App Developed for People Traveling Abroad for Early Outbreak Detection

Recently there was an app developed for people traveling abroad for early outbreak detection. This can be a literal lifesaver for high-risk groups of people that still want to travel.

The Illness Tracking in Travelers (ITIT) app provides a way for travelers to report daily health symptoms through a short questionnaire, the information gathered from which is then linked to location, climate, and air quality data. The research team analyzed data recorded through the app between April 2022 and July 2023, covering 470 trips taken by 609 travelers.

App data showed that people fall ill surprisingly often—on more than one-third of trips—while traveling abroad, with the majority of symptoms recorded being GI issues. GI distress was reported on 19 percent of trips, and most frequently in travelers to Asia, but least frequently in travelers to Africa. Women experienced GI issues more commonly than men, either due to actually being more susceptible or because they were more thorough in recording data through the app.

Researchers are hoping that more people will give this app a try especially those who travel. It is available for both Apple and Android users making this a comprehensive go t0 app.

Before You Travel

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist that takes place at least 4-6 weeks before you leave. They can help you get destination-specific vaccines, medicines, and information. Discussing your health concerns, itinerary, and planned activities with your provider allows them to give more specific advice and recommendations.

Make sure to bring a copy of your official immunization records with you when you travel.

Share the following information about yourself or your trip with your provider:

• Special conditions such as pregnancy, allergies, or chronic health problems.
• Destinations on your itinerary.
• Type of accommodations (hotels, hostels, short term rentals).
• Type of travel (cruise, business, adventure travel).
• Timing and length of your trip.
• Planned activities.

Take recommended medicines as directed. If your doctor prescribes medicine for you, take the medicine as directed before, during, and after travel. Counterfeit drugs are common in some countries, so only take medicine that you bring from home and make sure to pack enough for the duration of your trip, plus extra in case of travel delays. Learn more about traveling abroad with medicine.

The CDC has a travel destination website for the health concerns of those who are traveling that is pretty easy to navigate and is filled with a wealth of knowledge. Many popular as well as lesser-known destinations are listed for your well-being.

Food & Water Precautions

Now that we know how to prepare for the trip what should we do about food safety upon arrival?

In many parts of the world, particularly where water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene are inadequate, tap water can contain disease-causing agents, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical contaminants. Consequently, tap water might be unsafe for drinking, preparing food and beverages, making ice, cooking, and brushing teeth. Infants, young children, pregnant people, older people, and immunocompromised people (e.g., those with HIV or on chemotherapy or certain medications) might be especially susceptible to illness.

Travelers should avoid drinking or putting tap water into their mouths unless they are reasonably certain the water is safe. Similarly, travelers should avoid ice since it may have been prepared with tap water.

Pathogens that cause gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin, ear, eye, and neurologic illnesses can be transmitted via contaminated recreational freshwater or marine water. Water from inadequately treated pools, hot tubs, spas, or water playgrounds, including splash pads or spray parks, can also be contaminated. Recreational water contaminated by human feces from swimmers, animal waste, sewage, or wastewater runoff can appear clear but still contain disease-causing infectious or chemical agents. Ingesting even small amounts of such water can cause illness. Infectious pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium) can survive for days, even in well-maintained and safely operated pools, water playgrounds, and hot tubs and spas. To protect other people, children and adults with diarrhea should not enter recreational water.

In areas where hygiene and sanitation are inadequate or unknown, travelers should avoid consuming salads, uncooked vegetables, raw unpeeled fruits, and unpasteurized fruit juices. Fruits that can be peeled are safest when peeled by the person who eats them. Advise travelers to rinse produce with safe water washing with water alone, however, does not remove all pathogens from produce. Foods of animal origin, including meat and eggs, should be cooked thoroughly, and travelers should select pasteurized milk and milk products, including soft cheeses. In restaurants, inadequate refrigeration and lack of food safety training among staff can result in transmission of pathogens or their toxins. Consumption of food and beverages obtained from street vendors increases the risk of illness. In general, fully cooked foods that are served hot and foods that travelers carefully prepare themselves are safest.

Travelers should not bring perishable food from high-risk areas back to their home country without refrigeration. Moreover, travelers should exercise the same cautions about food and water served on flights as they do for restaurants.

For more information on safely traveling keep an eye on Make Food Safe. We wish you all travels with many memories and most of all safe food and water consumption.