G-CQT4R3X2EH Outbreak response - Microbe Mail

Episode 72

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Published on:

8th Jul 2025

Outbreak response

In this episode, we dive into the world of outbreak response with two incredible guests from South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Drawing from their wealth of experience on the front lines of investigating and containing infections of public health concern, they share insights into what it really takes to respond swiftly, strategically, and effectively when outbreaks strike.

About our Guests:

Dr Vuyiswa Kumalo is a medical officer in the Outbreak Response Unit of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She has over a decade’s experience as a clinician, currently pursuing a specialist physician fellowship in Public Health Medicine. She has extensive experience and expertise in clinical research and community health technical skills, and knowledge. Dr. Saffiya Umar is a medical Officer at the NICD’s Outbreak Response Unit of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She graduated from UKZN and has since garnered a wealth of knowledge in community health. She has a special interest in tropical medicine, communicable diseases and public health.

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About the Podcast

Microbe Mail

Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Podcast

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

About your hosts

Juhi Panday

Dr. Juhi Panday is a Research Co-investigator and Locum Medical Officer. She holds Postgraduate Diplomas in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, and HIV Management, as well as a Professional Master’s in Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Therapy. Her passion lies in antimicrobial resistance, infectious and neglected tropical conditions. She is eager to merge her interest with the work of the Microbe Mail team!

Vindana Chibabhai

Vin is an Associate Professor in the Division of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CMID), Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and a practising clinical microbiologist with the National Health Laboratory Service. She is passionate about microbes (of course), antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, diagnostics, healthcare associated infections, fungal infections, One Health...let's just say it's a very long list!

She is always looking for new ways to engage with clinicians and improve their understanding of microbiology and infections. This podcast is the perfect way to do just that!

She loves to be involved in research which will impact management of infections in lower-middle income settings. On Microbe Mail episodes, her views are her own.

Tshiama Miriam Mwamba

Jamie Colloty

Jamie is a medical officer/sub-investigator currently based at Wits VIDA (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Analytics) Nkanyezi Research site at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Johannesburg. She has completed her Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Wits), Diploma in HIV Management (CMSA), and is undertaking her Masters in Public Health through Imperial College London, with a research focus on culture-confirmed neonatal sepsis and meningitis cases in Johannesburg. She is passionate about antimicrobial stewardship and resistance, as well as the role of climate change on emerging infectious diseases. She is excited to combine her interest in microbiology with the work of the Microbe Mail team!

Nonkululeko Mntla

"Just call me Nonks".
Despite her proudly South African name being as much of a tongue twister as one of the fascinating organisms she often works with, (Iooking at you Stenotrophomonas maltophilia), she is simply mad about Micro. "How interesting it is to be able to identify what organism is causing an infection, to know how it is causing the infection, what therapy can be used against it, what to do if the organism counterattacks with its arsenal of resistance mechanisms, and how to prevent that organism from spreading. That's what I enjoy most, but there is so much more."

Nonks is a Clinical Microbiologist based in Johannesburg, working in the private field; and is affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand. She has a passion for bridging the understanding between the pathology noted in the laboratory and the patient at the bedside.

Esther Simone

Esther is a researcher, writer and podcast editor. She holds a degree in the arts and is currently pursuing a qualification in psychology.
In her own words "The choice to join Microbemail as editor was the easiest one I've ever made. The podcast is fascinating and I learn so much each time I sit down to edit. I see it as a valuable addition to the toolbox of any clinician."

Fathima Suleman

Dr. Fathima Suleman is a junior doctor, who works in a KZN-based hospital's Microbiology department. She is underway with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Her interest lie in antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases. She is passionate about bridging the gap between laboratory medicine and clinical medicine. Coming from a background of graphic design, she is eager to add flare to the Microbe Mail social media.

Ruan Marais

Ruan is a Clinical Microbiologist with dual fellowships in Medical Microbiology and Medical Virology from the South African College of Pathologists, a MSc in virology from Imperial College London and is working towards his PhD in Bioinformatics at the University of Cape Town (UCT). He is currently a Crick Africa Network Career Acceleration Fellow and contributing investigator at CIDRI based at UCT with work focusing on the development of novel molecular techniques and software for infectious disease diagnostics and their translation to clinical care. Views expressed on the Microbe Mail podcast are his own.

Vinitha Alex

Dr. Vinitha Alex is a Clinical Microbiologist based in Johannesburg, South Africa and a Microbiology lecturer affiliated to the University of the Witwatersrand. Her particular areas of interest are antimicrobial stewardship, diagnostic stewardship, infection prevention and control, healthcare informatics, medical training and research and development.
She is keen on taking clinical microbiology to the grass root level, making it understandable & accessible to healthcare providers, particularly in areas of low expertise/ specialist availability. She is passionate about improving guideline compliance, fighting the spread of antimicrobial resistance and creating a system that makes good health economic sense.