Dr. Martin Haditsch and Dr. Franz Fellner will be treating the subject of travel medicine at the next Deep Space LIVE on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 8 PM. Their topics range from A (as in automobile accident) to Z (for Zika virus). The two physicians will be taking thoroughly practical approaches to dealing with the dangers of travel and presenting essential preventive measures in ways that are as entertaining as they are informative. In addition to handling travelers’ frequently asked questions like inoculations and malaria prevention, they’ll also go into often neglected aspects such as accident prevention as well as hot topics like the proliferation of the Zika virus. Delivering the visual highlights accompanying their talk in Deep Space 8K is Cinematic Rendering, a software application that makes it possible to display photorealistic, three-dimensional computer tomography and magnetic resonance images of the human body in larger-than-life size.
Dr. Haditsch, your specialty is tropical medicine. How important is this subject in a country like Austria?
Martin Haditsch: Austrians love to travel. Among the one billion border-crossings worldwide each year are Austrians traveling to tropical countries in which certain tropical diseases can be contracted.
Credit: Florian Voggeneder
What should tourists keep in mind from a medical point of view before they depart on their next journey?
Martin Haditsch: Those planning to travel in the tropics in the near future should by all means obtain the latest travel medicine information—the sooner the better!
What role does the Zika virus play in this?
Martin Haditsch: The Zika virus has been known for over 60 years. Actually, it should play no role at all because the basic recommendations haven’t changed: Pregnant women should not travel to the tropics since there are also other diseases such as malaria and hepatitis E that can have very severe effects on pregnant women and can even be deadly. So Zika isn’t all—every traveler should take rigorous precautions to prevent mosquito bites!
Credit: Magdalena Leitner
Do you believe that this virus could also spread here?
Martin Haditsch: I prefer to leave “belief” up to the peaceful religions of our world. We know that this virus is transmitted by only one species of mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, that lives only in the tropics, but—as has already be proven in cases of closely related viruses—it cannot be ruled out that the virus can also be transmitted by the Aedes Albopictus, a closely related mosquito species that is now also found in certain European countries. Thus, there are several factors that have an influence on this, including aspects of climate change.
What do you have in store for visitors to Deep Space LIVE: Anatomy for Everybody – Travel Medicine?
Martin Haditsch: Professor Fellner is a wonderful entertainer: I’m honored and delighted that he’s providing me with this public platform to present health aspects associated with long-distance travel in a way that’s easily understandable by laypeople.
Credit: Magdalena Leitner
How can the Cinematic Rendering program support a speech in Deep Space 8K on the subject of travel medicine?
Martin Haditsch: The high-resolution graphic depictions combined with aspects of diseases associated with travel make it possible for audience members to get fascinating insights into our “corporeal worlds.” I’m not going to go into detail about technical issues here. The best thing to do is: Stop by; you’re in for an interesting surprise!
Cinematic Rendering was actually conceived for radiology and surgery, but are there new technologies like this that also play a role in travel medicine? What developments are taking place in your field at the moment?
Martin Haditsch: In light of what’s just been said, I can only say: Cinematic Rendering is a revolution—even in the fields of radiology and surgery. As for travel medicine, we’re at the very beginning and looking forward to quite an exciting future. Linz, Upper Austria and Austria can consider themselves lucky to have the Ars Electronica Center and a pioneer like Professor Fellner taking the lead in these endeavors.
Deep Space LIVE: Anatomy for Everybody – Travel Medicine is set for Thursday, February 11, 2016, 8-9 PM in Deep Space 8K at the Ars Electronica Center. Reservations are recommended: call 0732.7272.51 or send an e-mail to center@aec.at! More info: https://ars.electronica.art/center/en/2015/12/16/deep-space-live-anatomie-fuer-alle-reisemedizin-2/