The Infectious Science Podcast

In this podcast episode, the hosts delve into a fascinating paper published in Nature Communications about Toxoplasma gondii, a single-cell parasite that can alter the behavior of its hosts. The study focused on cougars and wolves in Yellowstone National Park, where their territories overlap, allowing for the spillover of the pathogen. The hosts discuss the importance of Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect warm-blooded animals, including pets, livestock, and birds, and is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans. They also highlight that the direct host is a feline, and everything else is an intermediate host.

The hosts discuss how the parasite can affect behavior, making prey animals bolder and more prone to doing risky things, which puts them at risk around wild cat predators. They compare this subversive style to rabies, where herbivores become more docile when they infect, making them easier prey for predators. The hosts point out that Toxoplasma gondii infects around two billion people in the world, with a high prevalence in the population, but most people deal with the infection without developing any clinical symptoms or disease.

The episode is a fascinating deep dive into the science of Toxoplasma gondii, with insights into its behavior-altering effects and the dangers it can pose to both animals and humans. The hosts also touch on the clinical aspects of the parasite, highlighting the guidelines for screening and treatment in immunocompromised individuals. Overall, it is an engaging and informative episode that will appeal to anyone interested in microbiology, parasitology, and infectious diseases.

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Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this  episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. 

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Description: In this episode, the hosts discuss a serious viral disease called Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) that affects cats and is caused by a feline coronavirus. FIP is almost always fatal, and younger cats are at greater risk of developing it. The hosts also talk about the connection between animal health science, the drug industry, and society and how the One Health approach can help address issues related to animal and human health.

Show Notes:

• Introduction to Feline Coronavirus and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a fatal disease that affects cats
• Discussion about the age group of cats most at risk of developing FIP (less than one and a half years old)
• A conversation about the increase in relinquished animals in shelters due to COVID-19 and misconceptions about pets transmitting COVID-19 to humans
• Personal story of the host's experience with fostering and then adopting a six-month-old cat who was later diagnosed with FIP
• Explanation of how the veterinary staff diagnosed FIP and the severity of the disease
• Discussion about the drug industry's efforts to find a cure for FIP and the challenges of developing drugs for animal diseases
• Introduction to the One Health approach and how it addresses issues related to animal and human health
• Conclusion and thanks for listening

Note: The hosts mention that the story is based on true events, but the names of people and places have been changed for privacy reasons

Send us Fan Mail

Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this  episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. 

Please leave us a review and share this episode with others who may be interested, and don’t hesitate to ask us questions or tell us which topics you want to hear covered in future episodes.

In this podcast episode, we learn about the journey of a successful assistant professor in the department of pathology. Her research background involves drugs of abuse and understanding how they lead to inflammation in the brain. She talks about her educational background, which is quite lengthy and includes several breaks, but ultimately led her to where she is today. She shares personal stories of her struggles with test-taking, her experience as a mom, and how her personal history with substance use disorder inspired her to connect her research to people.

The podcast guest emphasizes the importance of hands-on work in science and taking constructive criticism. She encourages young people who are interested in a career in science to participate in any kind of science and to bring out their personalities, while also maintaining professionalism. She shares a personal story of how her fourth-grade teacher inspired her to pursue science and how she never forgot that lesson.

Overall, this podcast episode is an excellent source of inspiration for anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in science, regardless of their background or struggles. It is a testament that anyone can overcome obstacles and achieve their dream with hard work, perseverance, and the right mentor.

Send us Fan Mail

Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this  episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. 

Please leave us a review and share this episode with others who may be interested, and don’t hesitate to ask us questions or tell us which topics you want to hear covered in future episodes.

At the GNL and UTMB, we have a long-standing history of collaborating with Texas A&M . In this episode, we talk to Dr. Gerald Parker who has an amazing career.  In addition to his role as associate dean for Global One Health, Parker serves as campus director for Global One Health at Texas A&M University. Parker holds joint appointments with the Bush School of Government & Public Service as director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program within the Scowcroft Institute for International Affairs and with Texas A&M AgriLife Research as a strategic advisor for the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases. 

Send us Fan Mail

Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this  episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. 

Please leave us a review and share this episode with others who may be interested, and don’t hesitate to ask us questions or tell us which topics you want to hear covered in future episodes.

 The extraordinary olfactory sense of canines combined with the possibility to learn by operant conditioning enables dogs for their use in medical detection in a wide range of applications. In this episode, we talk with Prof. Holger Volk from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany about medical detection dogs and their ability for the  identification of individuals with infectious or non-infectious diseases. 

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Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast, we hope you enjoyed this  episode. You can find more cool science content on infectiousscience.org. 

Please leave us a review and share this episode with others who may be interested, and don’t hesitate to ask us questions or tell us which topics you want to hear covered in future episodes.

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In this "origins" episode, the hosts Drs. Daniele Swetnam, Matt Dacso, and Dennis Bente explain why they created the Infectious Science Podcast and explain why taking a One Health approach is so important.

Thanks for listening to the Infectious Science Podcast. Be sure to visit infectiousscience.org to join the conversation, access the show notes, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive our free materials.

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