Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 114-118, May 2003

Pre-travel preparation and outcome of HIV-infected travellers from a UK clinic

  • S Cathcart

      Affiliations

    • London Deanery Specialist Registrar Training Programme, London, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: Department of Public Health Medicine, Lambeth Primary Care Trust, 1 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7NE, UK. Tel.: +20-7716-7133
    • ,
  • J Boyle

      Affiliations

    • Academic Centre for Travel Medicine and Vaccines, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK
    • ,
  • C Sabin

      Affiliations

    • Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK
    • ,
  • M Johnson

      Affiliations

    • Royal Free Centre for HIV Medicine, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK
    • ,
  • J.N Zuckerman

      Affiliations

    • Academic Centre for Travel Medicine and Vaccines, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK

Received 11 November 2002; received in revised form 14 February 2003; accepted 17 February 2003.

Abstract 

Objectives. To review the pre-travel preparations and travel health outcomes of HIV-infected individuals.

Methods. A prospective questionnaire-based study among English speaking adults with HIV infection attending an outpatient clinic from July to November 2000.

Results. Baseline and follow-up questionnaire data were available for 34 individuals whose median CD4 count was 451 cells/mm3. Eleven of these (32%) had sought travel advice before departure. Eight (23.5%) had been vaccinated or were planning vaccination against at least one condition and 17 (50%) listed travel-specific medications they planned to take with them. Those who were travelling to Africa were more likely to be vaccinated than those who were not travelling to Africa (3/4 vs 5/30, respectively, P=0.03). Those travelling to Europe were less likely to be vaccinated than those who were not (1/16 vs 7/18, P=0.04). The median duration of travel was 14 days (1–180).

Fifteen subjects (44%) became ill while abroad. Those who became ill abroad were more likely to have visited Asia (P=0.003) and less likely to have visited the Americas (P=0.02) than those who did not become ill abroad. In addition, they tended to have stayed abroad for longer periods (P=0.07) and had visited more countries (P=0.04) than those who did not become ill abroad. Sixteen individuals (47%) reported illness on their return to the UK.

Conclusions. HIV-infected travellers have an increased susceptibility to opportunistic and other travel-related infections and the need for appropriate advice, vaccination and prophylactic therapy is important. Health care provision in this field is in need of uniform guidelines to coordinate travel health management for this particular high risk group.

Keywords:  Human immunodeficiency virus, Travel medicine, Vaccination

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PII: S1477-8939(03)00024-3

doi:10.1016/S1477-8939(03)00024-3

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 114-118, May 2003

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