An analysis of imported infections over a 5-year period at a teaching hospital in the United Kingdom

Background. Imported infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom. Methods. A 5-year analysis of cases seen in a large teaching and district general hospital in the Eastern Region of the UK was performed using ward records correlated with Hospital coding data and Hospital Episode Statistics from the Department of Health. Results. A surprising number (301) and diversity of imported infections was diagnosed. Prophylactic measures were, where assessable, generally inadequate. Conclusions. These data warrant renewed efforts to educate travellers of the risks of infection acquired abroad. The continued rise in global travel along with emergence of new infectious diseases emphasises further the need for expanded infectious diseases services incorporating accessible travel advice services in the UK which are currently underprovided.