University of Zurich app detects travel sickness at an early stage

A new app can detect illnesses while traveling at an early stage: The Illness Tracking in Travellers app (ITIT) was developed by researchers at the Institute of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Zurich in cooperation with the World Health Organization and examined in a study.

"Mobile technologies can revolutionize the way we monitor travelers' illnesses. This will ultimately lead to safer and healthier travel," epidemiologist and study leader Patricia Schlagenhauf is quoted as saying in a press release on the study.

Users of the ITIT app are asked about their state of health on a daily basis in the form of a personal health diary. In addition to the data, precise location information such as weather data and air quality is recorded.

The data collected in the period from April 2022 to July 2023 showed that health problems often occur when traveling. Gastrointestinal complaints, respiratory illnesses and colds are the most common. The study analyzed data from 470 trips by 609 people worldwide.

The early warning system could also help to better diagnose and treat diseases brought in from abroad. This could reduce the risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases such as dengue fever or unknown flu viruses. ce/heg