Fever in the Returned Child Traveller: Assessing for Imported Causes
Determining the cause of fever in a child returning from international travel can be challenging. The clinical features of many imported infections are nonspecific, making them hard to distinguish from common childhood febrile illnesses coincidentally acquired during or soon after travel. Malaria, dengue and enteric fever are the most common imported infections in child travellers and can be life-threatening if the diagnosis is delayed or missed. Judicious assessment, starting with a detailed travel history, is key to guiding appropriate investigations. Imported disease may require a notification to a public health unit and should be managed in consultation with an infectious diseases specialist.
Modern Medicine – Issue 1 2024
