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Review
. 2006 Apr;36(4):190-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2005.12.005. Epub 2006 Apr 5.

[Influenza and travelling]

[Article in French]
S Ansart  1 , E Caumes
Affiliations
Review

[Influenza and travelling]

[Article in French]
S Ansart et al. Med Mal Infect. 2006 Apr.

Abstract
in English, French

There is a risk for the traveler to acquire an exotic disease when traveling and to introduce it in non-endemic areas after returning. Influenza is a good example of such a disease. The incidence of flu in travelers is unknown. However, numerous outbreaks of flu have been reported in groups of travelers: package tours, pilgrims, elderly people, and travel by plane or cruise ships. Nowadays vaccination against flu is not recommended in travelers unless they belong to groups at risk for flu. Nonetheless vaccination against flu is difficult to apply to travelers due to problems in vaccine availability and inadequacy between vaccine strains and strains responsible for ongoing outbreaks in the opposite hemisphere. This vaccination seems important to travelers because flu may impair their vacation. In addition, it is also interesting for the community if it limits the spread of flu worldwide.

Pour le voyageur, il existe un risque de contracter des maladies infectieuses pendant le voyage et de les introduire dans des régions non endémiques au retour. La grippe en fournit un exemple classique. L'incidence de la grippe chez les voyageurs reste mal connue. Nombre d'épidémies de grippe ont cependant été observées dans des groupes particuliers de voyageurs : voyages en groupe, pèlerinages, transports aériens et maritimes. Le troisième âge en voyage sur des bateaux de croisière constitue un groupe particulièrement à risque. La vaccination antigrippale n'est pas recommandée, à ce jour, pour les personnes voyageant à l'étranger en dehors de celles pour lesquelles cette mesure est normalement conseillée. La prévention vaccinale chez le voyageur est rendue difficile par les problèmes de délivrance du vaccin et l'inadéquation des souches vaccinales aux souches circulant dans l'hémisphère opposé. Cette vaccination semble cependant intéressante à titre individuel et collectif (vaccination altruiste) pour limiter la diffusion des souches grippales et le coût économique engendré par cette affection.

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References

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