An estimate of the incidence of hepatitis A in unimmunized Canadian travelers to developing countries.

Background: There is a paucity of data describing the risk of acquiring hepatitis A while traveling in the developing world. This paper uses available data to calculate the risk to Canadian travelers.

Methods: Information was gathered from Canadian and international sources on the following: the yearly incidence of hepatitis A among Canadians; the proportion of cases of hepatitis A associated with travel to developing countries; the number of days of such travel by Canadians per year; and the percentage of travelers immunized before departure.