Biomedical subjects

Joseph Torresi

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph Torresi.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Travel health knowledge, attitudes and practices among Australasian travelers.

BACKGROUND: Although the Asia Pacific region is the focus of the fastest-growing tourist and travel industry, few data are available on the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of travelers from this region with regard to travel-related infectious diseases. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among travelers at the departure lounges of five airports in Australasia (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipeh, Melbourne, Seoul) whose travel destinations were Asia, Africa or South America. Two standardized questionnaires directed towards KAP in travel health, travel immunizations and malaria were administered. RESULTS: Of 2,101 respondents (82% Asian, 17% Western), 31% had sought pretravel health advice and only 4% sought travel health advice from the travel medicine specialist. The risk of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases and malaria at the destination country was perceived to be low. Overall, fewer than 5% of travelers had been vaccinated in preparation for their trip. The most frequent travel vaccinations were for hepatitis A and B. Only 40% of travelers to malaria-endemic areas carried malaria prophylaxis. Compared to Western travelers, those of Asian nationality were significantly less likely to obtain pretravel advice and malaria prophylaxis and to receive travel vaccinations. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for increased awareness about travel-related infectious diseases among Asian travelers, and greater uptake of pretravel health advice, vaccinations and malaria prophylactic measures.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Imported Plasmodium vivax malaria: demographic and clinical features in nonimmune travelers.

BACKGROUND: Imported malaria is an important problem in nonendemic countries due to increasing travel to and immigration from malaria-endemic countries. Plasmodium vivax malaria is relatively common in travelers but there are few published data regarding the outcome of P. vivax malaria in this group. METHODS: We analyzed 209 cases of P. vivax malaria that were reported to the GeoSentinel network and the VIDS database, Royal Melbourne Hospital. Analyses were performed on data including demographics, pretravel encounter, antimalarial prophylaxis, exposure history, type of travel, countries of recent and past travel, clinical presentation, treatment, outcome and final diagnoses. RESULTS: The majority of patients were travelers (61%), followed by expatriates (13%) and recent immigrants or foreign visitors (12%). Recent travel to Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Central America was significantly more likely to be associated with P. vivax malaria than travel to all other regions. The clinical presentation of P. vivax malaria acquired in the Pacific region is indistinguishable from infection with P. falciparum. The use of chloroquine prophylaxis did not prolong the incubation period. Relapse of infection was not infrequent, and the only significant predictor of relapse was travel to Papua New Guinea (PNG), regardless of primaquine dose. Travelers returning from PNG were eight times more likely to relapse after primaquine treatment compared to travelers with P. vivax malaria acquired elsewhere. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented details of the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of infection with P. vivax malaria in travelers. P. vivax malaria is an important cause of morbidity in travelers, and relapse following primaquine treatment is especially problematic with P. vivax malaria acquired in PNG.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adequate primaquine for vivax malaria.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of vivax malaria with primaquine prevents the relapse of infection from residual liver stages of the parasite. Inadequate dosage is related to a higher relapse risk. METHODS: A comparison was made of vivax malaria relapse-prevention treatments with primaquine 22.5 mg or 30 mg daily for 14 days on 146 reports to the Australian Army Central Malaria Register. RESULTS: The lower dose of primaquine was found to carry a relative risk of 6.63 for a relapse of vivax malaria compared with the higher dose. CONCLUSIONS: The available data presented here suggest that vivax malaria in this region is increasingly tolerant of the 22.5 mg daily treatment regimen of primaquine and that the greater dose of at least 30 mg daily is more effective.

Antimalarials↗