Ep 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system
If you’ve ever read the little instructions pamphlet included in a box of tampons, you probably came across a paragraph calling attention to a condition called toxic shock syndrome (TSS). It describes the association between TSS and tampon use, symptoms of TSS, and guidance on how to reduce risk. This legally mandated warning label has formed an indelible link connecting tampons and TSS, and indeed, tampons form a large part of the story of TSS. But they are not the entire story. In this episode, we delve into that full story, examining what TSS actually is, the pathogens it’s associated with, and how it was first identified. If you’ve had TSS questions ever since you first heard of it in health class or on your box of tampons, this is the episode for you! Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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1:25:20
Ep 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine
This week, we’re coming at you with a classic TPWKY episode on one of the most notorious poisons out there: strychnine. Although strychnine might not flash across too many headlines these days, it was once imported by the ton in certain regions of the world. What did people want with so much strychnine? Depends on who you ask. Maybe it was for a revitalizing tonic, maybe a rat poison, or maybe it was to murder the founder of a famous university. Tune in to learn how this deadly poison acts on the body and keep listening for a very special musical treat. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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1:19:33
Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots
For the past few months, measles has been in regular rotation in the news cycle here in the US, with outbreaks occurring across the country in regions with low vaccine uptake. These outbreaks represent a worrying trend in the rejection of scientific and medical expertise, with long-term consequences not only for those individuals refusing vaccines but also the communities to which they belong. In this TPWKY book club episode (recorded March 14, 2025), Dr. Adam Ratner joins us to discuss his book Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's Health. With his firsthand experience treating children with measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, Dr. Ratner provides a powerful perspective on the dangers of the measles virus and vaccine hesitancy. What can we learn from the history of measles and the measles vaccine rollout? Why is measles such a dangerous virus? Where do we go from here? Tune in for all this and more. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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52:32
Ep 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2
Last week, we started this two-parter with a big picture view of pasteurization and the raw milk movement. In this episode, we address the alleged health claims made by proponents of raw milk and dive into the very real risks carried by its consumption. Is raw milk actually better for you? Does it have more vitamins or prevent allergies? What deadly pathogens does it harbor? How much does drinking raw milk increase your chance of contracting a milk-related disease? (Spoilers: A LOT). We tackle these questions with reliable data that paint a very different picture of raw milk than that shown by many raw milk influencers. Tune in for all this and more. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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1:00:27
Ep 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1
Seriously, what’s the deal? Lately, it seems like raw milk has started to pop up more and more frequently in our feeds, with influencers touting the alleged health benefits of raw milk over pasteurized milk. In this and next week’s episode, we explore the raw milk phenomenon as it has grown over the past few decades. We start this two-parter with a look at the dangers of milk in a pre-pasteurization world, how Pasteur developed the life-saving process that bears his name, the subsequent rise of anti-pasteurizers, and how the anti-science sentiment surrounding raw milk today reveals a larger and more troubling agenda. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This podcast might not actually kill you, but Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke cover so many things that can. In each episode, they tackle a different topic, teaching listeners about the biology, history, and epidemiology of a different disease or medical mystery. They do the scientific research, so you don’t have to.
Since 2017, Erin and Erin have explored chronic and infectious diseases, medications, poisons, viruses, bacteria and scientific discoveries. They’ve researched public health subjects including plague, Zika, COVID-19, lupus, asbestos, endometriosis and more.
Each episode is accompanied by a creative quarantini cocktail recipe and a non-alcoholic placeborita.
Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She’s an epidemiologist and disease ecologist currently in the final stretch of her family medicine residency program.
This Podcast Will Kill You is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including science, true crime, comedic interviews, news, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Buried Bones, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast and more.
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