This Week in Parasitism

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss loaiasis caused by the filarial nematode  Loa loa . Right-click to download  TWiP #40  (52 MB .mp3, 73 minutes). Links for this episode: Albendazole therapy  for US-bound refugees (NEJM) Microfilaria  of  Loa loa  (png) Loa loa   life cycle  (png) Letters read  on TWiP 40 Contact Send your questions and comments (email...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson review the biology and pathogenesis of the amoebae  Naegleria fowlerii  and  Acanthamoeba castellani . Links for this episode: N. fowlerii   life cycle  (CDC) N. fowlerii at  Artful Amoeba Naegleria  and  amoebic meningoencephalitis  (MDPH) First case  of  Naegleria  PAM in Italy (Emerg Inf Dis) N. fowlerii  in  well water  (E...

Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello  and  Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson  tackle the backlog of listener email, then consider the life cycle and pathogenesis of  Trichomonas vaginalis , the flagellated protozoan transmitted by sexual contact. Links for this episode: T. vaginalis   life cycle  (jpg) T. vaginalis   hydrogenosome  (jpg) Letters read  on TWiP 38 Contact Send your questions and comments...

Vincent and Dickson discuss the life cycle and pathogenesis of Dracunculus medinensis , the filarial nematode that causes dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease. Links for this episode: Dracunculus   emerging from foot  (jpg) Dracunculus medinensis   life cycle  (jpg) Guinea worm  - WHO Guinea worm eradication  - The Carter Center War against  Guinea worm  (YouTube) Caduceus vs staff of Asclepius...

Vincent and Dickson review how gut bacteria help establish   T. muris   in the large intestine of mice.

Vincent and Dickson discuss control of malaria with their Columbia University colleague  David Fidock .

Vincent and Dickson discuss control of malaria and filariasis with the bacterial endosymbiont  Wolbachia .

Vincent and Dickson review an   in silico   pipeline for identifying molecular mimicry candidate proteins in the genomes of parasites, and catch up on listener email.

Vincent and Dickson discuss immune evasion by the cruzain protease of   T. cruzi , and novel tetraspanin antigens of   S. japonicum .

Vincent and Dickson discuss the promising results of a phase III trial of a malaria vaccine in African children.

Vincent and Dickson have a broad-ranging conversation with Charles Knirsch of Pfizer, Inc. about how public-private partnerships can function to control and eliminate infectious diseases.

Vincent and Dickson converse with Peter Hotez about global health, vaccinology, and neglected tropical diseases.

Vincent and Dickson discuss medical entomology with Robert W. Gwadz, Assistant Chief of the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research at NIAID.

Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of trematodes, or flukes, which have a snail as a reservoir host.

Vincent and Dickson take on the schistosomes, agents of a series of related diseases in humans referred to as schistosomiasis.

Vincent and Dickson review  Wuchereria bancrofti , the nematode that causes lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis.

Vincent and Dickson discuss the life cycle and pathogenesis of   Onchocerca volvulus,  the vector-borne filarial nematode parasite that causes onchocerciasis, or river blindness.

Vincent and Dickson review the life cycle and pathogenesis of the world's most unusual parasite, Strongyloides stercoralis .

Vincent and Dickson discuss possibly the most socially and politically important nematode of humans, the hookworm  Ancylostoma duodenale  and  Necator americanus .

Vincent and Dickson review the biology and pathogenesis of   Ascaris lumbricoides , one of the largest nematodes to infect humans.

Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of nematodes with the whipworm  Trichuris trichiura . Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Trichuris trichiura adult female (jpg) Trichuris trichiura adult male (jpg) Trichuris trichiura in situ (jpg) Trichuris trichiura life cycle (jpg) Exploitation of the intestinal microflora by T. muris Letters read on TWiP...

Vincent and Dickson move on to nematodes with a discussion of the pinworm Enterobius vermicularis . Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Enterobius vermicularis adult female (jpg) Enterobius vermicularis in appendix (jpg) Enterobius vermicularis embryonated eggs (jpg) Enterobius vermicularis life cycle (jpg) Letters read on TWiP 19 Contact Send your questio...

Vincent and Dickson discuss the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium, which causes diarrheal disease in most mammalian species. Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Cryptosporidium parvum electron micrograph (jpg) Cryptosporidium parvum meronts (jpg) Cryptosporidium parvum life cycle (jpg) Cryptosporidium page at CDC Letters read on TWiP 18 Contact Send y...

Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of protozoan parasites that cause diarrhea with a review of amebic dysentery caused by Entamoeba histolytica . Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Entamoeba histolytica cyst (jpg) Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite (jpg) Entamoeba histolytica life cycle (jpg) Galactose prevents attachment of amoebae to cells (jp...

Vincent and Dickson review the life cycle and pathogenesis of the flagellated protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia . Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Giardia lamblia trophozoite (jpg) Giardia lamblia cyst (jpg) Giardia lamblia life cycle (jpg) Heather's view of T. canis life cycle (pdf) Letters read on TWiP 16