Travelers to developing countries may be exposed to various infectious diseases, the risks being Daporinad datasheet widespread throughout tropical and subtropical areas. This is a particular concern for travel health professionals in Japan as the number of Japanese travelers is growing, with over 17 million overseas travelers in 2007 and 2008, a substantial proportion of which travel to developing countries. Strategies to reduce travel-acquired

infections include good pre-travel preparation, obtaining up-to-date information on the risks in the destination, advice on behavior modification to avoid exposure to pathogens while traveling, and the use of prophylactic agents (ie, chemoprophylaxis and vaccinations) based on a thorough risk assessment. Immunizations, in particular, provide a potent, long-acting means of protecting against certain pathogens, and while they are routinely selleckchem recommended for travelers in many Western countries, there is concern that Japanese travelers are poorly protected against many vaccine-preventable infections. Several studies have investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of travelers regarding their preparation for travel, their use of malaria prevention measures and vaccination coverage, using a standardized questionnaire

developed by the European Travel Health Advisory Board (ETHAB). These studies were conducted at international airports in various regions of the world, and the results were published consecutively.1–4 Using the same questionnaire, we conducted a similar study on malaria prevention among Japanese travelers which demonstrated suboptimal use of malaria prevention measures.5 We recently conducted Verteporfin manufacturer a further questionnaire-based study of Japanese travelers to examine the measures taken to reduce their risk of acquiring an infectious disease and investigate immunization

uptake. The questionnaire, devised by ETHAB and modified following a pilot study,6 was kindly provided by Professor R. Steffen of the University of Zurich. The questionnaire was translated into Japanese, with minor adjustments to make it applicable to Japanese travelers. In total, there were 19 items covering two categories: one on general travel health issues and the other on vaccination. The vaccinations covered were hepatitis A, hepatitis B, cholera, yellow fever, typhoid fever, tetanus, polio, rabies, meningitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and influenza. Between April 2007 and May 2008, tour group operators distributed questionnaires to travelers at the end of their overseas tour. Travelers were asked to complete the questionnaires on site and return them to the tour operator. In addition, questionnaires were mailed to individual travelers after returning to Japan from the travel agents that arranged the overseas trip. The questionnaires were anonymized.