A Pot pourri of travel medicine cases
Tracks
Meeting Room 1.61 - 1.62
| Wednesday, July 2, 2025 |
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
Overview
Speaker: Prof Lucille Blumberg
Speaker
Prof Lucille Blumberg
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
A pot pourri of travel medicine cases
Abstract
Early recognition of clinical syndromes, confirmation of diagnosis, applying infection control measures and appropriate public health response will reduce risks of transmission of infectious diseases in travellers to medical staff and within the community. A detailed history of travel, a knowledge of endemic diseases and outbreaks in specific areas, an appreciation of potential exposures to vectors and animals and an understanding of risks for certain occupations and hobbies will guide the consideration for the specific diagnosis.
While malaria is the most important and common serious infection to recognise and treat in returning travellers, it doesn’t pose a risk to others unless by accidental needlestick injury. A number of examples of returning travellers with a range of infectious diseases will be presented that do pose a risk to staff and the community. These include the VHFs Lassa fever, Crimean Congo fever, Ebola virus disease and the Lujo virus and a number of outbreak related diseases including Mpox, cholera and meningococcal disease.
As well as the prescribed infection control procedures that are critical, chemoprophylaxis, active contact tracing and monitoring will be necessary according to the specific disease. Booster doses of vaccines for certain common infectious diseases should be considered.
Notification to local authorities for selected travel -related diseases is required and may in some cases required by the International Health Regulations to be with the focal point or the public health authority in the country of origin or with the World Health Organization.
While malaria is the most important and common serious infection to recognise and treat in returning travellers, it doesn’t pose a risk to others unless by accidental needlestick injury. A number of examples of returning travellers with a range of infectious diseases will be presented that do pose a risk to staff and the community. These include the VHFs Lassa fever, Crimean Congo fever, Ebola virus disease and the Lujo virus and a number of outbreak related diseases including Mpox, cholera and meningococcal disease.
As well as the prescribed infection control procedures that are critical, chemoprophylaxis, active contact tracing and monitoring will be necessary according to the specific disease. Booster doses of vaccines for certain common infectious diseases should be considered.
Notification to local authorities for selected travel -related diseases is required and may in some cases required by the International Health Regulations to be with the focal point or the public health authority in the country of origin or with the World Health Organization.
Biography
Professor Lucille Blumberg is an infectious diseases physician and medical microbiologist. She currently has honorary appointments at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the Universities of Stellenbosch (Medical Microbiology) and the University of Pretoria (Faculty of Veterinary Sciences), South Africa. Her focus is on outbreak prevention and response, emerging diseases, travel-related infections, the viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria and zoonosis, especially rabies. She is the current chair of the Strategic Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards for the WHO Emergencies Programme and a member of the scientific advisory group for the WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases programme. She is a long-standing member of the National Rabies Advisory Group in South Africa and is the previous chair of the South African Malaria Elimination Committee (SAMEC). Prof Blumberg has been involved in the prevention, detection and responses to numerous communicable disease outbreaks including cholera, typhoid, rabies, the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Lujo, Rift Valley fever, Ebola), influenza (pandemic A H1N1, and Avian Influenza A H5N2) and diphtheria. Her special interests are in malaria, rabies, other zoonoses, East African Trypanosomiasis, travel and tropical medicine and border health issues. She has worked with Right to Care as a Technical Scientific Advisor since 2021.
