Review
English
H.M. Gilles
Professor Chevalier, Department of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool U.K.
Garyounis Medical Journal Vol 5, No.2. July 1982:69
Abstract
The prevalence of tropical disease in the Libyan Arab .Jamahiriya is generally low. In many parts of the country, however, the potential for transmission still exists and the substantial migration of labour from countries where many of the tropical diseases are endemic poses a constant danger of a resurgence. This is particularly so in the case of malaria.
Most of the cases seen in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at present are imported rather than autochthonous-locally transmitted. The sources of importation are principally two-fold : (1) migration of labour from adjacent countries in Africa and from Asia, and (2) illegal migration across the extensive borders of the Jamahiriya.
Throughout this series of articles we shall describe some of the tropical diseases likely to be encountered in the country; their vector biology and epidemiology whenever applicable; the clinical picture as it may present in the .Jamahiriya; the diagnosis and treatment.
The most pertinent message that we would wish this series to carry with it is the crucial importance of obtaining a geographical history from every patient whether a Libyan national or an immigrant and to habitually ask the following two questions.
1. If a Libyan national Have you recently been abroad and, if so, where and when did you return?
2. If an immigrant Where do you come from? When did you arrive in the Jamahinya?
Keywords: Aspects of Tropical Medicine in Libya
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