Technically, those diseases occurring in the area of the globe situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn: pertaining to the sun (but global warming may be enlarging that area).They include ‘exotic’ infections, many of them parasitic in origin. However, disease in the tropics is far broader than this and includes those with a viral or bacterial basis: for example, viral HEPATITIS, infection with STREPTOCOCCUS or PNEUMOCOCCUS, and TUBERCULOSIS. The prevalence of other diseases, such as rheumatic cardiac disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (‘hepatoma’), and various nutrition-related problems, is also much increased in many areas of the tropics. With increased travel, the ‘importation’ of tropical diseases to temperate climates should be borne in mind when people fall ill.

The following diseases are treated under their separate dictionary entries: ANCYLOSTOMIASIS; BERIBERI; BLACKWATER FEVER; CHOLERA; DENGUE; DRACONTIASIS; DYSENTERY; ELEPHANTIASIS; FILARIASIS; HEAT STROKE; LEISHMANIASIS; LEPROSY; LIVER, DISEASES OF; MALARIA; ORIENTAL SORE; PLAGUE; PRICKLY HEAT; SCHISTOSOMIASIS; SLEEPING SICKNESS; STRONGYLOIDIASIS; SUNBURN; TROPICAL ULCER; YAWS; YELLOW FEVER.