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Travel Unravelled

Travel Unravelled

Written by: ISTM
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 Join experts from the International Society of Travel Medicine as they unravel the most important travel tips you need to know. Hear the legendary stories about the history of travel medicine, why your favourite cocktail might also be an ancient malaria treatment, and where you should never go without travel insurance. Whether you're an adventure amateur or an expeditioner with experience, Travel Unravelled has something for everyone. Bon voyage!2024 Hygiene & Healthy Living Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Founding Travel Medicine: The ISTM's Formative Years

    Founding Travel Medicine: The ISTM's Formative Years
    Apr 29 2026
    Journey back with us nearly 40 years ago, when travel medicine was but a sparkle in a few physicians' eyes — and discover how a handful of visionary health professionals built a global medical field. In this special episode of Travel Unravelled, host Dr. Aisha Khatib and ISTM president Dr. Anne McCarthy sit down 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. From faxed New Yorker cartoons to standing‑room‑only ad hoc conferences in Zurich, these trailblazers share candid stories of risk and serendipity — including personal hotel guarantees, MDs clad in leather pants, the birth of GeoSentinel and the importance of nurses to the burgeoning field of travel medicine. What began as a small group filling a clinical gap has grown into a global force protecting travelers and tracking disease across borders. Theirs is the story of a field coming into its own. But as climate change and global mobility reshape risk, the work is far from done. We'll explore: How "travel medicine" got its name — and why alternatives like emporiatrics were rejected. The inside story of the first Zurich meeting and how it unexpectedly drew nearly 500 people without email, fax or the internet. The high‑stakes gamble behind the 1991 Atlanta meeting, including personal financial risk to secure the Marriott Marquis. How ISTM was formally born from the success of Atlanta, including creating a nonprofit. The creation of GeoSentinel, from paper forms and faxed reports to a global surveillance network for emerging diseases. The origins of the ISTM exam and the surprise of filling a New York ballroom with 450 test‑takers at the first sitting. The pivotal role of nurses and women in shaping travel medicine's education, practice and leadership. How informal personal networks and friendships helped globalize a niche specialty long before digital communication. The guests' visions for travel medicine's future, from evidence-based practice to integrating travel health into everyday primary care. GUEST BIOS Herbert (Bert) L. DuPont is a founding member and the first president of the International Society of Travel Medicine. He began his academic career as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer with the US Centers for Disease Control assigned to the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. After several years on the Maryland faculty, he moved to the University of Texas Medical School at Houston as the school's founding director of its program in infectious diseases and microbiology. He is a world-renowned authority on traveller's diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis. In addition to his work with ISTM, Dr. DuPont served as President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the American Clinical and Climatological Association. He served on the Board of Governors for the American College of Physicians (ACP) and served as ACP Governor for south Texas. He is a member of the American Epidemiological Society. Robert Steffen is Professor Emeritus at the University of Zurich and Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. Since the 1970s he has assessed morbidity and mortality related to international travel to conclude on preventive strategies. He organized the first international conference of travel medicine in 1988 in Zurich and was a co-founder of the International Society of Travel Medicine. He presided over the Swiss Federal Commission for Influenza and was Vice-President of the Federal Commission on Vaccination. He contributed to many WHO advisory boards and served as Chair of all recent IHR Ebola Emergency Committees. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel Medicine, of the International Journal of Public Health and Section Editor for Clinical Infectious Diseases. Phyllis E. Kozarsky is Professor Emerita with distinction in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University, with over 35 years of impactful work as a clinician, researcher, and educator in infectious diseases, travel medicine and global health. She served for 25 years as a consultant to the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine and was chief medical editor of the CDC "Yellow Book," helping establish it as a leading global reference. A founding member of the International Society of Travel Medicine and co-founder of GeoSentinel, she has played a key role in advancing global surveillance of travel-related illnesses. Dr. Kozarsky also helped define standards in travel medicine. Nancy Jenks is the Director of Research Initiatives and migrant/travel medicine at Sun River Health in Peekskill, NY. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, worked at CIWEC Clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal and served as a research fellow at the WHO Center for the ...
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    58 mins
  • Unwanted Souvenirs: Top Five Parasites in Travellers

    Unwanted Souvenirs: Top Five Parasites in Travellers
    Dec 2 2025
    With names like leishmaniasis, myiasis, new world screwworm and gnathostomiasis, parasitic infections can be absolutely the worst souvenir to bring back from any trip. They all come from unwanted hitchhikers that can return with travellers after they explore distant and not-so-distant destinations, turning even the most idyllic trip into a nightmare. So, how can travellers avoid bringing back unwanted parasitic souvenirs? What should travellers do to minimize the risk of parasitic infection? And what should you do if you suspect you have a parasitic disease? In this special in-person taping of the Travel Unravelled podcast recorded at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2025 annual meeting in Toronto, moderator Dr. Aisha Khatib is joined by International Society of Travel Medicine president Dr. Anne McCarthy to welcome special guest host Dr. Henry Wu, clinical group president of ASTMH and director of Emory University's TravelWell Center. The two tropical medicine specialists interview Dr. Carlos Seas, Associate Professor of Medicine at Cayetano Heredia University, and Dr. Stephen Vaughan, Clinical Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary. Together, this group brings decades of experience in travel and tropical medicine, sharing expert insights, practical advice, and real-world stories to help travellers stay safe. Content Warning: This episode includes graphic discussions of parasitic infections. Viewer discretion is advised. We'll uncover: Where parasites hide The environments that put travellers at risk Foods and water sources that can carry parasitic infections How to protect yourself and avoid bringing home an unwanted souvenir Real-life stories and anecdotes from travellers and clinicians Key parasites to watch for, including skin, food-borne, and vector-borne infections GUEST BIOS Dr. Henry Wu is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Distinguished Physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University. Dr. Wu serves as the director of the Emory TravelWell Center, Emory's clinical center dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and surveillance of infections related to travel and migration. He previously served at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and Medical Epidemiologist at the Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch. Dr. Wu's interests include infectious diseases epidemiology, tropical diseases, travel medicine and the evaluation of patients for serious emerging infections. Dr. Carlos Seas is a Gorgas Course Director. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Subdirector of the Alexander von Humboldt Tropical Medicine Institute at Cayetano Heredia University. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed papers and several chapters in textbooks such as Mandel's and Cecil's, and is associate editor of several reputed medical Journals His research interests include tuberculosis, cholera, shigellosis, hospital-acquired infections, HIV/AIDS, skin and soft tissue infections, infections in travellers, antimicrobial resistance, and S. aureus bacteriemia. He is a Member of the National Academy of Medicine in Peru and Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America, and has served DSMB's at NIH-USA for over 12 years. Dr. Stephen Vaughan is a Clinical Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, and the Adult Infectious Disease Residency Program Director. He's passionate about sharing his knowledge and has been awarded numerous clinical teaching awards, appears in the media as an infectious disease expert, and, in the past, provided COVID-19 guidance to the Calgary Flames. He has served on the Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT), Calgary Site Lead for GeoSentinel (CDC-funded), and founded the Canadian National Tropical Medicine Rounds. Dr. Vaughan's research interests include tropical infectious diseases, and phage therapy. LINKS The CDC's guide to prepping for parasitic diseases while travelling What is cutaneous larva migrans? Furuncular myiasis in a returning traveller. The periscope sign as a new dermatoscopy finding to facilitate the diagnosis of furuncular myiasis. Furuncular myiasis in a traveller to West Africa. What is Amebiasis? CDC describes Gnathostomiasis. What is Fascioliasis? Understanding your risk for Leishmaniasis. Clinical management of East African trypanosomiasis in South Africa. What is Schistosomiasis? Parasites Without Borders Podcast Travel Unravelled is sponsored by the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT). IAMAT is the exclusive sponsor of season 2 of 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! The ISTM's Travel Unravelled podcast is produced by Ghost Bureau, the ...
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    1 hr
  • Travel Health Insurance and Medical Care on the Road

    Travel Health Insurance and Medical Care on the Road
    Oct 21 2025

    Travel insurance is often an afterthought in trip planning. Some travellers skip it altogether. Others buy it without really knowing what they're covered for — or how it works when things go wrong. But when the unexpected happens — like a scooter crash in Bali, a flare-up of a chronic condition in Peru, or an illness in a remote location — travel insurance can be the key to accessing timely medical care and support.

    In this episode of Travel Unravelled, we take a closer look at travel health insurance through the lens of clinicians who advise travellers before departure and care for them when things don't go to plan. Whether you're a frequent flyer, a first-time traveller, or a clinician advising patients before departure, this episode offers practical, evidence-informed insights to help everyone travel smarter and safer.

    We'll unpack:

    • What travel insurance actually covers

    • Common exclusions that catch travellers off guard.

    • What medical assistance companies can and can't do for a traveller.

    • Real-world case studies of denied claims and costly outcomes.

    • Travel insurance tips for travellers on how to prepare, what to check, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

    GUEST BIOS

    Dr. Gareth Richards has extensive experience in medical retrievals and repatriation across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and Asia. He also consults for First Assistance, an international medical assistance company, where he advises on everything from minor ailments to evacuating critically ill patients from remote, resource-limited settings.

    Dr. Kamolthip Atsawawaranunt is a Thai physician with training in Family, Travel, and Occupational Medicine. She currently works as the Medical Advisor for Thailand and Laos at International SOS, where she provides professional medical assistance services. Her role includes conducting medical assessments and consultations, offering telephone advice, coordinating complex medical evacuations and repatriations, and supporting clinical governance.

    LINKS

    • First Assistance, an international medical assistance company, is here.

    • International SOS provides professional medical assistance services in locations around the world. Find it here.

    • Watch our episode on altitude sickness.

    • Traffic accident statistics for Thailand.

    • CDC Yellow book chapter on travel health and medical evacuation insurance.

    • Tips on choosing travel insurance for your trip (Australia).

    • Travel Unravelled is sponsored by the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT). IAMAT is the exclusive sponsor of season 2 of 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!

    • The ISTM's Travel Unravelled podcast is produced by Ghost Bureau, the Toronto content agency.

    DISCUSSION POINTS

    00:00 Welcome back to Travel Unravelled!
    00:40 Catching up with Travel Unravelled hosts
    01:46 Guest introduction
    03:18 Basics of travel health insurance
    05:13 Common illnesses abroad
    08:15 Evacuation vs. repatriation
    15:28 Cost of care without travel insurance
    18:49 Common travel insurance claims
    24:02 Injured or ill abroad tips
    29:26 Read the fine print
    32:27 Standard travel insurance policy
    39:08 Case examples
    46:59 Travel insurance use
    56:29 Lightning round: travel insurance tips
    59:11 Final comments
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    1 hr and 2 mins
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