Tropical disease - Definition and Overview

Tropical diseases are infectious diseases that either occur uniquely in tropical and subtropical regions (which is rare) or, more commonly, are either more widespread in the tropics or more difficult to prevent or control.

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) of the World Health Organization focuses on neglected infectious diseases that disproportionally affect poor and marginalized populations. The current disease portfolio includes the following ten:

• African trypanosomiasis
• Dengue
• Leishmaniasis
• Malaria
• Schistosomiasis
• Tuberculosis
• Chagas disease
• Leprosy
• Lymphatic filariasis
• Onchocerciasis

External links

• WHO Tropical Disease Research (http://www.who.int/tdr/) homepage
• Tropical diseases (http://www.mayaparadise.com/diseasee.htm) from Maya Paradise, The Río Dulce, Guatemala Information Web Site
• American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (http://www.astmh.org/index2.html)
• Treating Tropical Diseases (http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1997/197_trop.html) U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Travelers' Health (http://www.cdc.gov/travel/) - National Center for Infectious Diseases - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• GIDEON (http://www.GIDEONonline.com/) Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network