International travel and travelers' diarrhea - Increased risk of urinary tract infection

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) rank among the most common infections encountered in health care, with an annual incidence of 12% for women. Despite the vast numbers of international travels (over 1.5 billion annually), no prospective studies have had primary focus on UTIs during travel.& nbsp;Methods: We recruited in 2008-17 international travelers who all filled out pre-and post-travel questionnaires. Incidence rates of UTI were calculated separately for both sexes. Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for UTI during travel.& nbsp;Results: In total 15/517 (2,9%) travelers acquired UTI during travel, yielding an annual incidence of 62% for female and 18% for male travelers. Travelers' diarrhea (TD) was identified as a factor predisposing to UTI (OR 9.2, 95% CI 1.5-+infinity, p = 0.011); all UTI cases were recorded by travelers with TD.& nbsp;Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study with a primary focus on UTI during travel. Our data reveal that among travelers the incidence of UTI far exceeds that reported for the general population. TD was identified as a major risk factor for the infection. Our results suggest TD prevention as a means of also preventing UTI during travel.

Automated summary

UTI is more common among travelers, especially female travelers, with diarrhea being a major risk factor for infection. Prospective studies focusing on UTI during travel are lacking, highlighting the need for further research in this area.