Travel Unravelled – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Recent history has taught us that 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 (NaTHNaC), that use information from travellers to track the spread of disease around the world. 

In this episode, GeoSentinel cofounder Dr. David O. Freedman, and NaTHNaC director Dr. Dipti Patel, OBE, join Dr. Anne McCarthy, President-Elect of the ISTM, and Dr. Albie de Frey, CEO of Travel Doctor Corporate, along with ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib. The group looks back at tales of significant health outbreaks and discusses what measures could have been taken to prevent worldwide domino effects. They also provide tips for travellers preparing for trips, and advice on what to do if a traveller returns from a trip with symptoms of illness. It’s an episode full of practical steps designed to prevent further public health outbreaks, one traveller at a time.

LINKS

• Learn about GeoSentinel

• Learn about the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre

• The UK’s TravelHealthPro is here

• Read Dr. David O. Freedman’s bio.

• Read Dr. Dipti Patel’s bio.

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

• Read Travel Medicine, the book to which Dr. David O. Freedman contributed two chapters, for detailed accounts of the science and practice of travel medicine.

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 Introduction of guests Dr. David O. Freedman, Dr. Dipti Patel, Dr. Albie De Frey, and Dr. Anne McCarthy, and overview of travellers as sentinels for disease prevention.

01:12 Dr. Dipti Patel explains NaTHNaC's role in providing travel health advice to UK travellers, including using surveillance data to inform vaccination recommendations.

04:30 Discussion of how NaTHNaC uses enhanced surveillance to identify trends and risks for UK travellers, and how they responded to the 2014 chikungunya outbreak in the Caribbean.

09:27 Dr. Albie De Frey and others discuss the importance of networking and personal connections in the travel medicine community to share information and support travellers.

13:19 Dr. David O. explains the origins and purpose of the GeoSentinel network, which uses travellers as "sentinels" to detect emerging diseases.

17:36 Dr. David O. Freedman describes a 2000 incident where GeoSentinel quickly identified an outbreak of leptospirosis in travellers returning from Borneo.

24:32 Dr. Dipti Patel and Dr. Albie De Frey provide additional examples of how surveillance data can identify disease trends and emerging threats, like African sleeping sickness and Zika.

29:51 Discussion of the importance of travellers disclosing their travel history to healthcare providers, and the role of travel medicine practitioners in aiding public health.

34:06 Take home messages for listeners, including both travellers and clinicians, from Dr. David O. Freedman, Dr. Dipti Patel and our hosts. 

40:59 Wrap up, concluding remarks, resources, and disclaimers.

Travel Unravelled is produced by Ghost Bureau.

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, but in some cases, the disease can cause muscle aches, fever and swollen glands. So is it possible that the Brazilian traveller contracted toxoplasmosis from the pink dolphins of the Amazon river? (A mini episode.)

LINKS

The Journal of Travel Medicine article: “Human toxoplasmosis as a result of swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon river?” By Sylvia Lemos Hinrichsen, PhD, Tatiana Aguiar Santos Vilella, MSc, Reginaldo Gonçalves Lima Neto, PhD

The episode web page at ISTM features supplementary pics of Drs. Aisha Khatib and Sarah McGuiness in the Amazon. 

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

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 Introduction

00:10 Dr. Aisha Khatib and Dr. Sarah McGuinness introduce the topic of toxoplasmosis.

02:01 Dr. Aisha Khatib and Dr. Sarah McGuinness discuss their own experiences swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon River.

03:10 Explanation of what toxoplasmosis is—a zoonotic disease caused by a parasite that can infect warm-blooded animals, including humans.

04:31 Discussion of how toxoplasmosis is typically transmitted, including through contact with cat feces and eating undercooked meat.

05:57 Uncertainty around how the traveller in the case report contracted toxoplasmosis from swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon.

08:04 Overview of the main transmission routes for toxoplasmosis that travellers should be aware of, including contact with cat feces, eating undercooked meat, and swimming in contaminated water.

11:21 Advice on testing and treatment for toxoplasmosis, particularly for pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.

13:04 Key takeaways on the importance of good hygiene practices and being aware of potential disease risks when travelling.

What are the benefits of travel? Can a trip to a distant destination really improve your health? And how is it possible to 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 travelling. For example, few people know that 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 describe the argument for travel — and how it can positively impact your life and the world around you.  

LINKS

• See the ISTM infographics and other Responsible Travel resources on our website.

• Learn more about the upcoming CISTM19 in New Orleans, May 2025, which will discuss dark tourism among other topics. 

• Read the research discussed in this episode: 

• Vacation at Moderate and Low Altitude Improves Perceived Health in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome in the Journal of Travel Medicine

• Effect of forest bathing (‘Shinrin Yoku’’) trips on human immune function in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

• Read Dr. Gerard Flaherty’s research on the benefits of travel:

• “Towards travel therapy: addressing the health benefits of international travel” in the Journal of Travel Medicine

• “To travel is to live: embracing the emerging field of travel psychiatry” in BJPsych Bulletin

• Travel Unravelled is an ISTM podcast sponsored by IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to 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 as the deputy director of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Dr. Lucille Blumberg, and the medical director of Belgium’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, Dr. Patrick Soentjens, our second episode chronicles the evolution of rabies prevention recommendations, from vaccine developer Louis Pasteur to the state of the art today.

LINKS

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

• Learn more about the upcoming CISTM19 in New Orleans this May 2025.

• Planning a trip? Consult with this CDC Rabies Assessment to see the risk level of your destination.

• See CDC’s 2024 Rabies Yellow Book

• Read the WHO Guide for Rabies Pre and Post Exposure Prophylaxis in Humans, which guest Dr. Patrick Soentjens helped to develop.

• Learn more about the fascinating ancient history of rabies in this Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease article.

• Read Dr. Lucille Blumberg’s bio.

• Read Dr. Patrick Soentjens’s bio.

• See the travel medicine website and app that Dr. Patrick Soentjens mentions, Wanda.be.

CLINICAL PEARL

• Read the article that Dr. Olivier Aoun discussed in this episode’s pearl:

• Multi-drug resistant gluteal abscesses due to Mycobacterium abscessus following medical tourism for cosmetic purposes to Mexico in the Journal of Travel Medicine

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 transmits deadly diseases to humans, such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. Malaria causes more than 600,000 deaths every year—all of which are preventable. In the first episode of Travel Unravelled, Dr. Anne McCarthy and Dr. Albie de Frey dive into the essential facts about malaria.

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 podcast is your best repellent!

Links & Mentions

• 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 (and remember it will not prevent or treat malaria!)

Travel Unravelled: an ISTM Podcast 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 for your next adventure.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just starting to plan your first international trip, Travel Unravelled is your personal guide to staying healthy while exploring the world—without taking up any room in your suitcase.

In a mini episode meant 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. As a professor at the University of Zürich, Prof. Schlagenhauf 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. 

LINKS

• Learn about the ITIT app, and download it for your iOS or Android phone.

• Find a video version of this podcast on the episode web page at the ISTM website.

• Prof. Schlagenhauf is a lead author of an academic paper about the ITIT app and illness tracking among travellers: Surveillance of global, travel-related illness using a novel app: a multivariable, cross-sectional study

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

KEY MOMENTS

00:09 Show introduction

00:15 Dr. Aisha Khatib introduces the podcast and the guest, Professor Schlagenhauf

00:57 Professor Schlagenhauf explains the purpose of the ITIT app

01:46 Dr. Aisha Khatib asks about the ITIT app, including where to find it and how to sign up

02:26 Professor Schlagenhauf discusses the ITIT app as a public health asset

02:34 Dr. Aisha Khatib highlights the ITIT app as a way for travellers to contribute to research and surveillance

02:53 Dr. Aisha Khatib emphasizes the app's benefits for travellers

02:59 Dr. Aisha Khatib asks what incentives travellers may have to use the ITIT app

03:48 Professor Schlagenhauf discusses the various features and incentives of the ITIT app

03:58 Dr. Aisha Khatib asks about the availability of the ITIT app for download

04:54 Professor Schlagenhauf highlights the "my ITIT health diary" feature of the app

05:21 Dr. Aisha Khatib asks Professor Schlagenhauf about her favorite area of interest in travel medicine

05:56 Professor Schlagenhauf discusses her interest in malaria and travelers

06:11 Professor Schlagenhauf mentions the potential for data collection and analysis using the ITIT app

06:41 Dr. Aisha Khatib encourages listeners to download and use the ITIT app

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. Our guests also share vital information about new vaccines, like Qdenga and Ixchiq, and how they might benefit travellers as their availability increases.

Guests in this episode include Dr. Ralph Huits and Dr. Susan Hills. Dr. Huits is an infectious disease physician and senior researcher at the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar, Italy, as well as a Co-Principal Investigator of GeoSentinel (Research lead), the emerging infectious diseases network of the International Society of Travel Medicine and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Dr. Susan Hills is a medical epidemiologist in the Arboviral Diseases Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, Colorado. She currently leads the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Work Group drafting recommendations for use of new chikungunya vaccines in the United States.

This episode of the ISTM podcast was directed by digital communications lead Dr. Sarah McGuinness with support from ISTM president-elect Dr. Anne McCarthy, ISTM podcast director Dr. Aisha Khatib and Dr. Albie de Frey, CEO of Travel Doctor Corporate.  

With practical tips for staying safe during your travels and insights into efforts to control these diseases, the episode is a must-listen for anyone planning to travel or interested in travel health.

LINKS

• WHO Dengue Dashboard: https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/dengue_global/
• CDC Areas at risk of dengue: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/areas-with-risk/index.html 
• ECDC Dengue worldwide overview: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/dengue-monthly
• CDC Areas at risk for chikungunya: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/data-maps/index.html
• ECDC Chikungunya worldwide overview: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/chikungunya-monthly
• CDC information on chikungunya vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/prevention/chikungunya-vaccine.html
• For more on the impact of Wolbachia on dengue control in Australia, check out this study: https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taae014 
• To follow us on your favourite podcast platform, go to our show feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Please remember to rate the show!
• Travel Unravelled is sponsored by IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers. Each episode is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

Today, IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, is a great resource, providing up-to-date information and guidance for globetrotters. But 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? 

As one of the founders of travel medicine, Dr. Vincenzo Marcolongo established IAMAT in 1960, and dedicated the organization to helping both healthcare providers and travellers access the best possible care, wherever they may be in the world. When Dr. Marcolongo died in 1988, his wife, Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo, took over and continued the work of protecting travellers from infectious disease.

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. 

LINKS

• Visit the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT), which provides extensive resources, like the Guide to Healthy Travel, and Guide to Travel Health Insurance. IAMAT also sponsors ISTM’s Travel Unravelled podcast.

• Check out IAMAT’s short biography of Dr. Vincenzo Marcolongo.

• Travel medicine history buffs also may be interested to check out Dr. Robert Steffen’s “History of ISTM,” featuring both a video seminar and PDFs of Dr. Steffen’s slides. 

• To follow us on your favourite podcast platform, go to our show feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Please remember to rate the show!

• Produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

For the first episode of Travel Unravelled season 2, our team of experts—Dr. Anne McCarthy, Dr. Albie de Frey, Dr. Sarah McGuinness and Dr. Aisha Khatib—encourage us to reframe the way we think about vaccines and travel health. 

Getting vaccinated before travel shouldn’t be just for “exotic” trips or the wealthy—it’s essential for everyone. In our connected world, travel health is global health. 

The topic has never been more relevant. 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? And used any healthcare visit by a traveller as a chance for public health interventions? 

No matter how “safe” your home country feels, vaccinations are crucial in protecting the health of our global community. Tune in to learn more.

LINKS

• Measles is becoming an issue in the United States, Canada, Europe and the world.

• Polio cases continue to emerge worldwide

• Mpox cases are increasing globally

• Data suggest that flu is at its highest level since the 2009 swine flu pandemic

• Watch this informational video: What is Herd Immunity?

• Watch how easily measles spread

• Visit the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT), which provides extensive resources, like the Guide to Healthy Travel, and Guide to Travel Health Insurance. IAMAT also sponsors ISTM’s Travel Unravelled podcast.

• To follow us on your favourite podcast platform, go to our show feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Please remember to rate the show!

• Produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

DISCUSSION POINTS
00:00 Introduction
02:31 Every vaccine is a travel vaccine
03:15 The four major preventable diseases
03:31 Why vaccinate before travelling?
06:27 How necessary is a measles vaccine?
06:52 Measles symptoms
07:50 Recent measles outbreaks
10:51 Measles early signs and symptoms
12:10 Why are there measles outbreaks?
12:36 Is a Measles booster shot necessary?
16:54 - Solving outbreaks with herd immunity
21:46 - Mpox
27:24 - Mpox vs. Measles
31:22 - Flu/Influenza
34:34 - Why am I still getting sick after being vaccinated?
39:36 - Polio
44:42 - Types of polio vaccines
49:00 - Final remarks