Fever After International Travel

Fever in a child after international travel may represent a benign self-limited illness or may be a manifestation of a more severe life-threatening disease. Knowledge of these illnesses is extremely important for a clinician managing a febrile child after travel. This article presents an approach to history taking and evaluation of the febrile child after travel, stressing knowledge of diseases endemic to geographic regions, timing of symptoms, travel exposures, and specific presenting signs and symptoms. The article also discusses in detail some of the more commonly encountered systemic febrile illnesses, including malaria, dengue fever, typhoid fever, rickettsial infections, and leptospirosis.

Keywords: fever after travel, malaria, dengue, typhoid, rickettsiae, leptospirosis