S3E2: The growing threat

S3E2: The growing threat

Author: Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp April 10, 2025 Duration: 25:52

Imagine waking up one day feeling like your bones are breaking... Bone-break fever, or dengue, is a growing global threat fuelled by the climate crisis and urbanisation. In this episode, we uncover the creative, local and collective solutions needed to fight this disease, while the mosquitos that spread it are doing their best to outsmart us.

Have you encountered a tiger mosquito and are you in Belgium? Go to www.muggensurveillance.be and report your sighting!

For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.

This episode features:

  • Ruth Müller, biologist and entomologist, Head of the Unit of Entomology (ITM)
  • Veerle Vanlerberghe, epidemiologist and education coordinator at Department of Public Health (ITM)
  • Jakke (Jan) Van Den Abbeele, parasitologist and insect molecular biologist, Head of the Unit of Trypanosoma (ITM)
  • Francesca Falconi, ITM alumna, microbiologist at Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Lima, Peru

Follow ITM and our work on:

To learn more about ITM's research on disease elimination, visit  www.itg.be/en/research/disease-elimination

Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans

Creation & Production: Sonhouse


Produced by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Transmission is an award-winning series that moves far beyond the laboratory walls. This podcast follows the intricate, often unpredictable paths of researchers and doctors as they engage with global health challenges where they happen. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from the field-whether that’s a remote village grappling with an Ebola outbreak, a city navigating the complexities of COVID-19, or a conflict zone where healthcare is a fragile lifeline. The conversations delve into the human stories behind the science, tackling difficult subjects like the stigma surrounding HIV or the preventable tragedy of maternal mortality. It’s about the real-world application of medicine and the pursuit of equity in health, from engaging with indigenous communities to understanding the social dynamics that allow diseases to spread. Tune in for a grounded, thoughtful exploration of what it truly takes to build a healthier world. Each episode of this podcast connects the dots between scientific discovery, cultural context, and the lived experiences of both caregivers and communities, offering a nuanced perspective you won’t find in a textbook.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 15

Transmission
Podcast Episodes
S3E4: Innovation and hope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:28
From new ways to control mosquitoes to the rise of African-led research: tune in to see the future of disease elimination. This episode will take you deep into the Peruvian Amazon, where our researchers are collecting bl…
S3E3: The last mile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:07
In this episode, we walk the last mile of disease elimination—the hardest mile of all, with few cases left to study. Discover the logistical, financial and mental challenges that come with it, as our researchers gather c…
S3E1: Breaking the triangle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:14
In this episode, we explore the deadly triangle that sustains many infectious diseases. We look over the shoulders of the experts who are fighting sleeping sickness, witnessing their progress... and their setbacks. Prepa…
Transmission: Season 3 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09
Episode NotesWelcome to Transmission, the award-winning podcast by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. In season 3, you’ll follow our researchers as they try to control the diseases that threaten the world, fr…
S2E4: Resilience - the only way to prepare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:35
Urbanisation, ageing, climate change, a new pandemic... How we can prepare our health systems if we don't know what's going to hit them next? The answer lies within all of us: we must become more resilient.For more infor…
S2E3: In search of quality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:38
When buying medication, we don't usually ask ourselves, "Is this going to be effective?" or "Is it safe?" Yet all over the world, people worry about the quality of health products and care they get. And rightly so. Follo…
S2E2: Access - something worth fighting for [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Racism, conflict, lack of funding, transportation issues, lifestyle or stigma: there are a lot of factors that can keep people from getting the care and medication they need. In this episode, we explore those hurdles all…
S2E1: Don't take it for granted [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:29
If we imagine a health system as a box, then what would it contain? And what happens if it gets shaken – by a conflict, a pandemic or even something as seemingly unrelated as structural traffic jams? Join us, as we trave…
Transmission: Season 2 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01
Transmission is the new podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Our enlightening and intimate series shares the personal and professional experiences of researchers and physicians as they relentlessly b…
S1E4: The next one [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:35
When it comes to the next pandemic, the question is not "if" but "when". In this compelling episode, you will meet the most likely candidates for the next outbreak, and find out how well-prepared we are for it.For more i…