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. 9: Every Vaccine Is a Travel Vaccine
Right now, 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. Whether you're heading to Bali, Barcelona, or Boston, 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. The topic has never been more relevant. Tune in to learn more.
Ep. 8: Travel Medicine: The History of IAMAT
Pre-internet, how did healthcare providers warn neighbouring countries about infectious disease? How did travellers properly educate themselves on the necessary precautions before visiting high-risk areas? What did travellers do if the doctor in the destination country didn't speak the same language? In this special episode of the ISTM podcast, our team visits Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo in Toronto to provide our audience with an exclusive 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 and the communities that could face outbreaks if these diseases are brought home. In this episode, our guests and the ISTM podcast team discuss what's driving these changes, including climate change and the role travellers play in spreading these viruses. 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
In a mini episode to complement our previous “travellers as sentinels for disease” show, 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, an illness tracking platform meant for travellers available on both iOS and Android phones. The effort is meant to provide grass-roots, bottom-up support from travellers themselves 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. In this episode, the group looks back at tales of significant health outbreaks and discusses what measures could have been taken to prevent worldwide domino effects. It’s an episode full of practical steps designed to prevent further public health outbreaks, one traveller at a time.
Ep. 4: Amazon River & Human Toxoplasmosis?
ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib and digital communications lead Dr. Sarah McGuinness discuss a strange medical case drawn from the pages of the Journal of Travel Medicine. 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? See supplemental photos provided by Dr. Khatib and Dr. McGuinness from their trip to the Amazon.
Ep. 1: Malaria for Travellers
The most dangerous animal in the world is not the shark or the tiger. It won’t stalk you on safari or attack you as you surf. Tiny but mighty, the mosquito kills more people than any other animal in the world. Why? Because it spreads malaria, which causes more than 600,000 deaths every year—all of which are preventable. 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!
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. Travel also creates economic and cultural benefits. Join Dr. Anne McCarthy, Dr. Aisha Khatib, and new Travel Unravelled voices Dr. Sarah McGuinness, the ISTM digital communications lead, and ISTM president Dr. Gerard Flaherty as they share the benefits of travel.
Ep. 2: Rage on the Road—Rabies, Risk and Travellers
Thought to be the inspiration behind legends like the vampire and the werewolf, the rabies virus poses a serious risk for travellers around the world. In the second episode of Travel Unravelled, hosts Dr. Anne McCarthy and Dr. Albie de Frey sink their teeth into all things rabies with podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib. 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. Featuring interviews with such rabies experts, our second episode chronicles the evolution of rabies prevention recommendations, from vaccine developer Louis Pasteur to the state of the art today.