Evaluation of a web-based self-reporting method for monitoring international passengers returning from an area of emerging infection

Lefèvre, B; Blanchon, T; Saint-Martin, P; Tattevin, P; Che, D; Caumes, E; Pitel, T; Rossignol, L; Dournon, N; Duval, X; Hoen, B

Abstract Objectives. Emerging infectious diseases are a public health issue of international concern. Identifying methods to limit their expansion is essential. We assessed the feasibility of a screening strategy in which each traveler would actively participate in the screening process after an intercontinental flight by reporting their own health status via a web-based self-administered questionnaire. Patients and methods. In 2015 and 2017, we invited passengers arriving at or departing from Pointe-Ã -Pitre international airport to answer an online health questionnaire during the four days following their arrival from or at Paris-Orly international airport. SPIRE 1 was intended for passengers arriving at Pointe-Ã -Pitre and was conceived as a pilot study. SPIRE 2 was an improved version of SPIRE 1 and consisted in three parts, which permitted to further assess the benefits of pre-flight request and email follow-up. Endpoints were the connection rates and response rates to online health questionnaire. Results. For SPIRE 1, 4/1,038 travelers (0.4%) completed the two steps of the online health questionnaire. In SPIRE 2, response rates ranged from 3/1,059 (0.3%) to 19/819 (2.3%). Response rates were significantly better when passengers were approached before their flight. Conclusions. The yield of an online health questionnaire was unexpectedly low.