Recent history has taught us that travellers can spread diseases without knowing it—but what if these travellers can help to prevent outbreaks before they spread? In fact, public health authorities and the ISTM have formed networks, such as the CDC-affiliated GeoSentinel and the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), that use information from travellers to track the spread of disease around the world. 

In this episode of the ISTM podcast, GeoSentinel cofounder Dr. David O. Freedman, and NaTHNaC director Dr. Dipti Patel, OBE, join Dr. Anne McCarthy, President-Elect of the ISTM, and Dr. Albie de Frey, CEO of Travel Doctor Corporate, along with ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib. The group looks back at tales of significant health outbreaks and discusses what measures could have been taken to prevent worldwide domino effects. They also provide tips for travellers preparing for trips, and advice on what to do if a traveller returns from a trip with symptoms of illness. It’s an episode full of practical steps designed to prevent further public health outbreaks, one traveller at a time.

LINKS

• Learn about GeoSentinel
• Learn about the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre
• The UK’s TravelHealthPro is here
• Read Dr. David O. Freedman’s bio.
• Read Dr. Dipti Patel’s bio.
• Travel Unravelled is sponsored by IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers.
• Read Travel Medicine, the book to which Dr. David O. Freedman contributed two chapters, for detailed accounts of the science and practice of travel medicine.

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 Introduction of guests Dr. David O. Freedman, Dr. Dipti Patel, Dr. Albie De Frey, and Dr. Anne McCarthy, and overview of the discussion on travellers as sentinels for disease prevention.

01:12 Dr. Dipti Patel explains NaTHNaC's role in providing travel health advice to UK travellers, including using surveillance data to inform vaccination and malaria prophylaxis recommendations.

04:30 Discussion of how NaTHNaC uses enhanced surveillance to identify trends and risks for UK travellers, and how they responded to the 2014 chikungunya outbreak in the Caribbean.

09:27 Dr. Albie De Frey and others discuss the importance of networking and personal connections in the travel medicine community to share information and support travellers.

13:19 Dr. David O. Freedman explains the origins and purpose of the GeoSentinel network, which uses travellers as "sentinels" to detect emerging diseases.

17:36 Dr. David O. Freedman describes a 2000 incident where GeoSentinel quickly identified an outbreak of leptospirosis in travellers returning from Borneo, and how they communicated the information through email and ProMED-mail.

24:32 Dr. Dipti Patel and Dr. Albie De Frey provide additional examples of how surveillance data can identify disease trends and emerging threats, including the resurgence of African sleeping sickness and the continued risk of Zika.

29:51 Discussion of the importance of travellers disclosing their travel history to healthcare providers, and the role of travel medicine practitioners in aiding public health.

34:06 Take home messages for listeners, including both travellers and clinicians, from Dr. David O. Freedman, Dr. Dipti Patel and our hosts. 

40:59 Wrap up, concluding remarks, resources, and disclaimers.

Travel Unravelled is produced by Ghost Bureau.