Travel Screening at Chester, The Grosvenor Hospital

Travel screening checks your health before or after a trip abroad, looking for infections or other problems you may have picked up, even if you feel completely well. Many tropical infections cause no symptoms for weeks or months, so testing is often the only way to know if you have picked something up.

Why might I need travel screening?

You might want screening before a trip if you're concerned about your risk of blood clots on a long flight. Afterwards, screening is for people who feel well but are worried they may have picked up an infection during their travels.

A common example is schistosomiasis, also called bilharzia, an infection some people pick up from swimming in freshwater lakes and rivers, including popular destinations like Lake Malawi and the River Nile. Because tropical illnesses can take weeks or months to cause symptoms, or may never cause obvious symptoms at all, screening is often the only way to find out if something needs treating.

This is different from care for people who are already unwell. If you have symptoms such as fever, rash or diarrhoea after travelling, you should seek an urgent assessment rather than book a screening appointment.

What are the benefits of travel screening?

Screening can catch infections before they cause you any symptoms, meaning treatment can start sooner and is often simpler. Left untreated, some tropical infections can cause long-term damage.

If everything comes back clear, you get the reassurance of knowing you haven't picked anything up during your travels.

Are there different types of travel screening?

Travel screening covers a few different situations, so the right test depends on when you're having it and what you're concerned about:

• A pre-travel screen, which looks at your risk of developing blood clots on a long flight.
• A post-travel screen, done in the weeks after you return, which checks your general blood health alongside common parasites.
• An extended post-travel screen, which adds checks for blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis and HIV.
• A tropical screen, only accurate from around 6 weeks after you return, which looks for specific infections such as schistosomiasis, hydatid disease, leishmaniasis, malaria and toxoplasmosis that can take longer to show up in tests.
• A stool test, if you have ongoing digestive symptoms, to check for gut infections caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
• A blood test for infections spread by tick or mite bites, such as typhus and spotted fever.

Specialist NHS travel and tropical disease clinics can also offer a consultation with a nurse who will assess your specific travel history and exposures before deciding which tests you need.

How do I prepare for travel screening?

Timing matters. Post-travel screening is generally for people with no current symptoms, and some specialist clinics ask you to wait at least 3 months after your return before they can screen you, since certain infections don't show up in tests any earlier than this.

It helps to bring details of where you travelled, what you did while you were there, and any specific exposures you're concerned about, such as freshwater swimming or animal bites, so your clinician can decide which tests are right for you.

If you already have symptoms, such as a fever, rash or diarrhoea, this type of screening isn't the right route. Contact your GP or an urgent care service instead and seek emergency care if you're severely unwell or malaria is suspected.

What happens during travel screening?

1. You'll have a consultation, usually with a specialist nurse or doctor, to discuss where you travelled, what you did, and any concerns you have.
2. Based on this conversation, they'll decide which tests are right for you.
3. You'll usually give a blood sample, and sometimes a stool or urine sample too, depending on which infections are being checked for.

What happens after travel screening?

How long results take depends on which tests you've had. Some, such as stool tests for gut infections, can be ready in around 2 days, while many blood test panels take about 10 days.

You'll usually receive a letter or report with your results and a suggested management plan. If anything comes back positive, you'll be offered a follow-up consultation, by phone or in person, along with treatment if needed.