Shazia N. Pesantez-Ruybal is an Infectious Disease Specialist based in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Infectious diseases can be tricky. Symptoms often overlap with other illnesses, and germs can behave differently depending on where someone has been or who they live with. Shazia focuses on helping people get clear answers and the right treatment, especially when an infection is lingering, coming back, or seems unusual.
One key area of care is malaria. Malaria is still a real health issue for people who have travelled, or who have close contact with someone who has. In many cases, early treatment matters, so the main goal is to assess symptoms quickly and check for the cause without delays.
Malaria can look like other fevers at first. People may notice fever, chills, headaches, aches, tiredness, or feeling very unwell. Sometimes the pattern of symptoms doesn’t match what people expect. Shazia helps sort out what fits, and what doesn’t, by looking closely at the story around the illness, including travel history and timing.
Care often includes making sure tests are done at the right time and that results are understood in plain language. If malaria is suspected, the focus is on confirming the diagnosis and planning treatment safely. If malaria is not the cause, the same careful approach still applies, because there are other infections that can cause similar symptoms.
For patients, that can mean a calm, practical plan that doesn’t rush. At times, infections need follow-up to ensure things are improving and that complications are caught early. It also helps to review prevention for the future, especially for people who travel again, work in healthcare, or support family members who move between countries.
In Melbourne, infections aren’t always about travel, though travel is a common piece of the puzzle. Shazia’s work sits within infectious disease medicine, which means thinking broadly about viruses, bacteria, and other causes of illness, then narrowing down to what is most likely for each person.
Overall, the approach is grounded and patient-focused: take the symptoms seriously, use the right checks, and keep care organised so people know what’s happening next.
