1. Characteristics of HIV infected individuals traveling abroad. Results from the plus REDIVI Collaborative Network
- Author
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Perez-Molina, JA, Martinez-Perez, A, Serre, N, Trevino, B, Ruiz-Giardin, JM, Torrus, D, Goikoetxea, J, Echevarria, EM, Malmierca, E, Rojo, G, Calabuig, E, Gutierrez, B, Norman, F, and Lopez-Velez, R
- Subjects
AIDS ,Epidemiology ,HIV ,Travelers ,human activities ,VFR - Abstract
Introduction: The improvement in the prognosis of HIV infection, coupled with the increase in international travel and migration, has led to a rising number of HIV infected travelers. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of returning travelers, according to their HIV status. Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted including travelers and immigrants who traveled to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) registered in the +REDIVI collaborative network (January-2009; October-2014). +REDIVI is a national network that registers information regarding infections imported by travelers and immigrants at 21 different centers using a standardized protocol. Results: A total of 3464 travellers were identified: 72 were HIV+ (2.1%) and 3.392 HIV-(98%). HIV+ vs. HIV travelers were often older (40.5y vs. 34.2y P = .001), VFRs (79.1% vs. 44.4%; P < .001), and consulted less for pre-travel advice (27% vs. 37%; P = .078). The main destinations for both groups were sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The most frequent reasons for consultation after travel were fever, request for a health examination, gastrointestinal complaints, and abnormal laboratory tests (mainly eosinophilia and anemia), which differed between groups. The most frequent diagnoses in HIV+ travelers were malaria (38.8%), newly diagnosed HIV infection (25%), and intestinal parasites (19.4%), while for HIV-travelers the main diagnoses were "healthy" (17.9%), malaria (14%), and intestinal parasites (17.3%). Conclusions: The typical profile of an HIV+ traveler in +REDIVI was that of a VFR traveler who did not seek pre-travel advice and made high-risk trips. This may increase the chance of acquiring travel-related infections which may pose a special risk for HIV-infected travelers. The post-travel visit was a good opportunity for HIV infection screening. (C) 2015 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. and Sociedad Espanola de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica. All rights reserved.
- Published
- 2016