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

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.