I noted the article relating to the overview of preparing young travellers for low resource destinations with interest.

In the section pertaining to “extra advice available for medical students and volunteers” had the authors considered including education regarding locally appropriate public health escalation measures in the context of infectious out-breaks. It is often those working in direct service provision that will first encounter patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of an infectious outbreak.

In many resource poor settings the relative luxuries of full personal protective equipment (PPE) which are disposable after single use are not routinely available. It is recognised that in previous outbreaks the remote settings may have contributed to diagnostic delay (1). During this period full PPE and optimal infection control measures may be unattainable due to resource limitations. Awareness of local public health infrastructure, GOARN and documents providing practical infection control advice for resource poor settings (2) can be empowering, informative and expedite optimal management. In Sheffield we have recently designed an educational program incorporating this aspect for elective students which is due to be implemented in the next year.

Dr J Cunningham Specialty trainee Sheffield (former VSO Volunteer Mbarara, Uganda 2008)

1) Proportion of Deaths and Clinical Features in Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Infection, Uganda - - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/16/12/10-0627_article.htm
2) Interim Infection Control Recommendations for Care of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Filovirus (Ebola, Marburg) Haemorrhagic Fever, March 2008. WHO

Competing interests: None declared