Tropical infections in critical care

INTRODUCTION It is a familiar and captivating scenario: an exotic infection acquired abroad developing within a returning traveler. Sometimes symptoms begin as early as on the plane ride home, sometimes not until weeks later. In either case, the patient becomes progressively ill, critically so, all the while unknowingly infecting others. The disease spreads, chaos is loosed, and only the timely insight of an awkwardly introverted yet surprisingly attractive physician stands between armageddon and the return of normalcy. In reality, travel medicine is rarely so dramatic. Nonetheless, the likelihood of today’s critical care physician having to manage patients with a tropical infection is increasing, as international travel has increased from an estimated 25 million border crossings in 1950 to over 806 million crossings in 2005 (1).