warranted.