A challenge in teaching immunology in the undergraduate laboratory is to encompass the many varied skills that need to be applied when performing an investigative study of such a complex area. It requires background knowledge, data analysis skills, critical thinking, and design capacities to include relevant controls and applications of particular techniques to answer a research question. It also requires strong technical skills. One such approach is to use inquiry-based learning which allows students a more proactive and integrative role in their learning. In one of our final year immunology units we have incorporated an inquiry-based exercise that runs across four 5-hour sessions. Students are given two cornerstone immunology techniques (ELISA and a flow cytometry-based cytokine bead array), which they use to formulate a study investigating inflammation. Stage one is to design the experiment with some guidance from teaching staff, stage two is to perform the experiment, and then finally students are required to analyze the data, apply appropriate statistics, and write a report outlining their findings. This approach provides students ownership of the process and allows them the opportunity to investigate a real-world problem rather than just attempting to obtain the expected “correct answer.” Feedback from both students and staff has been positive with strong engagement and high quality reports produced.

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e13214th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID) Abstracts was 14 days. Thirty-five percent of international travelers were traveling to low-income countries, 46% to low-middle income, 16% to upper-middle income, and 2% to upper-income countries. The main purposes of travel were vacation/leisure (63%), business (20%), extreme-adventure travel (14%), education/research (11%), visiting friends and relatives (10%), non-medical service work (6%), and providing medical care (4%). Two percent of travelers were attending large gatherings. Ten percent were children less than 18 years of age; 4% were less than 5 years of age; and 6% of travelers were over 65 years of age. Sixty-four percent of travelers listed a medical condition; 70% were on daily medication. Ten percent of travelers reported a pre-existing neurologic or psychiatric condition; 7% reported a pre-existing intestinal condition; 2.5% were immunocompromised; and 0.4% of female travelers were pregnant or breastfeeding. We analyzed vaccine usage for prevention of hepatitis A, yellow fever, and influenza. Eightyone percent of travelers received immunization against hepatitis A; 7% were considered preimmune. Of the 38% of travelers visiting countries that included areas endemic for yellow fever, 67% received yellow fever immunization; 18% were considered pre-immune. Yellow fever vaccine was administered to 407 travelers 60 years of age or older. Forty percent of international travelers received influenza vaccine; 30% were considered pre-immune. Of the 2082 travelers traveling to countries that included areas endemic for malaria, 65% received malaria chemoprophylaxis. Of these, 66% received prescriptions for atovaquone-proguanil, 3.5% received doxycycline, and 14% received mefloquine.Conclusion: These data suggest that international travelers range widely in age and frequently have co-morbid medical conditions that heighten the need for pre-travel advice.

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