Stockholm - A Swedish health agency Thursday said it was to study the possible link between exotic travel destinations and diseases covered by mandatory reporting rules, including diarrheal illnesses.

"With more knowledge we can work preventively to reduce the number of Swedish nationals infected by serious infectious diseases abroad," said Annika Linde, state epidemiologist with the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI).

The agency said it aimed to conduct the survey in conjunction with the travel industry.

It instanced two-thirds of the cases caused by Campylobacter infection last year being picked up abroad. The infections can cause diarrhoea in humans and animals via contaminated food or water.

Ten years ago, about half the Campylobacter cases in Sweden were linked to infections abroad. (dpa)