Respondents spent a median of 9 days abroad, longer among patients with Salmonella than those with Campylobacter (12 vs 8 d, p < 0.0001). The median time between return and illness onset was 2 days. Most travelers had returned from Western Europe and North America (53.7%), Africa and the Middle East (20.8%), and South Asia (11.6%). A history of travel to Africa and the Middle East was more common among patients with Salmonella than those with Campylobacter (26.2% vs 17.9%, respectively, p < 0.0001), and of these Salmonella

cases, most had returned from Turkey (25.4%), Egypt (24.8%), or Tunisia (17.1%). Patients with Campylobacter were more often returnees from Europe or North America (46.7% vs 57.4%, p < 0.0001). Comparing foreign travel information from the national laboratory surveillance with Tanespimycin supplier travel information from CLASSP, laboratory form information was highly predictive for “true” travel for both pathogens (>90%, Table 2). Conversely, the proportion of travelers correctly identified through laboratory forms (sensitivity) was very low in both estimates. Including missing information as non-travel, sensitivity estimates were 45.1% (CI 43.1%–47.2%) for Salmonella and 3.0% (CI 2.7%–3.3%) for Campylobacter. Even excluding cases with missing travel information, sensitivity was estimated with 73.1% (CI 70.5%–75.7%) and 29.1% (CI

26.2%–31.9%) for Salmonella and Campylobacter cases, respectively. The difference in travel-ascertainment was significantly higher for patients with Salmonella compared with Campylobacter

(p < 0.0001, Table 2). Almost one quarter of all patients with reported Salmonella www.selleckchem.com/products/crenolanib-cp-868596.html or Campylobacter had a travel history, but travel histories were more common in Salmonella cases. Current levels of travel history under-ascertainment and misclassification within laboratory surveillance in England are very high, particularly in patients with Campylobacter. Missing travel information will be routinely interpreted by laboratories as non-travel; we therefore calculated two estimates. However, even excluding Interleukin-2 receptor cases with missing data (assuming random distribution), travel ascertainment within laboratory surveillance remains low. The burden of travel-associated gastrointestinal illness in the UK is significant. Using suggested adjustment factors7 for underreporting, we estimate 29,053 Salmonella and 439,067 Campylobacter cases in England and Wales in 2009.1 Including missing travel information as non-travel, a total of 13,103 Salmonella and 78,154 Campylobacter cases would have been travel-associated, with unknown travel histories in more than half (7,194) of Salmonella cases and more than 97% (75,809) of Campylobacter cases. Pathogens causing travelers’ diarrhea vary between world regions8 and accurate travel histories provide valuable information for laboratory services to facilitate diagnosis and, allowing expanded routine testing, facilitate appropriate treatment.