| Cause of fever* | Incubation period, d† |
|---|---|
| Incubation < 14 d | |
| Malaria‡ | |
| Plasmodium falciparum | 6–30 |
| Plasmodium vivax | 8 d to 3 yr |
| Influenza‡ | 1–3 |
| Dengue‡ | 3–14 |
| Enteric fever‡ | 7–18 |
| Spotted fever rickettsiae | 3–21 |
| Chikungunya | 2–12 |
| Meningococcemia | 2–10 |
| Acute HIV infection | 10–28 |
| Arboviral encephalitides | 3–14 |
| Leptospirosis | 7–12 |
| Viral hemorrhagic fever | 1–21§ |
| Ebola virus disease | 2–21 |
| Incubation 14 d to 6 wk | |
| Malaria,‡ enteric fever,‡ spotted fever rickettsiae, acute HIV infection, arboviral encephalitides, viral hemorrhagic fever | See above |
| Hepatitis A | 15–50 |
| Hepatitis E | 26–42 |
| Acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever) | 4–8 wk |
| Amebic liver abscess | Weeks to months |
| Incubation > 6 wk | |
| Malaria,‡ hepatitis A and E, acute schistosomiasis, amebic liver abscess | See above |
| Tuberculosis | Primary: weeks Reactivation: years |
| Hepatitis B | 60–150 |
| Hepatitis C | 6–10 wk |
| Visceral leishmaniasis | 2–10 mo |
↵* The three categories in this column are not exclusive. Some diseases appear in more than one category because of their wide range in potential incubation period (these are grouped in the first row of the second and third categories).
↵† Except where indicated otherwise.
↵‡ These diseases are among the most common causes of fever in the returned traveller within each category of incubation period.3
↵§ The incubation period varies by virus.