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. 15: Founding Travel Medicine
Discover how a handful of visionary health professionals built a global medical field. Host Dr. Aisha Khatib and ISTM president Dr. Anne McCarthy travel back in time to nearly 40 years ago with ISTM foundational members Robert Steffen, Herbert DuPont, Phyllis Kozarsky and Nancy Jenks to trace the storied origins of the International Society of Travel Medicine.
Ep. 14: Top Parasites in Travellers
In this special in-person recording from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2025, Dr. Carlos Seas, Professor of Medicine at Cayetano Heredia University, and Dr. Stephen Vaughan, Clinical Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, share tips to help you minimize the risk of parasitic infection.
Ep. 13: Travel Health Insurance
Travel insurance is often an after-thought. 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 key to accessing timely medical care and support. We take a closer look at it with clinicians Dr. Kamolthip Atsawawaranunt and Dr. Gareth Richards.
Ep. 12: Travel Advice for Parents from Pediatricians
Vaccination, common illness, environmental risk, medication, sport and activity precautions; there’s more to travelling with children than booking flights and accommodations. Pediatricians Dr. Mike Starr and Dr. Sheila Mackell use their 30+ years of experience helping parents navigate travel with kids to help make your next trip a success.
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 part of the climbing experience at 3,000 metres above sea level. And there’s no vaccine. 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
How do you determine snakebite risk in your travel destination before you even leave for the trip? What can you do to minimize snakebite risk? What should you do if you get bitten by a snake? We’re exploring how to minimize the risk of envenomation—and providing tips for travellers and clinicians in the event that you do get bitten by a snake.
Ep. 9: Every Vaccine Is a Travel Vaccine
Measles is resurging in the U.S., Canada and Europe, polio is being detected in wastewater, and mpox cases are re-emerging with new variants. Influenza is spreading year-round in the tropics, and outbreaks are following international travellers. Disease knows no borders. But vaccines can protect the health of our global community. So what if we saw every vaccine as a travel vaccine?
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 surging globally) and appearing in tropical areas but also Europe and North America. This is a serious concern for everyone, including travellers visiting at-risk areas. A must-listen episode for anyone planning to travel or interested in travel health.
Ep. 6: The ITIT App: Illness Tracking in Travellers
Dr. Aisha Khatib interviews Prof. Patricia Schlagenhauf of the University of Zürich, GeoSentinel Site Director in Zürich, director of EuroTravNet, and head of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Travellers' Health who led the development of the free ITIT app, which informs 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? 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 traveller information to track the spread of disease around the world.
Ep. 4: Amazon River & Human Toxoplasmosis?
Approximately 2 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 then how is it possible that the Brazilian traveller contracted toxoplasmosis from the pink dolphins of the Amazon river? Our experts dive into this topic.
Ep. 3: Journey to Wellness—Health Benefits of Travel
Can a trip to a distant destination really improve your health? Does it matter the destination, the length of the trip or with whom we're travelling? Studies show that those who travel experience lower risk of many issues, including heart disease and burnout. In this episode sponsored by the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, we delve into the benefits.
Ep. 2: Rabies, Risk and Travellers
Our 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. Plus, the evolution of rabies prevention recommendations from vaccine developer Louis Pasteur to the state of the art today.
Ep. 1: What to Know About Malaria
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!