Travel History Considerations

History of the Present Illness	Symptoms: primary and associated Time of symptom or illness onset (days) in relation to specific potential exposures, return date, and date of consultation Geographic location at time of symptom onset (e.g., while away, in transit, after return) Health care received while abroad and after return (e.g., medications, hospitalizations)
Itinerary Details	Destinations visited and itineraries, or migration history Duration of travel (date of departure and date of return) Reason for travel Business (include details about possible exposures and type of work done) Immigration Leisure Missionary, volunteer, humanitarian aid work Providing or receiving medical care Research or education Visiting friends and relatives Accommodations and sleeping arrangements Camping Hostel Hotel with or without air conditioning, window screens, or mosquito nets Safari, including camping outdoors, in a lodge, in a luxury tent Someone’s home Transportation used
Recreational Activities During Travel	Camping and hiking Safari Sightseeing Water exposures Boating or rafting Freshwater (lake, river, stream) bathing, boating, swimming, wading Hot springs Hot tubs, swimming pools Ocean (diving, snorkeling, surfing; marine life exposure) Other activities
Exposures During Travel	Animal or arthropod bites, stings, scratches Specific insect bites (mosquito, tick, sand fly, tsetse fly) Drinking water (bottled, purified, tap, use of ice) Foods Raw fruits, vegetables Undercooked meat Unpasteurized dairy products Seafood Disease outbreaks in visited destinations, contacts with other ill individuals Sexual activity during travel (document condom use, new partner[s]‌) Tattoos or piercings while traveling, or other sharps exposures
Adapted from Table 10.1.6 "Elements of a complete travel history in an ill returned traveler" in the CDC Yellow Book. Huits, R., Hamer, D. H., & Libman, M. (2025). Post-travel evaluation of the ill traveler. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Ed.), CDC Yellow Book: Health information for international travel 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/post-travel-evaluation/post-travel-evaluation-of-the-ill-traveler.html

These pathways do not establish a standard of care to be followed in every case. It is recognized that each case is different, and those individuals involved in providing health care are expected to use their judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the patient based on the circumstances existing at the time. It is impossible to anticipate all possible situations that may exist and to prepare a pathway for each. Accordingly, these pathways should guide care with the understanding that departures from them may be required at times.

Travel History Considerations

History of the Present Illness

Itinerary Details

Recreational Activities During Travel

Exposures During Travel

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