Germ & Worm

101: MAY-laria 2026

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 locally-acquired malaria in the USA? * Why is malaria such a difficult scientific problem? * Why are there so many myths about malaria--and what are a few that drive you crazy? * Is there a vaccine for malaria? * What if a patient chooses not to take malaria prevention medications? * What is new with mosquito avoidance technology? * How can I diagnose myself with malaria if I have symptoms? * What if I prefer to take medications weekly rather than daily? We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com [https://www.germandworm.com./] where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com [germandworm@gmail.com]. Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

100: The Germ & Worm Century Episode!

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 questions from these first 800 we have answered? * What about politics and travel health... how do we navigate that? * What's next for Germ and Worm? We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com [https://www.germandworm.com./] where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com [germandworm@gmail.com]. Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

99: How to be the best Pre-Travel patient you can be!

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 people do to prepare for their travel medicine visit? * What about folks who have chronic medical conditions who also want to have an adventurous trip? * Do you ever tell patients NOT to take a trip? * What special considerations come up for pregnant travelers? * How about people who are dying of a terminal illness but still want to travel to an exotic location? * What if someone is asked to travel for work but they don't want to go? We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com [https://www.germandworm.com./] where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com [germandworm@gmail.com]. Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

98: How to prepare for a high-altitude trek in Bhutan?

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 travel and health advice found on social media? * Is it possible to get TOO MUCH exercise when you travel? We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com [https://www.germandworm.com./] where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com [germandworm@gmail.com]. Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

97: Blue light and jet lag– is there a connection?

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? * What is the best diamox dose when climbing tall mountains? We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com [https://www.germandworm.com./] where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: germandworm@gmail.com [germandworm@gmail.com]. Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.