Global TravEpiNet (GTEN): U.S. Travelers? Health Research, Surveillance, Communication and Outreach Network

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT International travel may not only increase the risk of infection for an individual traveler, but may also contribute to the global spread of infections. A better understanding of this epidemiologically important population could lead to improved interventions (1) to promote the health of international travelers, and (2) to diminish the spread of infections within home communities. This application focuses on proposed efforts for the Global Travelers’ Epidemiology Network (Global TravEpiNet; GTEN). GTEN’s mission is to lessen illness among high-risk international travelers, including VFR travelers, and to reduce the likelihood of disease importation into the United States. GTEN is comprised of three components: (1) a U.S. national consortium of clinical sites that collects real-time data on pre-travel health care provided across the United States (since inception, over 150,000 records have been collected); (2) a public health outreach program (“Heading Home Healthy”; www.headinghomehealthy.org) that includes web-tools and educational materials in multiple languages for high risk and VFR travelers, as well as a clinical guidance tool for non-expert providers who deliver the majority of pre-travel care to such travelers -- these efforts involve established collaborations with Departments of Public Health and colleagues in New York City and Minneapolis/St. Paul; and (3) pre- and post-travel biosample collection. We propose to expand upon the existing infrastructure developed by GTEN in order to (1) answer fundamental questions relating to the health care of U.S. residents who travel internationally, (2) improve the pre-travel health care provided to vulnerable U.S. populations at highest risk of travel-related illness, and (3) quantitatively assess travel-related illnesses and the impact of interventions.