Pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi, play a role in the development of infectious diseases.

As a result of their rapid and unexpected spread, these microorganisms can cause serious mortality in a community.

There are numerous factors that influence health and the origins of infectious diseases which are often beyond the immediate reach of the health sector. These include the travel and tourism industries, as well as other sectors such as sanitation and water supply, environment and climate change, education, agriculture, trade, industrial development, and housing.

The number and types of epidemics are increasing locally, regionally, and globally, whether in developed or developing countries. A total of 63 epidemics have been reported globally by governments to the World Health Organization so far in 2023. For example; A growing number of respiratory illnesses have been reported in northern China in November- December 2023, as evidenced by data from Chinese surveillance systems monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the northern and central regions, monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) since November 2023.

Diphtheria outbreaks in Guinea were reported to WHO on September 2023. Poland has reported 166 cases of legionellosis, including 23 deaths, as of 11 September 2023. Often mistaken for pneumonia, Legionellosis is a bacterial illness that can range from mild to severe and can even be fatal. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns travelers about almost 48 types of epidemics that may severely affect them while traveling.

So, what is the connection between travel and these epidemics? Travel plays a significant role in the emergence and transmission of disease due to the extensive global volume, speed, and reach of travel. Various factors with travel such as trade, major movements, migrations, changes in society, politics, climatic conditions, environmental conditions, and technological advances facilitate the mixing of genetic pools in previously unknown proportions and combinations, resulting in conditions conducive to the emergence of infectious diseases. We experienced how the pandemic has paralyzed human life and affected numerous business sectors around the world, including the travel industry.

So how does an epidemic occur? Travel creates the possibility of transmission of a pathogenic microbe to a different geographic location. In traveling, people carry their genetic makeup, immunological symptoms from past infections, cultural preferences, traditions, and behavioral patterns. Biological creatures such as microbes, animals, and insects also accompany them. Plants, animals, and insect vectors are also affected by changes in motility, resistance, and sensitivity. Therefore, the emergence of a disease or epidemic requires a dynamic process and a series of events or an environment or an ecosystem.

Common travel-related illnesses i nclude Diarrheal disease, Hepatitis A, Malaria, Dengue fever, Parasitic infections, Tuberculosis, Typhoid fever, Yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Leptospirosis, Chikungunya, and Rabies. The symptoms of travel-related infectious diseases vary and may include persistent diarrhea, skin conditions or rash, fever, respiratory infections, and chronic cough. Travelers should check out the best public sources for up-to-date travel information such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The risk of infection varies depending on location and accommodation standards, hygiene and sanitation, traveler behavior and immune system. However, if a disease or microbe is particularly harmful, the duration and lethality of exposure to infectious agents can rapid.

So, what are the risks for hotel guests and employees? To gain insights into the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hotels, researchers examined a cluster of infections at a quarantine hotel in Taiwan in December 2021. It involved 3 patients staying in rooms that were not adjacent and were on different floors. Patients had no personal interaction with employees or other customers during their stay. Through direct examination of the space above the room ceilings, researchers discovered tunnels, structural flaws, and inter-room pipe connections. They employed a simplified tracer gas experiment to examine the interconnectedness between chambers. The virus is most likely spread through aerosol transmission in this poorly ventilated hotel, with structural defects in floors and walls serving as the main route. This indicates that the Omicron variants can easily transfer between rooms and floors due to these structural issues.

Another infection commonly seen in hotels is Legionnaires' disease. Similar to Omicron variants, Legionella bacteria causes pneumonia (lung infection) that severely affects employees and guests. A fatality rate of 1 in 10 is associated with the disease. Guests' experiences can be negatively affected by this outbreak at hotels and resorts, resulting in major financial and reputational costs. Bacteria grow in water and spread in droplets that can be inhaled by people. Legionella grows best in warm, stagnant water that isn't constantly moving or that does not have enough disinfectant to kill the bacteria, such as cooling towers, showers, unoccupied floors, and hot tubs.

Preventing this infection requires a professional team with the right skills and the right water management program. Unlike commonly occurring infections such as Legionnaires' disease, a new respiratory disease has been sweeping across northern China since November 2023. China's National Health Commission announced a nationwide rise in cases of respiratory diseases mostly affecting children. The rise in COVID-19 cases in China was due to the easing of restrictions, the arrival of the cold season, and the presence of common pathogens like influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, RSV, and SARS-2. It is widely recognized that Mycoplasma pneumonia and RSV have a more significant effect on children than adults.

According to WHO, people can reduce their risk of respiratory diseases by getting vaccinated against flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory pathogens, staying away from patients, staying home when sick, getting tested and medical care, wearing a mask, having good ventilation, and keeping their hands clean. Travelers should seek medical attention when experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness and share their travel history with their healthcare provider. Although WHO has not imposed travel or trade restrictions, we do not yet know what to expect in the future.

So how do these epidemics affect room sales? There is no denying the overwhelming and ruinous impact the pandemic has had on the global hotel industry. Occupancy rates declined globally, with Europe and North America being among the most severely affected regions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States reports an unprecedented 28.9% unemployment rate for individuals employed in the hospitality and tourism industry. In the UK, the situation was equally concerning, with anticipated occupancy rates dropping from 75.4% in 2019 to 37.6% in 2020, before gradually increasing to 59.2% in 2021. Unfortunately, despite the successful distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, PwC anticipates that it could take up to four years for occupancy rates to revert to pre-pandemic levels.

Similarly, research on the impact of the global Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic on the hotel industry showed that the sudden emergence of an infectious disease will always lead to a sharp decline in tourism, which will lead to a significant decrease in hotel occupancy. For this reason, it became necessary for hotel managers to reduce their operational costs from optimum level to minimum during the crisis. Recommendations include discontinuing some high-cost, but underutilized facilities, as well as shutting down unnecessary equipment, and flexibly changing marketing strategies by attracting local residents to increase occupancy rates and revenues.

In another study, the effect of infectious disease uncertainty on hotel room demand was examined as well as what variation there was among hotel segments when comparing infectious disease uncertainty with hotel demand. Infectious disease uncertainty and government-imposed restrictions are tested jointly on hotel room demand using the most recent outbreak of COVID-19. This study finds that in both the short-term and the long-term, infectious disease uncertainty causes hotel occupancy at the state level to decline using the Infectious Disease Equity Market Volatility (EMV-ID) tracker. As a result of accounting for additional variability in hotel demand, EMV-ID alleviates the potential confounding effect of state-level restrictions. While increased government restrictions are causing hotel room demand to decrease, the impact isn't the same across hotel segments.

So, what can hotels do? According to a research study that investigated the relationships between indoor environmental quality and infectious disease knowledge, beliefs and practices of hotel workers in Wuhan-China, hotel operators have only a medium understanding of infectious diseases. Similarly, recent research in Egypt found that more than half of hotel employees lack sufficient knowledge about monkeypox's source, symptoms, transmission, prevention, and treatment.

In the majority of cases, hotels neglected to inform their guests about MPXV and most employees believe that social media is the most effective means of obtaining information about MPXV. Age, marital status, education level, occupation category, and working time in the hotel greatly influence the MPXV knowledge levels of the hotel staff.

The findings from similar studies suggest that preventing the transmission of pathogens through environmental sources and awareness campaigns in the hospitality industry should be an ongoing part of risk management practices, but many hotels often have fewer resources and internal mechanisms. Although the public health departments or other external sources are often called upon by hotels to assist with infection prevention issues, practices vary widely between facilities and variations exist even within them.

For example, when it comes to hand hygiene and disinfectant use in healthcare facilities, these practices may be standard practice, but in hotels, they can be optional. During peak hours, frontline employees have frequent contact with many guests, but they aren't required to keep their hands clean. Therefore, it is critical to conduct awareness campaigns and short training sessions for employees in hotels against new possible epidemics that may re-emerge in the future and to emphasize health education more among hospitality practitioners to enhance their knowledge about the prevention of infectious diseases.

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from http://www.hotelexecutive.com/.