Marine and Rabies exposure risk in three popular islands

Full title: Incidence of possible rabid animal exposure and marine hazard exposure among travelers visiting three popular tropical islands in Asia (Bali, Phuket and Maldives)
Status: Ongoing and Recruiting

• • • • Bali – Completed data collections
      • Phuket- Recruiting
      • Maldives – Recruiting

Study period: May 2025 – April 2027
Lead investigator: Dr. Anastasia Putri
Site: Bali, Phuket and Maldives
Ethics: Approved by the Ethical Committee of the FTM and local IRBs approved
Language: English / Indonesia / Thai

Bali, Phuket, and the Maldives are popular destinations for both international and domestic travellers, attracting millions of visitors annually. However, these destinations pose potential health risks, particularly concerning encounters with animals and marine hazards. Previous studies have highlighted cases of animal exposures, notably in Thailand and Indonesia. On the other hand marine hazard exposures are rarely reported and typically only appear in local news. Currently, there are no epidemiological studies on this topic, so the incidence is unknown.

The aim of this study is to describe the incidence of possible rabid animal exposure and marine hazard exposure among international and domestic travellers in Bali and Phuket, as well as marine hazard exposure among international travellers in Bali, Phuket, and the Maldives. A cross-sectional study design will be employed to estimate the incidence rates and identify associated factors that may cause such exposures.

You may participate in this research if you are

1. You are travelers who has just completed your trips in Bali, Phuket and Maldives
2. You are able to complete the questionnaire in English
3. You agree to participate by signing the informed consent form

If you agree to participate in this study, the researcher will ask you to complete an anonymous, online questionnaire. The questionnaires will consist of three parts. The first part is demographic data and base line question. Only those who indicate that they have exposed to animal or / and marine hazard will proceed to the second or / and third part. The second part will be about the animal exposure detail and will be ended with the animal exposure risk categorized by World Health Organization (WHO). The third part will be about the marine hazard exposure detail. The estimated time required to complete the questionnaires will be approximately 10 to 30 minutes.

The principle investigator of this research is Dr. Anastasia Putri

If interested, please contact: Tel (+66)23069145 or Email anastasia.put@mahidol.ac.th