Learning @ ISTM
The International Society of Travel Medicine’s official podcast, Travel Unravelled, explores the latest developments, challenges and innovations in travel health and medicine. Join ISTM President-Elect Dr. Anne McCarthy, Travel Doctor Corporate CEO Dr. Albie de Frey and ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib as they chat with experts around the world and give you practical tips designed to keep you well on your next adventure. Plus, hear the latest insights from the Journal of Travel Medicine’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Annelies Wilder-Smith.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just starting to plan your first international trip, Travel Unravelled is your personal guide for staying healthy while exploring the world—without taking up any room in your suitcase.
Ep. 14: Top Parasites in Travellers
In this special in-person taping of the Travel Unravelled podcast recorded at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2025, tropical medicine specialists interview Dr. Carlos Seas, Associate Professor of Medicine at Cayetano Heredia University, and Dr. Stephen Vaughan, Clinical Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary. What should travellers do to minimize the risk of parasitic infection?
Ep. 13: Travel Health Insurance
Travel insurance is often an afterthought in trip planning. Some travellers skip it altogether, while others buy it without really knowing what they’re covered for, or how it works when things go wrong. Travel insurance can be the key to accessing timely medical care and support. In this episode, we take a closer look at travel health insurance through the lens of clinicians Dr. Kamolthip Atsawawaranunt and Dr. Gareth Richards o help everyone travel smarter and safer.
Ep. 12: Travel Advice for Parents from Pediatricians
From vaccinations and common illnesses to environmental risks, medications, and even sport and activity precautions, there’s a lot more to travelling with young people than booking flights — and once you listen to this episode, you’ll be a lot better prepared to handle it. Pediatricians Dr. Mike Starr and Dr. Sheila Mackell bring 30+ years of experience helping parents navigate travel with little ones. Together, they discuss tips and tricks that every parent should know before booking a trip with little ones.
Ep. 11: A Guide to Altitude Illness in Travellers
Headaches, nausea, and gastrointestinal issues are just some of the common symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), a near-universal part of the climbing experience at 3,000 metres above sea level. And unlike other travel illnesses, there’s no vaccine for this one. In this episode, topic experts explore the risk of altitude sickness in travellers: how to prepare for it, and how different cultures and climbers around the world treat it.
Ep. 10: Snakebites and Travellers
It’s no surprise that travellers worry about snakebite. How do you determine snakebite risk at your travel destination? What can you do to minimize snakebite risk? What should you do if you get bitten by a snake? So in the 10th episode of Travel Unravelled, we’re exploring how to minimize the risk of envenomation—and providing some tips for travellers and clinicians in the event that they do encounter a bite from a venomous serpent.
Ep. 9: Every Vaccine Is a Travel Vaccine
Measles is resurging in the U.S., Canada and Europe, polio is being detected in wastewater in multiple countries, and mpox cases are re-emerging with new variants. Influenza is spreading year-round in the tropics, and outbreaks are following international travellers. The diseases of the world don’t respect borders—and vaccines can build the protection you need. So what if we saw all vaccines as travel vaccines? Vaccinations are crucial in protecting the health of our global community.
Ep. 8: Travel Medicine: The History of IAMAT
Pre-internet, how did healthcare providers warn neighbouring countries about infectious disease? Our team visits Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo to look at the evolution of travel medicine from a key participant in its early years, including rare looks at some of the first infectious disease maps, drawings, and questionnaires that shaped how we treat infectious disease today.
Ep. 7: Dengue, Chikungunya and Risks for Travellers
Arboviruses are a category of viral disease spread by mosquitoes, sandflies or ticks. They include dengue and chikungunya, both of which are surging globally — appearing not just in tropical areas, but also in places like Europe and North America. This is a serious concern for everyone, including travellers visiting at-risk areas. This episode is a must-listen for anyone planning to travel or interested in travel health.
Ep. 6: The ITIT App: Illness Tracking in Travellers
ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib interviews Prof. Patricia Schlagenhauf, the GeoSentinel Site Director in Zürich, the director of EuroTravNet, as well as the Head of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Travellers' Health. A University of Zürich professor, she has led the development of the free ITIT app, meant to inform illness tracking efforts by public health authorities around the world.
Ep. 5: How Travellers Can Be Sentinels for Disease
Travellers can spread diseases without knowing it—but what if these travellers can help to prevent outbreaks before they spread? In fact, public health authorities and the ISTM have formed networks, such as the CDC-affiliated GeoSentinel and the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre, that use information from travellers to track the spread of disease around the world.
Ep. 4: Amazon River & Human Toxoplasmosis?
Approximately two billion people around the world are afflicted with toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that typically results from exposure to cat feces. (Most of those infected don’t have any symptoms.) So is it possible that the Brazilian traveller contracted toxoplasmosis from the pink dolphins of the Amazon river?
Ep. 3: Journey to Wellness—Health Benefits of Travel
What are the benefits of travel? Can a trip to a distant destination really improve your health? How can we engage in responsible travel? In this episode sponsored by IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, we delve into the myriad benefits of travel. Did you know those who travel experience lower risk of many issues, including heart disease and burnout.
Ep. 2: Rage on the Road—Rabies, Risk and Travellers
In the second episode of Travel Unravelled, hosts discover the insidious nature of rabies, why it's considered one of the most fatal diseases in existence, how you can protect yourself before travelling to rabies-prone regions — and what to do if you get exposed to the virus from an animal bite. Our second episode chronicles the evolution of rabies prevention recommendations, from vaccine developer Louis Pasteur to the state of the art today.
Ep. 1: Malaria for Travellers
In the first episode of Travel Unravelled, hosts Dr. Anne McCarthy and Dr. Albie de Frey get into the must-know details about malaria with podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib. On the agenda: How to avoid getting malaria, how to prepare before a trip, and what to do if you feel sick in a malaria area. Plus: Why malaria is so tough to diagnose. It’s the Battle of the Buzz, and listening to this episode is your best repellent!