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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.

Episode 1: Malaria for Travellers—Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention



ABOUT
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!

Travel Unravelled is sponsored by IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers.

LINKS

  • Access the ISTM Malaria fact sheet, and more information for travellers at the ISTM website.
  • Check out the WHO Malaria Fact Sheet for more important information.
  • See if your next travel destination is in a Malaria area with this CDC guide.
  • And see the Canadian resource: CATMAT Malaria areas.
  • Watch the TEDTalk about mosquitoes and malaria, in which Bill Gates releases mosquitoes on the audience.
  • Read a BBC article about singer Cheryl Cole’s malaria diagnosis.
  • Make a mean gin and tonic with this recipe (It will not prevent or treat malaria!).

CLINICAL PEARL

  • Read the observational study that Dr. Wilder-Smith discussed in this episode’s pearl:
    • Emergence of artemisinin-based combination treatment failure in patients returning from sub-Saharan Africa with Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Journal of Travel Medicine
  • And check out the accompanying article:
    • Out of Africa: Increasing reports of artemether-lumefantrine treatment failures of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection

KEY MOMENTS

01:06  Meet the hosts of Travel Unravelled
02:24  What is the ISTM?
03:45  We need to talk about malaria
05:10  Episode rundown
05:39  Malaria must-knows
08:55  True stories of malaria cases
15:17  The flu vs. malaria
16:11  Pop culture & history of malaria
20:55  The problem with malaria medication
24:16  Where is malaria? Highest-risk areas
27:48  Standby treatment: should you take it?
30:07  Different advice for different scenarios
31:52  When the doctors contradict each other
38:07  The risks of getting sick while travelling
40:22  Top tips for travellers
43:34  Where to get your information
45:12  Clinical Pearl from the Journal of Travel Medicine: the future of malaria treatment

Travel Unravelled is produced by Ghost Bureau.

To download the video episode for presentation in your travel clinic or office, click here.