Travelers' Health

摘要

Over the last century and a half, the world’s population has grown from one billion to almost six billion, and the time required to circumnavigate the globe has decreased from 365 days to fewer than 3. Currently, 1.4 million persons travel internationally by air every day. The speed and volume of international travel are cited by the Institute of Medicine as principal factors contributing to the global emergence of infectious diseases. This panel assessed the effect of travel on emerging infections from the perspectives of both industrialized (Jay Keystone) and developing countries (David Shlim), discussed the role of vaccination in preventing travel-related infections (Robert Steffen), and explored unique health issues associated with travel into space (David Shlim and Thomas Marshburn, National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]).