In 2008, residents of the United States made 12 million visits to developing 
countries in Asia, South America, Central America, Oceania, the Middle East, and 
Africa. Due to the presence of Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex mosquitoes, travel to 
these destinations poses a risk for diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and 
Japanese encephalitis that cause significant morbidity and mortality. To gain a 
better understanding of the major emerging and established travel-related 
infectious diseases transmitted principally by mosquitoes and the measures for 
their prevention in U.S. residents who travel to these developing countries, we 
performed a literature search of the PubMed and MEDLINE databases (January 
1950-February 2010). Information from the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention and the World Health Organization and relevant references from the 
publications identified were also reviewed. Vaccines for the prevention of 
Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever are commercially available to U.S. 
travelers and should be administered when indicated. However, the prevention of 
malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, and West Nile virus relies on personal 
insect protection measures and chemoprophylaxis for malaria. As the rate of 
international travel continues to rise, individuals traveling overseas should be 
made aware of the risk of various infectious diseases and the importance of 
prevention. Physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other practitioners can play a 
vital role in disease education and prevention, including the administration of 
vaccines and provision of chemoprophylactic drugs.