The Pretravel Consultation: Recent Updates

Estimates suggest that 43-79% of international travelers may develop travel-related illnesses. Most such illnesses are considered mild and self-limited; however, some are life-threatening. The pretravel consultation is aimed at assessing risks for a range of illnesses, communicating these risks and then providing individualized recommendations and interventions to minimize or manage such risks. The effective consultation is predicated on a well-prepared clinician and motivated traveler, understanding the traveler’s perception of and tolerance for risk and providing education applicable to the actual itinerary.