A positive association between Strongyloides and dengue fever was observed. While not all

risk can be fully mitigated, predeployment training and in-country strategies should continue to focus on avoidance of insect- and soilborne diseases. This should include personal protection measures (including insect proofing of work and living quarters and use of repellents and permethrin-impregnated clothing) and avoidance of skin contact with potentially fecally contaminated soil. Future study should also focus on measuring the effectiveness of these interventions. It would also seem reasonable to continue to screen for these infections postdeployment so that future health risks can be reduced, for example, by offering treatment for latent tuberculosis. While Omipalisib order the prevalence of dengue and tuberculosis was of the same magnitude described in other travelers, the higher than expected prevalence of S stercoralis infection (and a positive association with dengue conversion) was surprising. Further study, including optimal testing for strongyloidiasis

in returning travelers, is warranted. This audit was made possible due to sponsorship by the Wellington Medical Research Foundation (Inc) of a University of Otago summer studentship. Ethics approval was granted internally by the University of Otago. The authors state that they have no conflicts of interest to declare. “
“Background. Dengue viruses (DENV) are the most widespread arthropod-borne viruses, which have shown an

unexpected geographic expansion, as well as an increase in number and severity of outbreaks in the last decades. Although the emergence Ganetespib chemical structure of dengue is considered to be due to a number of complex factors, epidemiological studies have shown that some strains of dengue might be associated with increased severity and higher transmission rates than others. In this context, surveillance and identification of the appearance or introduction of more virulent strains, along with fluctuation of DENV among endemic areas are now considered essential public health activities. Methods. Samples from travelers returning from the tropics with acute dengue infections were analyzed to obtain up-dated information on circulating dengue strains. A short nucleotide fragment located in the carboxyl 4��8C terminus of the dengue E gene was used for the characterization of DENV strains and the identification of their sero- and genotype. Results. One hundred eighty-six new dengue strains have been classified into 12 distinct genotype groups within the four dengue serotypes. The identification of the emergence of different sero- and genotypes, the appearance of new clades correlating with outbreaks, and the identification of a dengue-4 genotype not previously reported have been achieved. Interestingly, African strains characterized in this study have provided valuable data on dengue circulation on the continent. Conclusions.