Microbe Mail

Vindana Chibabhai

Are you looking for a medical podcast covering every day issues in diagnostic tests, antimicrobial therapy and management of infections that is relevant to a low or middle income setting? A show that simplifies complex concepts in an easy to follow conversational format? You've come to the right place. This is Microbe Mail - a medical podcast for the busy practitioner or student covering topics in microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on new episode releases at: https://microbemail.captivate.fm/ Contact us at mail.microbe@gmail.com

  1. SEP 2

    ICAN Congress: Part 2

    In this special edition, we take you inside the Infection Control African Network Congress 2025, held in beautiful Cape Town from 29 June to 2 July. Vin was on the ground capturing the energy, innovation, and passion driving infection prevention and control (IPC) across Africa and beyond. From cutting edge updates in infection control programs to inspiring discussions on IPC education, this episode is packed with insights straight from the experts. And for an extra twist, three conference attendees stepped up as momentary messengers for the day, bringing fresh perspectives as they interviewed some of the most fascinating voices at the congress. Our adhoc hosts: Dr Lesego Mothibi Dr Gilda Madeira Dr Julia Phambane About our Guests: Dr Amanda Khumalo FCPath, DTM&H, Clinical Microbiologist PathCare Laboratories, see bio HERE: The role of the HCW in breaking the chain of infectionDr Ifeyinwa Nwafia, Clinical Microbiologist, Management Sciences for Health, Nigeria : Assessment of the Pattern of Antimicrobial Use Among Hospitalized Patients in 16 Nigerian Hospitals: a Strategy to Improve Antimicrobial Stewardship ProgrammeMr David Frederick, Pharmaceutical technologist, Malindi Sub-County Hospital, Kenya, Best Poster Winner ICAN25: Building a foundationMrs Briette du Toit Ludick, PG Infection Prevention and Control, MSc IPC: Cost effectiveness of implementing an environmental Cleaning programmeTawanda Mutiwazuka, Medical Virologist, The Avenues Clinic, Zimbabwe, Reflecting on the ICAN25 congress. WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS EPISODE – Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates Follow on: Instagram: Microbe_Mail X/Twitter: @microbemail Facebook: MicrobeMail Tiktok: @microbe.mail Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel: Microbe Mail E-mail us: mail.microbe@gmail.com

    31 min
  2. AUG 19

    ICAN Congress: Part 1

    In this special edition, we take you inside the Infection Control African Network Congress 2025, held in beautiful Cape Town from 29 June to 2 July. Vin was on the ground capturing the energy, innovation, and passion driving infection prevention and control (IPC) across Africa and beyond. From cutting edge updates in infection control programs to inspiring discussions on IPC education, this episode is packed with insights straight from the experts. And for an extra twist, three conference attendees stepped up as momentary messengers for the day, bringing fresh perspectives as they interviewed some of the most fascinating voices at the congress. Our adhoc hosts: Dr Lesego Mothibi Dr Gilda Madeira Dr Julia Phambane About our Guests: Professor Shaheen Mehtar MBBS, FRCPath, FCPath, MD, see bio HERE: An overview of the congressAnn Versporten, MEHS, MPH, Research scientist, University of Antwerp, see bio HERE: Co-ordinating the Global PPSAnnelies Boven, MSc, PhD candidate, University of Antwerp: Constructing the Operational module of the Global PPSBuyiswa Lizzie Sithole, IPC Consultant, see bio HERE: Challenges in implementing IPC practices in displaced and war-torn areas, and IPC strategies that work in the primary healthcare setting.Professor Joost Hopman, MD, PhD, DTMH see bio HERE: IPC and the hospital design and The effect of climate change on infectious diseaseReshma Misra, MSc, Assistant Director: Provincial Infection Prevention and Control – KwaZulu Natal, see her bio HERE: Antimicrobial prescribing and HAI surveillance in KZN, and Primary Health Care preparedness for a pandemic Resources from this episode: ICAN Website (https://icanetwork.co.za/)Global PPS website8 core components of IPC WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS EPISODE – Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates Follow on: Instagram: Microbe_Mail X/Twitter: @microbemail Facebook: MicrobeMail Tiktok: @microbe.mail Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel: Microbe Mail E-mail us: a href="mailto:mail.microbe@gmail.com"...

    47 min
  3. JUN 17

    Managing menacing Malaria

    In this episode, we take a comprehensive look at malaria management—from selecting the appropriate treatment for each Plasmodium species, to recognising and treating complications, and exploring prophylaxis. Whether you're refreshing your knowledge or managing cases on the front line, this episode is packed with practical insights from our expert, who is back for a 2nd feature episode, Professor Lucille Blumberg. About our Guest: Professor Lucille Blumberg, MB BCH MMed (Clin Micro) ID (SA) FFTM (RCP Glasgow, travel medicine) DTM&H DOH DCH D.Sc. (Med) honoris. She is a highly respected infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist, hailing from Johannesburg, who sits on many national and international expert groups. Her contribution to keeping the public safe from infectious disease has been hailed as the epitome of sustainable, groundbreaking research. She has honorary appointments at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the Universities of Stellenbosch (Medical Microbiology) and University of Pretoria (Faculty of Veterinary Sciences), South Africa. Her focus is on outbreak prevention and response, emerging diseases, travel-related infections, the viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria and zoonosis, especially rabies. She is the current chair of the Strategic Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards for the WHO Emergencies Programme and a member of the scientific advisory group for the WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases programme. She is a longstanding member of the National Rabies Advisory Group in South Africa and is the former chair of the South African Malaria Elimination Committee (SAMEC). Prof Blumberg has been involved in the prevention, detection and response to several communicable disease outbreaks, including cholera, typhoid, rabies, the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Lujo, Rift Valley fever, Ebola), influenza (pandemic A H1N1, and Avian Influenza A H5N2) and diphtheria. Her special interests are malaria, rabies, other zoonoses, East African Trypanosomiasis, travel and tropical medicine and border health issues. She has worked with Right to Care as a Technical Scientific Advisor since 2021. She has recently been appointed to the editorial board of the Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases. Other editorial positions include being African Advisor for the International Journal of Travel Medicine since 2018, and one of three editors for the International Journal of Infectious Diseases since 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she established DATCOV, a national surveillance system for patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalised.  WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS EPISODE – Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates Follow on: Instagram: Microbe_Mail X/Twitter: @microbemail Facebook: MicrobeMail Tiktok: @microbe.mail Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel: Microbe Mail E-mail us: mail.microbe@gmail.com

    36 min
  4. MAY 13

    From Bite to Brain: Revealing Rabies

    This episode pits man’s best friend against one of man’s deadliest foes—rabies doesn’t play fetch nor does it leave many unscathed. Ruan speaks to one health champion and ID friend to many, Professor Lucille Blumberg, and they talk about the virus that turns loyal companions into lethal threats. How to diagnose it, how it's managed and most importantly how to prevent it. About our Guest: Professor Lucille Blumberg, MB BCH MMed (Clin Micro) ID (SA) FFTM (RCP Glasgow, travel medicine) DTM&H DOH DCH D.Sc. (Med) honoris. She is a highly respected infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist, hailing from Johannesburg, who sits on many national and international expert groups. Her contribution to keeping the public safe from infectious disease has been hailed as the epitome of sustainable, groundbreaking research. She has honorary appointments at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the Universities of Stellenbosch (Medical Microbiology) and University of Pretoria (Faculty of Veterinary Sciences), South Africa. Her focus is on outbreak prevention and response, emerging diseases, travel-related infections, the viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria and zoonosis, especially rabies. She is the current chair of the Strategic Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards for the WHO Emergencies Programme and a member of the scientific advisory group for the WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases programme. She is a longstanding member of the National Rabies Advisory Group in South Africa and is the former chair of the South African Malaria Elimination Committee (SAMEC). Prof Blumberg has been involved in the prevention, detection and response to several communicable disease outbreaks, including cholera, typhoid, rabies, the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Lujo, Rift Valley fever, Ebola), influenza (pandemic A H1N1, and Avian Influenza A H5N2) and diphtheria. Her special interests are malaria, rabies, other zoonoses, East African Trypanosomiasis, travel and tropical medicine and border health issues. She has worked with Right to Care as a Technical Scientific Advisor since 2021. She has recently been appointed to the editorial board of the Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases. Other editorial positions include being African Advisor for the International Journal of Travel Medicine since 2018, and one of three editors for the International Journal of Infectious Diseases since 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she established DATCOV, a national surveillance system for patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalised.  WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS EPISODE – Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates Follow on: Instagram: Microbe_Mail X/Twitter: @microbemail Facebook: MicrobeMail Tiktok: @microbe.mail Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel: Microbe Mail E-mail us: mail.microbe@gmail.com

    52 min
  5. APR 23

    Malaria vaccines: The French episode

    Dans un monde où une piqûre de moustique peut encore être mortelle, il est réconfortant de savoir que notre mentalité s'oriente désormais vers la prévention et l'élimination. Dans cet épisode, Miriam s'entretient avec le Dr Abdouramane Camara, un lauréat de la Bourse d'accélération de carrière en Afrique et pionnier en immunologie, au sujet des vaccins antipaludiques. À propos de notre invité: Le Dr Abdouramane Camara est chercheur postdoctoral au West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), à l'Université du Ghana. Après plus de dix ans passés dans plusieurs institutions européennes, il a su forger une solide expertise, le Dr Camara est revenu en Afrique pour contribuer à son avancement scientifique en développant un nouveau test clinique permettant d'évaluer l'efficacité des vaccins à un stade précoce et de prédire la protection à long terme. Ses travaux de recherche visent à élucider les mécanismes impliqués dans la génération des plasmocytes à longue durée de vie et des cellules productrices d’anticorps, ainsi qu’à explorer leur capacité à prédire précocement l’efficacité d’une vaccination. Il s'intéresse particulièrement au paludisme, une maladie endémique dans de nombreux pays africains, et à l'efficacité des nouveaux vaccins antipaludiques. Au-delà du paludisme, il étudie également les vaccins procurant une immunité à long terme, voire à vie, afin de contribuer à l'amélioration de la conception et des stratégies de mise en œuvre des vaccins. Malaria life cycle: Reproduced from PATH's Malaria Vaccines website at www.malariavaccine.org, 2024 Global Malaria programme NOUS AIMERIONS VOTRE AVIS SUR CET ÉPISODE – Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates Follow on: Instagram: Microbe_Mail X/Twitter: @microbemail Facebook: MicrobeMail Tiktok: @microbe.mail Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel: Microbe Mail E-mail us: mail.microbe@gmail.com

    25 min

About

Are you looking for a medical podcast covering every day issues in diagnostic tests, antimicrobial therapy and management of infections that is relevant to a low or middle income setting? A show that simplifies complex concepts in an easy to follow conversational format? You've come to the right place. This is Microbe Mail - a medical podcast for the busy practitioner or student covering topics in microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on new episode releases at: https://microbemail.captivate.fm/ Contact us at mail.microbe@gmail.com

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