Selected Podcast
International Travel Medicine
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga discusses International Travel Medicine and precautions travelers can take to stay healthy.
Featuring:
Learn more about Kanayo Odeluga, MD
Kanayo Odeluga, MD, MPH, FACOEM, CMRO, CIME
Kanayo Odeluga, MD is the Medical Director, Franciscan Working Well.Learn more about Kanayo Odeluga, MD
Transcription:
Scott Webb: Despite the pandemic, many of us are traveling out of necessity or for pleasure. And if so, it might be the perfect time to reach out to a travel medicine specialist. And joining me today to help us understand what travel physicians can do to help us before we travel is Dr. Kanayo Odeluga. He specializes in occupational medicine at Franciscan WorkingWell.
This is the Franciscan Health Doc Pod. I'm Scott Webb. Doctor, thanks so much for being on. When we're thinking about traveling abroad, why do you believe it's important that we see a travel physician? In other words, a physician who specializes in preparing us to travel.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Because travel is not without risk. In the sense that there are many issues, health issues that could arise out of travel. And there are also issues that could be made worse, you know, personal health issues that could also be made worse by traveling. So that's why we advise those who are doing overseas international travel to consult a travel medicine specialist to be able to give them some guidelines and also see how they could prepare them to travel safely.
Scott Webb: And doctor, what services does a Franciscan Health travel medicine specialist provide?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: We'll provide you, one, with what we call the pre-travel consultation. In which case we will be able to find out where you're going, how you're traveling to the place, how long are you going to be staying, what do you intend to do at that location. And then if it's multiple itinerary, because not all itineraries are simple, you know, we have people travel from one country to the other in part of this tour. So we'll gather all that information and then we also gather information about your medical issues and allergies. And we will be able to advise you based on our knowledge of some of the challenges that you might face in those travel destinations.
And so we start with a pre-travel consultation and, uh, depending on where you're going and what your health risks are, we will then advise how you can mitigate some of those risks. For example, if you're going to areas with malaria, we will now prescribe you medication to protect you from getting infected with malaria. If you're going to areas where you have diseases like typhoid, we will give you vaccination that will protect you. If you're going to a yellow fever area, we will also recommend immunizations. So part of it is actually to prepare the traveler so that they will travel safely and enjoy their trip without worrying about some of the other challenges that they will also face there.
We will be able to also maybe help them understand if they're at risk to them because of their disease condition. You know, if somebody who's got asthma or COPD or who needs oxygen to travel, we'll make sure that they are prepared and that they will also know how to manage themselves in those new destinations when they travel.
Scott Webb: And doctor, does travel to Europe warrant a visit with a travel medicine specialist?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Yes. Even when you're traveling to Europe, we will like people to consult with us. Because again, it depends on what part of Europe. And again, it depends on what their own health dispositions are, the traveler's health disposition.
And so for example, yes, you may not have malaria in Europe or you may not have yellow fever problem in Europe, but there might be other new diseases that in this day and age. There's usually infectious disease advisory that goes out of every country. So you want to make sure that you're not going to be stumbling into any of those things when you travel.
And then of course, depending on which area of Europe that you're going, there might be also communities that are coming up there that might have different challenges that we may have to prepare you for. Uh, but more importantly, every traveler must make sure they have their tetanus injection done and up-to-date, because the commonest problem people face when they're traveling is injury. And so you want to make sure that stuff like that is taken care of.
Scott Webb: And if people are traveling to their countries of origin, they probably feel like experts, but are there things that a travel medicine specialist can tell us that for some reason we just don't already know?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Interestingly, we call them those who are visiting family and friends. Family, friends, and relatives. Those are the people that actually face the most challenging risk, because they think they know their neighborhoods. But they've been away from their neighborhood for a couple of years. And more importantly, some of them may be traveling home with their own children who did not grow up in that environment, say, maybe they're taking their children back for grandma and grandpa to see, you know, their grandchildren.
Sometimes they take a lot of things for granted. For example, if you've left a malaria area for more than two years, you've lost some of the immunity that you get from being like most of the residents in those areas. So you need protection from malaria.
And some of those waterborne diseases are still prevalent there. And so we not only would love them to consult with us because we're not just trying to protect them, but also make sure that they don't bring any of those things back to the States. You know, because again, malaria, for instance, has been eradicated from the continental US, but most of the malaria we have here are imported by people who visit family and friends, going back to Africa, going back to Asia and then coming back with it. So those people who are from those countries, who are returning back to see family and friends, they truly need to consult travel medicine specialists because they're more like expatriates too.
Scott Webb: Yeah. And I'm sure you're right. People think, "Well, I'm from that country. So I'm immune to malaria or yellow fever," but the reality is the longer you're away, the more susceptible you are.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Yes. And then, two, they have lost touch with what's going on because there might be new diseases that have popped up since the last time they were there and they need to be aware of how to protect themselves.
Scott Webb: I do want to ask your, doctor, what are your thoughts about traveling right now during COVID-19? Do you believe this is something that people can do safely?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: It could be done safely, but I mean, if I can echo what CDC has recommended, if it's non-essential travel, I will say stay home. Because, one, the logistics of traveling now is a little more complicated in the sense that most countries will require you to have a COVID test done 48 hours before you board the plane. And then when you get to your destination, you may have to face other requirements that may be in form of being quarantine for some days or have another test done. And depending on how long you're staying in country, you may have to get another test before you board the plane to return.
And so, unless it is very, very important that you travel, I will postpone most travels during this pandemic. And for most of the countries, if you're coming back to the States, after a visit to a high-risk area where there's COVID, you will be required to quarantine 14 days after you return before you can get back to work. So there's a whole lot of logistical challenges, I'll call them hassles, that if it's not essential travel, I will stay home.
Scott Webb: As we get close to wrapping up here, doctor, besides inoculations, what are some of the other most important things that people receive from a visit with a travel medicine specialist?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: You may also get some medications, what we call chemoprophylaxis to protect you. For example, if you're traveling to parts of Asia or Africa, we may give you some antibiotics to hold in case if you have travel diarrhea. And we might also give you medication, uh, to treat motion sickness, depending on what kind of transportation that you're having. If you're going on a cruise, we may recommend those kinds of things. So there are medications that we can also prescribe.
There are people who engaged in adventure, who climb, go into high altitude who may pose a risk of, uh, getting altitude illness and in which case we'll give them medications to make sure that they don't have problems with altitude illness.
So they are a variety of all the things that we can recommend depending on your destination and what you're going to be involved with. If we have knowledge of the neighborhood where you're going, we can also give you information on safety, safety measures, you know, travel measures that you need to take to protect yourself. Because the world out there is a little dangerous, especially in this day and age with security threats being posed to Americans as they travel. We will give you pointers what to do, and also recommend, uh, the state department website, which has the STEP program, you know, Safe Traveler Enrollment Program, where every traveling American is encouraged to enroll in the STEP department. Just pretty much you let the STEP department know where you will be and how long you're going to be in a foreign country. So that if there's an advisory regarding security and safety, that they will send you a text message. And if need be where Americans are being evacuated, they'll come get you wherever you are.
Scott Webb: That's good to know. And I don't know that I'm going to travel anytime soon, but next time I travel abroad, I definitely know who to reach out to doctor. Thanks so much for your time and expertise today, and you stay well.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: You're welcome.
Scott Webb: To learn more about travel medicine care at Franciscan Health, visit FranciscanHealth.org and search travel medicine. And we hope you found this podcast to be helpful and informative. This is the Franciscan Health Doc Pod. I'm Scott Webb. Stay well.
Scott Webb: Despite the pandemic, many of us are traveling out of necessity or for pleasure. And if so, it might be the perfect time to reach out to a travel medicine specialist. And joining me today to help us understand what travel physicians can do to help us before we travel is Dr. Kanayo Odeluga. He specializes in occupational medicine at Franciscan WorkingWell.
This is the Franciscan Health Doc Pod. I'm Scott Webb. Doctor, thanks so much for being on. When we're thinking about traveling abroad, why do you believe it's important that we see a travel physician? In other words, a physician who specializes in preparing us to travel.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Because travel is not without risk. In the sense that there are many issues, health issues that could arise out of travel. And there are also issues that could be made worse, you know, personal health issues that could also be made worse by traveling. So that's why we advise those who are doing overseas international travel to consult a travel medicine specialist to be able to give them some guidelines and also see how they could prepare them to travel safely.
Scott Webb: And doctor, what services does a Franciscan Health travel medicine specialist provide?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: We'll provide you, one, with what we call the pre-travel consultation. In which case we will be able to find out where you're going, how you're traveling to the place, how long are you going to be staying, what do you intend to do at that location. And then if it's multiple itinerary, because not all itineraries are simple, you know, we have people travel from one country to the other in part of this tour. So we'll gather all that information and then we also gather information about your medical issues and allergies. And we will be able to advise you based on our knowledge of some of the challenges that you might face in those travel destinations.
And so we start with a pre-travel consultation and, uh, depending on where you're going and what your health risks are, we will then advise how you can mitigate some of those risks. For example, if you're going to areas with malaria, we will now prescribe you medication to protect you from getting infected with malaria. If you're going to areas where you have diseases like typhoid, we will give you vaccination that will protect you. If you're going to a yellow fever area, we will also recommend immunizations. So part of it is actually to prepare the traveler so that they will travel safely and enjoy their trip without worrying about some of the other challenges that they will also face there.
We will be able to also maybe help them understand if they're at risk to them because of their disease condition. You know, if somebody who's got asthma or COPD or who needs oxygen to travel, we'll make sure that they are prepared and that they will also know how to manage themselves in those new destinations when they travel.
Scott Webb: And doctor, does travel to Europe warrant a visit with a travel medicine specialist?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Yes. Even when you're traveling to Europe, we will like people to consult with us. Because again, it depends on what part of Europe. And again, it depends on what their own health dispositions are, the traveler's health disposition.
And so for example, yes, you may not have malaria in Europe or you may not have yellow fever problem in Europe, but there might be other new diseases that in this day and age. There's usually infectious disease advisory that goes out of every country. So you want to make sure that you're not going to be stumbling into any of those things when you travel.
And then of course, depending on which area of Europe that you're going, there might be also communities that are coming up there that might have different challenges that we may have to prepare you for. Uh, but more importantly, every traveler must make sure they have their tetanus injection done and up-to-date, because the commonest problem people face when they're traveling is injury. And so you want to make sure that stuff like that is taken care of.
Scott Webb: And if people are traveling to their countries of origin, they probably feel like experts, but are there things that a travel medicine specialist can tell us that for some reason we just don't already know?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Interestingly, we call them those who are visiting family and friends. Family, friends, and relatives. Those are the people that actually face the most challenging risk, because they think they know their neighborhoods. But they've been away from their neighborhood for a couple of years. And more importantly, some of them may be traveling home with their own children who did not grow up in that environment, say, maybe they're taking their children back for grandma and grandpa to see, you know, their grandchildren.
Sometimes they take a lot of things for granted. For example, if you've left a malaria area for more than two years, you've lost some of the immunity that you get from being like most of the residents in those areas. So you need protection from malaria.
And some of those waterborne diseases are still prevalent there. And so we not only would love them to consult with us because we're not just trying to protect them, but also make sure that they don't bring any of those things back to the States. You know, because again, malaria, for instance, has been eradicated from the continental US, but most of the malaria we have here are imported by people who visit family and friends, going back to Africa, going back to Asia and then coming back with it. So those people who are from those countries, who are returning back to see family and friends, they truly need to consult travel medicine specialists because they're more like expatriates too.
Scott Webb: Yeah. And I'm sure you're right. People think, "Well, I'm from that country. So I'm immune to malaria or yellow fever," but the reality is the longer you're away, the more susceptible you are.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: Yes. And then, two, they have lost touch with what's going on because there might be new diseases that have popped up since the last time they were there and they need to be aware of how to protect themselves.
Scott Webb: I do want to ask your, doctor, what are your thoughts about traveling right now during COVID-19? Do you believe this is something that people can do safely?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: It could be done safely, but I mean, if I can echo what CDC has recommended, if it's non-essential travel, I will say stay home. Because, one, the logistics of traveling now is a little more complicated in the sense that most countries will require you to have a COVID test done 48 hours before you board the plane. And then when you get to your destination, you may have to face other requirements that may be in form of being quarantine for some days or have another test done. And depending on how long you're staying in country, you may have to get another test before you board the plane to return.
And so, unless it is very, very important that you travel, I will postpone most travels during this pandemic. And for most of the countries, if you're coming back to the States, after a visit to a high-risk area where there's COVID, you will be required to quarantine 14 days after you return before you can get back to work. So there's a whole lot of logistical challenges, I'll call them hassles, that if it's not essential travel, I will stay home.
Scott Webb: As we get close to wrapping up here, doctor, besides inoculations, what are some of the other most important things that people receive from a visit with a travel medicine specialist?
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: You may also get some medications, what we call chemoprophylaxis to protect you. For example, if you're traveling to parts of Asia or Africa, we may give you some antibiotics to hold in case if you have travel diarrhea. And we might also give you medication, uh, to treat motion sickness, depending on what kind of transportation that you're having. If you're going on a cruise, we may recommend those kinds of things. So there are medications that we can also prescribe.
There are people who engaged in adventure, who climb, go into high altitude who may pose a risk of, uh, getting altitude illness and in which case we'll give them medications to make sure that they don't have problems with altitude illness.
So they are a variety of all the things that we can recommend depending on your destination and what you're going to be involved with. If we have knowledge of the neighborhood where you're going, we can also give you information on safety, safety measures, you know, travel measures that you need to take to protect yourself. Because the world out there is a little dangerous, especially in this day and age with security threats being posed to Americans as they travel. We will give you pointers what to do, and also recommend, uh, the state department website, which has the STEP program, you know, Safe Traveler Enrollment Program, where every traveling American is encouraged to enroll in the STEP department. Just pretty much you let the STEP department know where you will be and how long you're going to be in a foreign country. So that if there's an advisory regarding security and safety, that they will send you a text message. And if need be where Americans are being evacuated, they'll come get you wherever you are.
Scott Webb: That's good to know. And I don't know that I'm going to travel anytime soon, but next time I travel abroad, I definitely know who to reach out to doctor. Thanks so much for your time and expertise today, and you stay well.
Dr. Kanayo Odeluga: You're welcome.
Scott Webb: To learn more about travel medicine care at Franciscan Health, visit FranciscanHealth.org and search travel medicine. And we hope you found this podcast to be helpful and informative. This is the Franciscan Health Doc Pod. I'm Scott Webb. Stay well.