ABSTRACT
Almost any place on earth can be reached within 36 h, less than the incubation period for most infectious diseases (Global Health Education Consortium, 2011). Each year more than 500 million people cross international borders by aircraft alone and, with that travel, diseases are exported and imported like any commodity (GHEC, 2011). Familiar diseases, such as cholera, malaria, tuberculosis and yellow fever, once under control, are again on the increase, spreading to previously unaffected regions, including the United States. Avian flu is spreading on the wings of migrating birds and the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to wreak havoc, primarily in the poorest countries of the world. But, beyond the obvious area maladies, there are other health concerns for the traveler that include: new drug resistant infectious diseases; natural and humanitarian crises; malnutrition and contaminated foods; toxic substances; biological and chemical terrorism; rising social inequalities and highly vulnerable populations; and inefficient or dysfunctional health systems. Realities like these are affecting the health of people all over the world and can become a major issue for travel (GHEC, 2011).
