Germ & Worm

Salaam! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including: If I boil water at an altitude of 14,000 feet, will it be safe to drink even though it will not achieve 100 degrees Celsius? Should I take a aspirin to prevent blood clots on a long flight? What about compression socks--will those help reduce my chance...

Jambo! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford talk with GYN expert Dr. Karen Tang, who will answer your questions about healthy travel during menopause. Topics include: What causes hot flashes, and how can I deal with them during travel? Should I change my medical hormone therapy if I'm headed to a hot location? Should I stop my hormone treatment before a long t...

Ciao! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about the health risks of traveling to see a World Cup soccer match, and offer strategies for doing it safely. Topics include: What's the big deal with soccer anyway? What about illnesses spread by air--can you catch them at a soccer match? Foodborne illness--how high is the risk, and how can I e...

Mbote! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about the risks and realities posed by ebola virus disease to international travelers. Topics include: Ebola basics: What is it, how was it discovered? Where does the name come from? What does Ebola DO to your body? How do you catch Ebola? Where does Ebola usually live in nature? What are the ch...

Mari mari kom pu che! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about the risks and realities posed by hantavirus to international travelers. Topics include: What is hantavirus, anyway? Where are you at risk of catching it? How does hantavirus make you sick? Specifically how can we catch it... can it be spread person to person? Is birdwatching...

Ciao! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford discuss Paul's experiences taking care of people who return from international travel with infectious diseases. Topics include: Why did you choose medicine, then ID, and then travel health? Any regrets about your career choice? Why do you love ID? What about travel health attracts you? What kind of cases do you see in...

Kumusta ka! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions regarding ticks, including: Is there a new Lyme disease vaccine, and if so how is it different from the old one? Can you catch Lyme disease in Europe? Is it different there? Should I take antibiotics if I am bitten by a tick? What the hell is going on with meat allergies after...

Jambo rafiki, karibu! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions regarding malaria, including: What causes malaria? What are the symptoms of malaria? How much malaria is in the world today? What are the key ways in which travelers can protect themselves? Are the regions impacted by malaria fixed, or do they change? Is there locall...

Wassaaaaaaap! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford talk about their journey over the first 100 episodes of Germ and Worm! Topics they will cover include: Why did we create this podcast in the first place? What advice would we share with someone thinking of starting their own podcast? What challenges have we faced during this process? What are our favorite ques...

Ciao! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford talk about why they love travel medicine, and share ways you can prepare best for your pre-travel visit. Topics include: Why did Chris choose a career in pre-travel medicine? What are some misconceptions people bring to their pre-travel visit? Who should see a travel medicine specialist before they leave? What can peo...

Kuzuzangpo la! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: How should I prepare for a high-altitude trek in Bhutan? What is the latest about oropouche virus? Did the head of CDC really just suppress a scientific paper written at CDC? How strongly do you recommend the dengue vaccine available overseas? Can we trust trave...

Salam Alikoum! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Is there a connection between blue light and jet lag? What about jet lag and liver cancer? Who really needs an mpox vaccine? What is RFK Jr up to with the USPSTF? Why are airline ticket costs currently so high? Can I purchase travel insurance for any destination...

Salam Alikoum! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Should I ride an elephant in Thailand? What about riding a camel in Morocco? Is it safe to take a hot air balloon ride in Turkey or Mexico? What is Berserk Llama Syndrome (BLS) and how can I avoid it? Is it really dangerous to approach a bison on foot? How about...

Tashi Delek! Today, travel medicine specialist Dr. Chris Sanford interviews Dr. Paul Pottinger about his experiences as an amateur mountaineer. Questions he will answer include: How did you get interested in mountaineering? What attracts you to it? What mountains have you climbed? What is the Seven Summits quest? Tell us about climbing Mount Everest? What advice would you offer aspiring mountainee...

Nihao ! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: What is the definition of Southeast Asia anyhow? Where do Germ & Worm prefer to travel there? What v...

Guten tag! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: What fun activities do you recommend for a visit to Singapore? Is there leishmaniasis in the USA? What's up with the AMA no longer recommending trust in CDC on vaccines? What vaccine-preventable infections are likely to rise in coming years? What vaccines should I g...

Salut! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Can you catch norovirus infection anywhere except on a cruise ship? How can I stay safe when I visit the USA for the FIFA World Cup? Will the FDA ever review Moderna's application for influenza vaccines built on mRNA technology? Is it possible to eat healthfully while o...

Bonjour! Today, travel medicine specialist Dr. Paul Pottinger (Germ) interviews his friend Dr. Chris Sanford (Worm) about his fifteen years serving on US federal disaster response teams, touching on topics including: How did you get involved in disaster response? What was your first assignment? What are the greatest challenges you have faced in this work? What are the strangest or most surprising...

Selamat tengah hari! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Thoughts on safety of traveling in El Salvador? Tips for fun and safe travel in Belize? What to do if I get pepper sprayed--at a protest or otherwise? Is now a bad time for US citizens to travel overseas? Any reaction to a recent NYT article on traveler's...

Selamat sejahtera! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Do Germ and Worm recommend against non-essential travel to the USA now? Tsetse flies–what’s the best repellent? How can I reduce muscle aches after hiking? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and travel medicine: too soon? Nipah Virus traveler screening: Update and...

Yu stap gut? Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: How much risk is there of road accidents when traveling overseas? Is it still possible to get immunized against chikungunya in the USA? I have asthma, should I worry about traveling to Thailand? Why are some infections so much more catchy than others? What if I ne...

Que Paso? Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: What are Germ and Worm up to this month? I'm planning a cruise to the Caribbean--what health steps should I take to stay safe? G&W talk about respiratory infections, dengue, malaria, diarrheal illnesses, ciguatera poisoning, tungiasis, dog & cat hookworm, hum...

Bat haiyo ne? Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Rats in the toilets of Seattle… REALLY? Health and safety concerns when considering travel to Myanmar? New vaccine for Nipah Virus Infection: Ready for prime time? Should I be screened for TB after a trip? Should I purchase evacuation insurance? What are my optio...

Ayubowan! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Bed bugs–how to sniff them out! The hotel ice machine–safe to use? Drinking safely at the bar–can it be done? Laundry: How gross can it get? Is my shower safe to use? What about the hotel pool–will it make me sick? Carbon monoxide and other toxins–can we avoid them?...

Vanakkam! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your travel health questions, including: Why should I visit Japan? https://www.japan.travel/en/us/ Is COVID-19 immunization safe during pregnancy? Is there really malaria now in Westchester County? What should people do to stay safe if caught in a flood? New drugs for gonorrhea: Too good to be true? Is AI r...