Guidance for Health Professionals on
International Travel & Infectious Disease

Travel history is always an important consideration in evaluating sick patients.

Screening and triage

All patients being seen for acute illness should be asked if they have traveled internationally within the past 3 weeks (21 days).

• Patients who answer "yes" should be placed in a private room until they can be evaluated by a health professional.
• Follow infection prevention precautions based on their symptoms and per usual protocols.

Clinical evaluation resources

It is important to assess the severity of illness, travel itinerary, underlying illness, and individual exposure history in order to triage the patient and to distinguish certain infections from each other.

• CDC Travelers' Health
  Search by traveler destination, find travel health notices and updates.
  • Yellow Book
  • Travelers' Health Disease Directory
    

Infection control resources

Infection prevention precautions should be based on symptoms as per usual protocols.

• Infection Prevention and Control
  Guidelines and information for preventing and controlling infectious disease transmission.
• High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) Toolbox for Frontline Health Care Facilities
  Screening guidance and other resources from MDH to help facilities effectively identify, isolate, and inform others of a suspected HCID.

Other travel related information for health professionals

• HealthMap.org 
  HealthMap.org is an internet-based global infectious disease intelligence system.