From U.S. News
May 30, 2018
THE THRILL OF TRAVELING is one of life’s most exciting delights. But it can also have a downside. Some travelers, particularly those headed to remote or exotic foreign destinations, may end up dealing with an infectious disease during or after a trip. These illnesses can range from just a nuisance to life-threatening, so it’s important to be prepared before you travel and know what to look for when you return to keep an infectious disease from ruining your travel buzz.
Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore, says the term infectious disease refers to “any disease caused by a pathogen.” These pathogens may include viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. “Any of these kinds of microorganisms that can cause disease in humans – we would term that disease an infectious disease,” she says.