MIAMI BEACH — The next edition of “Health Information for International Travel,” also known as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's “Yellow Book,” will be more clinically oriented and will include new chapters on specific diseases, such as SARS, according to a sneak preview at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Clinical presentation and treatment information will be added to the new and traditional chapters. Previously, the book addressed only prevention, risk, descriptions, and occurrence of travel-related diseases, according to Christie Reed, M.D., of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.
Travel increased exponentially in the 1990s, as did the volume of people migrating around the world, Dr. Reed said, adding, “Yesterday's migrant can become today's traveler.” Many immigrants to the United States return to their countries of origin to visit family and friends, for example, and present unique challenges in travel-related health.
One of the main goals of the CDC's Travelers' Health division is to share information, primarily through the Yellow Book and the Internet (www.cdc.gov/travel
The 2005-2006 edition will include more information from experts outside the CDC and a new bibliography on evidence-based medicine for travelers. New chapters are expected to include:
▸ Norovirus.
▸ Severe acute respiratory syndrome.
▸ Pneumococcus.
▸ Legionella.
▸ Jet lag.
▸ Fish poisoning.
▸ Sunburn.
▸ Health-seeking travelers. “This includes people traveling for surgery, dental care, etc. The standards for health care may not be the same in other places as they are in the U.S.,” Dr. Reed said.
There will also be expanded sections on preconception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding issues for travelers. In addition, there will be more information on travel for immunocompromised people, not just for those with HIV infection, as in past editions.
New maps will highlight regions of increased risks associated with Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever.
The new edition is expected to be available in May, to coincide with 9th Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine in Lisbon, Portugal.
Although the next edition of the Yellow Book is nearly complete, online information is updated continuously. Dr. Reed encouraged physicians to submit any travel health-related information or concerns using the site's “contact us” option.