Laboratory investigations and diagnosis of tropical diseases in travelers.

Evaluation of an individual traveler returned from the tropics requires consideration of a greater range of possible diagnoses than would be entertained at home. In trying rapidly to identify the cause of a presenting illness in the traveler, knowledge of their natural history and a carefully taken account of the location of the trip undertaken and potential exposure to exotic infections helps narrow the range of possibilities and thus the amount of laboratory investigation and imaging needed to confirm a diagnosis.