This Week in Parasitism

TWiP reviews a phase 2 clinical trial of a recombinant vaccine against N. americanus glutathione S-transferase-1, an enzyme that performs a crucial enzymatic step in hookworm blood feeding.

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• Join the MicrobeTV Discord server
• Phase 2 hookworm vaccine clinical trial (Lancet Inf Dis)
• Phase 2 Schistosoma vaccine clinical trial (Vaccines)
• TWiP study – information and survey

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP solves the case of the male in his 20s from Hokkaido, Japan, who developed fatigue and rash, followed by fever and myalgia 6 days later, after eating a raw bear eyeball.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Hero: Sir Nicholas White (1951 – 2026) (Guardian, Lancet)
• Letters read on TWiP 278
• TWiP study – information and survey

New Case

3 yo child who recently immigrated to the US from Central America is brought in to the ER with acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain. The mother is concerned about the pain as well as nausea and vomiting. This is acute and the ER provider is concerned that this might be an acute surgical emergency. They order an US in this child and they are surprised to see a rather active serpiginous wormlike 'thing' wiggling away in the child's appendix. I was sent the Ultrasound video which I really enjoyed. What to do?

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP reviews the global, regional, and national burden of Chagas disease, and comparison of doxycycline and rifampicin for the treatment of onchocerciasis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Burden of Chagas' disease (Lancet Inf Dis)
• Doxycycline vs rifampicin in treatment of river blindness (Open For Inf Dis)
• The kissing bug by Daisy Hernandez
• TWiP study – information and survey

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP solves the case of the man in his 60s experiencing weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Hero: Bailey K. Ashford
• Letters read on TWiP 276
• TWiP study – information and survey

New Case

Male in his 20s from Hokkaido, Japan, developed fatigue and rash, followed by fever and myalgia 6 days later. He was a group of five individuals on a hunting trip prior to this and reports that 3 friends are just fine but one other individual developed similar symptoms. He reports that they had been hunting the Ussuri brown bear, which is larger and more aggressive than the Asian black bear. They had been successful and all five of them had consumed well cooked bear meat. He does share that he is aware of infectious risk from eating bear and thus the meat was well cooked. He and the one fellow hunter who did get sick were unique in that they each ate one of the eye balls raw. This is a tradition that is felt to give the consumer the great vision that these animals are purported to have.

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP reviews the effectiveness of long-lasting spatial repellent emanators against malaria in humanitarian crisis settings in northern Nigeria, and Dengue suppression by male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Spatial emanators for malaria control (Lancet Inf Dis)
• Dengue suppression with Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes (NEJM)
• Singapore Environmental Health Institute (TWiV 630)
• TWiP study – information and survey

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TWiP solves the case of the 40 year old male who travels to India and develops intestinal bloating and diarrhea.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Hero: Glenn L. Hoffmann
• Fish and seafood consumption (Our World in Data)
• Wild fish vs aquaculture (Our World in Data)
• TWiP study – information and survey

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP reviews intestinal parasites in dogs and their association with clinical manifestations of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Intestinal parasites in dogs (Vet Parasitol)
• Zoonotic protozoal diseases of companion animals (Clin Micr Rev)
• Canine visceral leishmaniasis in stray and owned dogs in Brazil (Acta tropica)
• Zoonotic protozoal diseases of companion animals (Clin Micr Rev)
• Canine visceral leishmaniasis (Leish Vet, pdf)
• Immune Responses in leishmaniasis (Trop Med Inf Dis)
• Canine leishmaniasis in the US (Today's Vet Prac)
• TWiP study - information and survey

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP solves the case about the man with positive Strongyloides serology who is waiting for a kidney transplant.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Chronic strongyloidiasis (Australian Family Physician)
• Hero: Gwendoleen Rees (Wikipedia)
• TWiP study – information and survey
• Letters read on TWiP 272

40 year old man travels to India, is only there for a week before he develops problems. Bloating, diarrhea. Weathers the storm. Returns to US. Stool sent for testing. Some interesting results. Comes back positive for Hymenolepis nana, Blastocystis hominis, Giardia intestinalis. Recommended he take four tablets. Flatulence. HIV negative. He ate food that were prepared in the home but also out. Delhi area.

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Music by Ronald Jenkees

Dear TWiP listeners,

Have you ever wondered how TWiP shapes your understanding of science? We have! To find out more, Christina and the team are running a survey based study to learn more about how TWiP contributes to your scientific literacy and trust in science. Listen to the segment in this episode (TWiP 267) where Christina discusses the study's aims and scope.

Anyone who listens to TWiP can participate. The survey is anonymous and we do not collect personal data that could identify you. There are no potential disadvantages or harms in taking part, other than using a few minutes of your time. You will receive no direct benefit from taking part in this study. However, the information that is collected during this study will give us a better understanding of who our listeners are, and why they choose to listen to TWiP. We can use this understanding to make TWiP even better!

This is an academic study and we aim to disseminate our findings to the wider public, including you. For example, we'll have a conversation about the findings on a future episode of TWiP, we plan conference presentations and publication in a relevant academic journal

The project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Ethics Committee. Application 200250013

You can find the study, detailed participant information, and consent information here:

TWiP study – information and survey

TWiP explores female genital schistosomiasis and associated genital infections in Southern Malawi, a neglected tropical disease.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Join the MicrobeTV Discord server
• Female genital schistosomiasis in Malawi (Parasitology)
• Mainstreaming female genital schistosomiasis (Parasitology)
• Female genital schistosomiasis (WHO)
• TWiP study – information and survey

Become a patron of TWiP

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP solves the case about the man with abnormal brain MRI, and presents a new case for your solving about a man with some electrolyte issues related to his end-stage renal disease.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula

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• Join the MicrobeTV Discord server
• TWiP study – information and survey
• Letters read on TWiP 270

A man in his 20s is admitted to the hospital with some electrolyte issues related to his end-stage renal disease. Infectious disease is consulted as he has a report of a recent positive strongyloides serology test that was done as part of his pre-transplant evaluation. He reports no international travel, no interesting exposures.

Become a patron of TWiP

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Dear TWiP listeners,

Have you ever wondered how TWiP shapes your understanding of science? We have! To find out more, Christina and the team are running a survey based study to learn more about how TWiP contributes to your scientific literacy and trust in science. Listen to the segment in this episode (TWiP 267) where Christina discusses the study's aims and scope.

Anyone who listens to TWiP can participate. The survey is anonymous and we do not collect personal data that could identify you. There are no potential disadvantages or harms in taking part, other than using a few minutes of your time. You will receive no direct benefit from taking part in this study. However, the information that is collected during this study will give us a better understanding of who our listeners are, and why they choose to listen to TWiP. We can use this understanding to make TWiP even better!

This is an academic study and we aim to disseminate our findings to the wider public, including you. For example, we'll have a conversation about the findings on a future episode of TWiP, we plan conference presentations and publication in a relevant academic journal

The project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Ethics Committee. Application 200250013

You can find the study, detailed participant information, and consent information here:

TWiP study – information and survey