Epidemiology, etiology, and impact of traveler's diarrhea in Jamaica.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: American Medical Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7501160 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0098-7484 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00987484 NLM ISO Abbreviation: JAMA Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Chicago : American Medical Association, 1960-
    • Subject Terms:
      Travel*; Diarrhea/*epidemiology; Adolescent ; Adult ; Cost of Illness ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diarrhea/economics ; Diarrhea/etiology ; Diarrhea/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jamaica/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires
    • Abstract:
      Context: Traveler's diarrhea (TD) can incapacitate travelers. Characteristics of TD could be helpful in identifying individuals who might benefit from a vaccine against TD.
      Objective: To determine epidemiology, etiology, and impact of TD in Jamaica. Design Two-armed, cross-sectional survey conducted between March 1996 and May 1997.
      Setting: Sangster International Airport and 10 hotels in Montego Bay area, Jamaica.
      Subjects: To investigate epidemiology and impact, 30369 short-term visitors completed a questionnaire just before boarding their homebound aircrafts. To investigate etiology, 322 patients (hotel guests) with TD provided stool samples.
      Main Outcome Measures: Attack and incidence rates of reported diarrhea and of classically defined TD (> or =3 unformed stool samples in 24 hours and > or =1 accompanying symptom), incapacity, risk factors, and etiology.
      Results: The attack rate for diarrhea was 23.6% overall, with 11.7% having classically defined TD. For a mean duration of stay of 4 to 7 days, the incidence rate was 20.9% (all TD) and 10.0% (classic TD). Among airport respondents, the incapacity lasted a mean of 11.6 hours. Less than 3% of all travelers avoided potentially high-risk food and beverages. The most frequently detected pathogens were enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Rotavirus, and Salmonella species.
      Conclusions: A realistic plan for reducing TD is needed. Preventive measures such as the improvement of hygienic conditions at the destination, and/or the development of vaccines against the most frequent pathogens associated with TD may contribute toward achieving this goal.
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 19990310 Date Completed: 19990311 Latest Revision: 20220408
    • Publication Date:
      20240829
    • Accession Number:
      10.1001/jama.281.9.811
    • Accession Number:
      10071002