Outbreak News Radio

Diphyllobothrium latum and related species (the fish or broad tapeworm) are the largest known tapeworms that can infect people, can grow up to 35 feet long.

In the latest installment of the Parasites 101 series on the podcast, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to talk about Diphyllobothrium latum.

A study, originally published in January in the journal, PLoS One, looked at the differences in geographical distribution of Lyme disease.

Researchers suggests that under environmentally-realistic conditions, southern environments exert greater mortality pressure on ticks than is experienced by northern ticks, because of the increased desiccation stress under the warmer southern conditions.

They hypothesize that host-seeking nymphs in southern populations of Ixodes scapularis remain below the leaf litter surface, while northern nymphs seek hosts on leaves and twigs above the litter surface. This behavioral difference potentially results in decreased tick contact with humans in the south, and fewer cases of Lyme disease.

Howard Ginsberg, PhD, Professor with the Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology at University of Rhode Island joined me to talk about the USGS-led study.

Every year around this time we start to see reports of swimmer’s itch around the country. Common lore in the media is that this is caused by “duck fleas” in freshwater and ‘sea lice’ in salt water; however, this is not correct. Instead, swimmer’s itch is caused by the larvae of a parasite called schistosomes. […]

Every year around this time we start to see reports of swimmer's itch around the country. Common lore in the media is that this is caused by "duck fleas" in freshwater and 'sea lice' in salt water; however, this is not correct.

Instead, swimmer's itch is caused by the larvae of a parasite called schistosomes. A number of birds like ducks and gulls and some mammals like beavers can be infected with the parasite in their blood.

Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to go over the ins-and-outs of swimmer's itch.

Here in the state of Florida, dozens of confirmed cases of the bacterial infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus occur annually, along with dozens more in the other Gulf states.

My guest, Infectious Disease specialist, a Forbes contributor, Judy Stone, MD said in a recent piece, "Infections from Vibrio vulnificus are a summer staple, and are increasing along with global warming."

Dr. Stone joined me to discuss Vibriosis caused by Vibrio vulnificus and the effects of warming seawaters on it's presence in more parts of the world.

Everything in life carries some risk it seems and this includes becoming an inpatient in a hospital. There are a number of risks associated with hospitals and one is acquiring infections--Hospitals are loaded with nasty bugs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).

I was joined by Chair & Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) and the Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions at Texas State University, Rodney Rohde, PhD to discuss several topics concerning HAIs.

An anti-vaccine sentiment is alive and well in the US and abroad. This is not a new phenomena, but it has seen a resurgence in the past 20 odd years.  What are the arguments, who are the cast of characters and how can become more active in promoting vaccination to friends, family, and the public […]

An anti-vaccine sentiment is alive and well in the US and abroad. This is not a new phenomena, but it has seen a resurgence in the past 20 odd years.

What are the arguments, who are the cast of characters and how can become more active in promoting vaccination to friends, family, and the public at large?

Associate Professor at the Kent State University College of Public Health and author of the recently published paper in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: a Review and Call to Action, Tara C. Smith, PhD joined me on the show to answer these questions.

The modern lifestyle of those in the developed world and  it’s emphasis on hyper-cleanliness, is taking a toll on children’s lifelong health–Kids not being exposed to good microbes, the over-use of antibiotics and the like have resulted in rises in asthma, allergies and a lengthy list of other chronic conditions. Coauthor of the book, Let Them […]

The modern lifestyle of those in the developed world and it's emphasis on hyper-cleanliness, is taking a toll on children's lifelong health--Kids not being exposed to good microbes, the over-use of antibiotics and the like have resulted in rises in asthma, allergies and a lengthy list of other chronic conditions.

Coauthor of the book, Let Them Eat Dirt --Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World and the Peter Wall Distinguished Professor at the University of British Columbia, B. Brett Finlay, PhD joined me to talk about several issues from the book.