This Podcast Will Kill You is an American podcast hosted by disease ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke. Its first full-length episode was released on October 31, 2017. New episodes were released weekly until the second season, when they were released every two weeks. Each week a different disease is covered, the majority of which are infectious diseases with some exceptions, such as scurvy in episode 19.
"This Podcast Will Kill You" is part of the Exactly Right Podcast Network, created by the hosts of "My Favorite Murder."
Structure of Episodes Each episode is about an hour in duration and generally starts with a firsthand account of someone affected by the disease. After that, the hosts create a mixed drink that is connected to the disease, called a 'Quarantini', in a segment known as 'Quarantini time'. After this introduction, the biology of the disease is explained, then history, epidemiology, and finally, the disease's effect on the modern world. Generally, Welsh tells the history of the disease and Updyke explains the biology epidemiology. Finally, the hosts cite the sources used to present the information, and supply a link to their website where the sources can be found.
History Erin Allmann Updyke, co-host, has an M.S. in epidemiology from the University of Hawaii and a Ph.D. in entomology and an M.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Erin Welsh, co-host, has an M.S. in epidemiology from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "The Erins," as they've coined themselves, started "This Podcast Will Kill You" because they felt that the medical knowledge that they have gained from their education rarely transfers out of the academia world. They wanted to make medical knowledge more accessible and easier to understand to the general public, without diluting it. Their first episode aired on October 31, 2017. In 2018, prior to launching Season 2, "This Podcast Will Kill You" joined The Exactly Right Network. In doing so, their downloads rose four times. The show was nominated for a 2019 Webby Award in the Science and Education Podcasts category. In 2020, they started a special series of episodes focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Season 6 featured a miniseries of bonus episodes focussing on popular science books, "TPWKY book club".
List of Episodes Season 1 +DateEpisodeTitleOctober 23, 20170TrailerOctober 31, 20171Influenza Will Kill YouNovember 7, 20172[Leprosy:] Skin in the Game, Horse in the RaceNovember 14, 20173[Smallpox:] GnarlypoxNovember 21, 20174[Cholera:] The Poop ShowNovember 28, 20175Plague Part I: The GMOATDecember 5, 20176Plague Part II: TGFADecember 12, 20177Hit Me With Your Best (Polio) ShotDecember 19, 20178ABRACADABRA - Go Away Malaria!January 2, 20189Tuberculosis: A Slow BurnJanuary 9, 201810Yellow Fever: Is there a Hamilton song about this?January 16, 201811Ebola: The New Kid on the BlockJanuary 23, 201812HIV/AIDS: Apathy Will Kill YouJanuary 30, 201813Bonus Episode: HIV/AIDSFebruary 27, 2018 -Don't Tread on my Monkshood: Crossover with IDOP
Season 2 +DateEpisodeTitleNovember 27, 201814Rabies, Don't dilute me, broDecember 11, 201815MRSA: Make resistance Susceptible AgainDecember 24, 201816Scratch and Sniff Diphtheria MembraneJanuary 8, 201917Oh No Tetrodo: Crossover with TBOSPJanuary 22, 201918Hantavirus: The Real Rat RaceFebruary 5, 201919Scurvy: Thanks a lot, evolutionFebruary 20, 201920Prions: Apocalypse CowMarch 5, 201921Measles: The Worst SouvenirMarch 19, 201922Belladonna will dilate your mind: Crossover with IDOPApril 2, 201923Opening a can of HookwormsApril 16, 201924Zika: Rumors and RumoursApril 30, 201925Put your hands together for: Gonorrhea!May 16, 201926Vaccines Part I: Let's hear it for MauriceMay 21, 201927Vaccines Part II: Have you thanks your immune system lately?May 28, 201928H.pylori: Don't try this at homeJune 11, 201929Aspirin the Wonder Drug: Crossover w/ IDOPJune 25, 201930Encephalitis Lethargica: Sleep Perchance to Dream (& Dream & Dream)July 9, 201931Giardia: GerardiaJuly 23, 201932Ask the ErinsAugust 6, 201933Chytrid: The Silent ForestAugust 20, 201934Cystic Fibrosis: Complete Somatic RebellionSeptember 3, 201935Lyme Disease: I'd like to check you for ticks
Season 3 +DateEpisodeTitleOctober 29, 201936Shades of SyphilisNovember 12, 201937E. coli (unless it's beets)November 26, 201938Lead Poisoning: Heavy Metal EpisodeDecember 10, 201939Toxoplasmosis: Calling All CatsDecember 24, 201940Dancing Plague: Worst Dance Party EverJanuary 7, 202041Ricin: A Bad Seed (crossover with IDOP)January 21, 202042Dandy Dengue FeverFebruary 4, 202043M-m-m-my CoronavirusesFebruary 18, 202044Pertussis: Whoop Here It IsMarch 3, 202045Hepatitis C: Hepatiti?March 17, 202046Lactose Intolerance: Never trust a fartMarch 31, 202047Schistosomiasis: A Snail's PaceApril 14, 202048Botulism: Why are you the way you are?April 28, 202049Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Triple EEEk!May 12, 202050Antibiotics: We owe it all to chemistry!May 26, 202051The Path of Most (Antibiotic) ResistanceJune 23, 202052Rinderpest: Moo Cows, Moo ProblemsJuly 7, 202053Radiation: X-Ray Marks the SpotJuly 21, 202054Wake up and Smell the CaffeineAugust 4, 202055Rocky Mountain spotted fever: the Tick must be destroyed! August 18, 202056Sickle Cell Disease: Invisible Illness, Enduring StrengthSeptember 1, 202057Herpes: Stop the STIgmaSeptember 15, 202058Guinea worm: (Almost) Ancient HistorySeptember 29, 202059Thalidomide: Justice Delayed, Justice DeniedOctober 13, 202060Giving birth to "the pill"
Season 4 +DateEpisodeTitleDecember 1, 202061Typhoid: There's Something About MaryDecember 15, 202062Leishmaniasis, Relationship Status: It's ComplicatedDecember 29, 202063Poison Ivy: It's Just Us January 12, 202164Rubella: Timing is EverythingJanuary 26, 202165Sweating Sickness: Ready, Sweat, Go!February 9, 202166The Outs and Ins of Organ TransplantationFebruary 23, 202167HPV: My wart be with youMarch 9, 202168Coccidioidomycosis: It's never a spider biteMarch 23, 202169Huntington's disease: Let's talk franklyApril 6, 202170Henrietta Lacks: HeLa There, & EverywhereApril 20, 202171Onchocerciasis/River Blindness: So many mysteriesMay 4, 202172White-Nose Syndrome: How deep is your torpor?May 18, 202173Puerperal Fever: Seriously, wash your handsJune 1, 202174Naegleria fowleri: The "brain eating amoeba"June 15, 202175Mercury: The cost of progressJune 29, 202176Chickenpox: There's always a ‘but’July 13, 202177Legionnaires’ Disease: A Killer MistJuly 27, 202178Bartonella: Keep Calm and CarriónAugust 10, 202179Hemophilia: A Hemorrhagic DispositionAugust 24, 202180Dysentery loves a disasterSeptember 7, 202181Chagas disease: The Reverse Triple DiscoverySeptember 21, 202182Anthrax: The Hardcore SporeOctober 5, 202183Diabetes: Short & SweetOctober 19, 202184West Nile virus: The Crow in the Coal MineNovember 2, 202185Alcohol: Beer for Thought
Season 5 In Season 5, a few of the regular podcast episodes were followed by a special episode often going deeper into detail on what was covered in the previous episode. DateEpisodeTitleDecember 14, 202186Typhus: Another lousy episodeDecember 28, 202187C. diff: Fighting poop with poopJanuary 11, 202288Endometriosis: menstrual backwash January 25, 202289Hepatitis B: Hepatiti, Take 2February 1, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Hep B stigma & discriminationFebruary 8, 202290Human African Trypanosomiasis: A lot to unpackFebruary 15, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Human African Trypanosomiasis & drug developmentFebruary 22, 202291Myxomatosis: Down the rabbit holeMarch 1, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease VirusMarch 8, 202292Multiple Sclerosis: Scarred nerves & skating saintsMarch 15, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Epstein-Barr virusMarch 22, 202293Lightning & Other Stories: Power Hour (and a Half)March 29, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: ElectricityApril 19, 202294Chlamydia: Double TroubleApril 26, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Chlamydia, Koalas and More!May 3, 202295Tetanus: An inhuman calamity!May 10, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: On the Origin of EpidemiologyMay 17, 202296Tapeworm: We encyst you listenMay 24, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Coprolites!May 31, 202297Snake Venoms: Collateral DamageJune 7, 2022SpecialSpecial Episode: Snake Venom EvolutionJune 14, 202298Folate: Marmite, anyone?June 28, 202299Salmonella: A hard egg to crackJuly 12, 2022100Monkeypox: Here we go again?July 26, 2022101Immortality; This Podcast Won't Kill YouAugust 9, 2022102Arsenic: Paris Green with EnvyAugust 31, 2022103Leptospirosis: Don't blame the ratsSeptember 6, 2022104The Bends: Industrial Revolution, BabySeptember 20, 2022105Down in the MumpsOctober 7, 2022106Turner Syndrome: Let's talk about XNovember 4, 2022107Sepsis: It's a messNovember 4, 2022108Gout: Toetally fascinatingNovember 15, 2022109Chikungunya: Not dengue (or is it?)November 29, 2022110Influenza, Take 2: Fowl Play
Season 6 DateEpisodeTitleJanuary 31, 2023111RSV: What's syncytial anywayFebruary 14, 2023112Epilepsy: It's always the phlegmFebruary 28, 2023113Vitamin D: The D stands for drama March 14, 2023114Listeria: It put Dairy on the mapMarch 28, 2023115Altitude Sickness: Balloons though?April 11, 2023116It's never lupus (except this time)May 15, 2023117Bedbugs: Bug-bitten and bedeviledJune 6, 2023118Asbestos: Corruption and cancer and corporate greed, oh my!July 4, 2023119Marburg virus: Too fast, too furiousJuly 18, 2023120Acetaminophen/Paracetamol: Pain. KillerAugust 1, 2023121Tularemia: Hare today, gone tomorrowAugust 15, 2023122Asthma: A phlegmy episodeAugust 29, 2023123Hand, Foot, and Mouth (and Butt?) DiseaseSeptember 12, 2023124The full spectrum of color vision deficiencySeptember 26, 2023125Blastomycosis: How fungus became amongusOctober 10, 2023126Migraine: A Cacophany in Four MovementsOctober 24, 2023127Bhopal: The 1984 Union Carbide DisasterNovember 7, 2023128Skin Cancer: We love and fear the sunNovember 21, 2023129Lymphatic Filariasis: Hiding in plain sightDecember 5, 2023130Cocoliztli: We do love a salty dishDecember 19, 2023131Parkinson's Disease: Dopamine & discoveriesJanuary 2, 2024132Osteogenesis Imperfecta: All bones about itJanuary 16, 2024133Parvoviruses: Who let the dogs (and their viruses) out?January 30, 2024134Tonsils: Underestimated and underappreciatedFebruary 13, 2024135Menopause is whatever you want it to be
Season 7