On this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole explore a clinical case involving a rare infection in a returned traveler, highlighting the critical role of travel history in diagnosing unusual diseases. They discuss the case of a woman in her 60s who presented with fever and ankle pain after returning from India. Initial concerns for septic arthritis led to further investigation when standard treatments failed to alleviate her symptoms. Dr. Mara Waters is the lead author of the clinical case entitled “Melioidosis with septic arthritis in a returning traveller,” published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). She details the steps the infectious diseases team took to ultimately identify the infection as caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei.
Dr. Waters, an infectious diseases fellow at the University of Toronto, describes the challenges of diagnosing and treating melioidosis, emphasizing the importance of considering travel history and the evolving geography of infectious diseases. She highlights the broader implications of climate change on the spread of infectious diseases and the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
Following the case discussion, Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, a specialist in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, offers a refresher on common infections in returning travelers, such as malaria, dengue, and typhoid. He stresses the importance of considering these more prevalent conditions when evaluating a returning traveller with fever, providing practical advice on diagnosis and management.
This episode serves as a reminder of the complexities of diagnosing travel-related infections and the need for clinicians to be vigilant about travel history, especially in the context of global travel resurgence and the impacts of climate change on infectious disease patterns.
Join us as we explore medical solutions that address the urgent need to change healthcare. Reach out to us about this or any episode you hear. Or tell us about something you'd like to hear on the leading Canadian medical podcast.
You can find Blair and Mojola on X @BlairBigham and @Drmojolaomole
X (in English): @CMAJ
X (en français): @JAMC
Facebook
Instagram: @CMAJ.ca
The CMAJ Podcast is produced by PodCraft Productions
Responding to rising measles cases in Canada
Constructive conversations on CanMEDS revisions
Navigating the complex relationship between palliative care and MAiD
Confronting the high stakes of incivility in health care
Diagnosis and treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescent males
Building patient trust in health care
Opioid poisonings: shortfalls in treatment and new threats
Exclusion of people with disabilities in medicine
More than just novel obesity treatments
ASA: a simple, effective and underused treatment for preeclampsia
ENCORE: Smartphones, social media and poor mental health
Pharmacogenomic testing: billion-dollar savings in depression treatment
The rapid evolution and enhanced capabilities of virtual urgent care
Recommendations on SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV vaccinations
New guidelines for alcohol use disorder
Promoting health equity in primary care
Tick-borne illnesses: an evolving health concern
EDs in crisis: causes and solutions
Smartphones, social media and poor mental health
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Good Mood Revolution
Good Nurse Bad Nurse
The Relaxback UK Show
On Call With Dr. Anselm Anyoha
The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D.
The Peter Attia Drive