Health problems among international travellers: from a subtropical region to tropical and non-tropical regions.

International travel may be associated with the risk of a wide range of infectious diseases. This study was designed to obtain information on the health problems among international travellers from a subtropical region to the neighbouring tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. The population was travellers (aged over 15 years) returning from the neighbouring Asian regions and entering the Kaohsiung International Airport in November 1999. A random sample of 150 travellers was selected from each of nine airlines (from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, and Japan). Telephone numbers of these travellers were obtained from the airport. Health problems among international travellers from Taiwan to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand (tropical group), Hong Kong, Macao, China and Japan (non-tropical group) were surveyed through the telephone. Of 649 travellers surveyed, 8.2% had one or more health problems and insect bite (3.4%) and coughing or sore throats (3.2%) were the most important ones. The rate of coughing or sore throats was significantly higher among those returned from the non-tropical regions. However, no associations were found between health problems and the demographic factors, travelling style or travelling duration.