Today on the podcast we'll look at the parasitic lung fluke, Paragonimus. Parasitology teacher and author, Rosemary Drisdelle joins me to discuss the life cycle, the geography of a couple of the species and how people contract this food borne trematode, or fluke.

In addition, we talk about disease and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this flatworm.

As always, Rosemary includes an interesting nugget about the parasite, like she does in every episode.

November is Clostridium difficile Awareness Month . The C. diff foundation says over 41 individuals lose their life to a Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the United States of America alone every day — It has no boundaries — It can be acquired by anyone – at any location and at any age.

Infectious disease physician and returning expert guest, Steven LaRosa, MD joined to to discuss several aspects of CDI to include diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), new treatments in the pipeline and the future of vaccines were examined.

With all eyes on Nigeria as they battle a monkeypox outbreak that has affected at least 38 people to date, which even prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to send a team, I wanted to touch on something some may have never heard of, or may have forgotten--the 2003 Monkeypox outbreak in the US.

In this short podcast, I discuss who and how many were affected, how this virus found its way to Middle America (the first known cases reported outside Africa) and why researchers say their were no fatalities (monkeypox has a fatality rate in the ballpark of 10 percent).

Today in our running series on parasites, the topic will be the trematode or fluke, Clonorchis sinensis. Clonorchis sinensis, also known as the “Chinese liver fluke” or “Oriental liver fluke”, is found only in Asia.

When clonorchiasis has been reported in non-endemic areas, the infection was found in Asian immigrants, or following ingestion of imported, undercooked or pickled freshwater fish containing metacercariae.

Joining me as always to lend her expertise in answering questions about Clonorchis is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.

What’s the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic and why is this difference important? What is the difference in pandemic preparedness vs epidemic preparedness? These questions were raised after a recent PATH publication, “Healthier world, safer America: A US government roadmap for international action to prevent the next pandemic” in a commentary by CIDRAP director, Michael […]

What’s the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic and why is this difference important?

What is the difference in pandemic preparedness vs epidemic preparedness?

These questions were raised after a recent PATH publication, "Healthier world, safer America: A US government roadmap for international action to prevent the next pandemic" in a commentary by CIDRAP director, Michael Osterholm, PhD.

Dr Osterholm joined be to answer these and other important questions in this show.

In 2016, more than 7,000 diphtheria cases were reported worldwide with about half reported in India. In addition, diphtheria hasn't been seen in Venezuela in decades; however, under a socialist, dictatorial regime, Venezuela has seen the comeback of this vaccine preventable killer to the tune of 450 cases since the summer of 2016.

In this podcast, I briefly talk a little about the history of diphtheria and some recent epidemics.

I was also joined by Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD who answered questions about transmission, pathology, complications, treatment and the vaccines.

There are three main genera of free living amoeba that infect humans -- Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia, Naegleria that are are important causes of disease in humans and animals.

The topic for today’s podcast will be one of them-- Acanthamoeba. Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, free-living amoeba that can cause rare, but severe infections of the eye, skin, and central nervous system.

Joining me to talk about Acanthamoeba is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.

On today's podcast, my special expert guest, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle and I continue our look into the wonderful world of human parasites sticking with the intestinal nematodes--Trichuris trichiura or whipworm.

Along with the other soil-transmitted helminths we've discussed, hookworms, and Ascaris lumbricoides, they infect more than 1.5 billion people globally, or 24% of the world’s population, accounting for a major burden of disease worldwide.

Today we learned that the Madagascar plague outbreak is spreading rapidly throughout the country with UN health officials now reporting some 1300 cases and more than 100 deaths since August.

Last time I did a podcast on plague just a few short days ago, I gave a short history on the plague--the pandemic through current days. Today, I will look at the transmission, disease and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of human plague.

I also discuss briefly the plague vaccine situation.