Prise en charge de la fièvre du voyageur aux urgences

Fever is a common cause of travel-related morbidity. It is responsible for a constantly increasing number of consultations in emergency wards. In France, malaria remains the main etiology to always consider at first, in particular in migrants returning from sub-Saharan Africa. Cosmopolitan infections, by far the most frequent, should not be forgotten. Diagnosis is based on travel history (geographic area visited, exposure to infectious risks, applied preventive measures such as vaccinations, and incubation period of diseases). A thorough physical examination and a few simple biological investigations would rapidly confirm the majority of diagnoses. After having ruled out malaria and arboviral infections, physicians should focus on potentially severe and treatable causes such as meningeal infections. The early and appropriate management of travel-related fever is facilitated by a precocious referral to a specialist.