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If you asked someone a decade ago what an epidemiologist does, they may have given you a blank look. But five years on from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, most people know these experts deal with infectious diseases.
Winchester resident Elyse Fritschel is director of Infection Prevention at Tufts Medical Center — and she’s hoping to help not adults, but kids understand how epidemiologists do their job with her first book, “The Disease Detective.”
“There are illnesses in schools all the time,” she said. “I thought this would be a good way to demonstrate the field of epidemiology.”
The book, which was released Oct. 21, is aimed at students in the late elementary and middle school range. The story revolves around a mysterious illness making kids in Rosie Franklin’s school sick.
Luckily, Rosie’s Aunt Liv is an epidemiologist and Rosie learns “that unraveling the mystery gets more difficult as time passes and the stakes grow higher. It is up to Rosie to grab her best detective fedora, lean into her curiosity superpower, and join forces with friends (and an arch-nemesis) to reveal the illness’ true identity.”
Fritschel said the idea for a middle school-aged character came out of her own interests when was that age.
“It’s a great exploratory time for kids,” she said. “I was around 12 when I read ‘The Hot Zone’ without really understanding it, but I feel like getting epidemiology information out to kids will help them feel empowered to take the steps from running into a problem to finding a solution.”
From idea to publication
Fritschel worked on the book for a few years before finally taking the plunge in 2023 and querying publishers.
“It’s a tough process,” Fritschel said. “If you aspire to be an author, be aware of that. The process takes some time. Even the greats get rejected.”
But her book is finally out — and Fritschel is excited.
“I am excited,” she said. “But just like in my book, Rosie never does anything alone. She works with her aunt, her friends and even her arch-nemesis. My friends and family read and edited the book, gave me feedback and helped me with the website. It was a nice way to connect it with the people in my life.”
Fritschel said now it’s about the kids.
“I’m ready to get into the hands of the readers so they can learn all about epidemiology,” she said. “Beyond being educational, this is a fun book. It’s about more than epidemiology. There are all sorts of things in it that will engage kids.”
Fritschel grew up wanting to be a veterinarian, but she always loved a good mystery — no matter if it was Nancy Drew or “The Hot Zone.”
It wasn’t until she took a lab course at the University of Texas as an undergraduate, however, that her interest in disease and how it moves through a population shifted her degree from veterinary medicine to her current career.
“I ended up getting a master’s in epidemiology,” she said. “I mean, as a kid, I knew what epidemiology was, but I wanted to write a book that would educate kids in community health matters…where a girl could be a disease detective and be able to work through a problem to find a solution.”
Did she ever give thought to being a writer?
“I did write stories from time to time when I was a kid,” she said. “My parents would watch TV and I would write in my notebook. I was a voracious reader and I loved to write. I guess you could say this book intersects all the loves of my life and it’s a way to empower the next generation of epidemiologists.”
Does that mean Rosie’s adventure could blossom into a mystery series of its own?
“I would like to see how the book does first before I consider a series,” Fritschel said. “I guess we shall see.”
In the meantime, Fritschel is doing publicity: speaking to local newspapers and making an appearance at Book Ends for Indie Author Fest on Nov. 22.
She said it’s an exciting time.
“I am so thrilled about it all,” Fritschel said. “I’ve been sitting with these characters for awhile and I feel a lot of fondness for Rosie and her friends. As more readers find the book and share it, I think it’s all going to be amazing!”
Nell Escobar Coakley has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Gotta Know Medford and editor of Winchester News. She can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
