Importance of Travel in Domestically Acquired Typhoid Fever Infections: Opportunities for Prevention and Early Detection

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 139 - 142
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Trang Quyen, Reddy, Vasudha, Sahl, Sara, Kornstein, Laura, Balter, Sharon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-04-2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Brief Communication; Communicable Diseases; Community Relations; Comparative Law; Daughters; Departments; Disease control; Disease prevention; Early warnings; Endemic Diseases; Female; Females; Fever; Fevers; Food; Haiti - ethnology; Humans; Hygiene; Illnesses; Immunization; Infection; Infections; International & Foreign Law; Interviews; Laboratories; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meetings; Mental Health; Middle age; Middle Aged; Mothers; New York City; Noncitizens; Older Adults; Patients; Private International Law; Public Health; Risk reduction; Salmonella; Salmonella typhi; Sociology; Studies; Travel; Travel medicine; Typhoid; Typhoid Fever - diagnosis; Typhoid Fever - prevention & control; Typhoid Fever - transmission; Waterborne diseases; Womens health; New York City; Haiti; United States > US; New York City; Travel; Typhoid fever; Communicable disease control
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-008-9155-1

Approximately 25% of
Salmonella typhi
infections in the US occur among nontravelers. Two
S. typhi
infections in a major US metropolitan city acquired domestically in 2005 were epidemiologically linked to a
S. typhi
-infected Haitian traveler through their congregation meetings. This investigation highlighted the importance of integrating multiple methods of obtaining epidemiologic information, including laboratory evidence and multiple individual and group interviews. Physicians should consider typhoid fever in their differential diagnosis in communities with close ties to endemic areas. Education of communities whose residents travel regularly to typhoid-endemic areas can reduce infection and transmission risk.