GeoSentinel: The global emerging infections sentinel network of the International Society of Travel Medicine

GeoSentinel is a network of 22 member travel/tropical medicine clinics (14 in the United States and 8 in other countries) initiated in 1995 by the Int ernational Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM). GeoSentinel is based on the c oncept that these clinics are ideally situated to effectively detect geogra phic and temporal trends in morbidity among travelers. The core surveillanc e toot is a single-page faxable form submitted to a central data site for e ach post-travel patient, including immigrants, refugees, and foreign visito rs. Diagnoses are entered either as specific etiologies or as syndromes and are then linked to geographic locations, reference dates, and clinical pre sentations. In addition, electronic communication with the larger body of w orldwide ISTM member clinics is periodically done to obtain broader data co llection in response to specific inquiries. The scope of GeoSentinel has br oadened from the initial vision of a provider-based sentinel network tracki ng emerging infections at their point of entry into developed countries. it s present goals are (1) to monitor global trends in disease occurrence amon g travelers; (2) to ascertain risk factors and morbidity in groups of trave lers categorized by travel purpose and type of traveler; (3) to respond to urgent public health queries; (4) to develop educational priorities for tra velers' health; and (5) to effect a rapid response by electronically dissem inating alerts to surveillance sites, to all ISTM members in 55 countries, and to public health authorities. In addition, a major byproduct of the net work, and now one of its strongest assets, has been the growth of partnersh ips between ISTM, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health-car e providers around the world, as well as other medical societies, governmen t, and private organizations. The demographic data, travel patterns, and cl inical presentations for the first 2813 patient records analyzed from the G eoSentinel sites are summarized in this paper.