TWiP solves the case of the Homeless Man With Skin Issues, and discusses an experimental mRNA based malaria vaccine.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin

Download TWiP #196 (49 MB .mp3, 81 minutes)

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Entomophagy (TWiP 131)
• Malaria mRNA vaccine (NPJ vaccines)
• Letters read on TWiP 196

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 196

30 yo woman having areas of swelling in different parts of body, blood work shows elevated eosinophils. History: prior had been travelling around SE Asia. Had some loose stools on return, some tingling in fingers, otherwise fine. Adventurous eater, fish, pickled fish, salads. Previously in good health, no surgeries, all in family healthy. No meds. Lives alone. Went to Indonesia and Thailand. Toxic habits: no smoking, drinks periodically, HIV negative. On exam: swollen area on arm, biopsy is done. Pathologist report: cross section has what appears to be larval nematode.  

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

TWiP solves the case of the Long Island Man with Unilateral Eye Pain, followed by a discussion of how enteric helminth coinfection enhances host susceptibility to West Nile virus by a tuft cell-IL-4 receptor signaling axis.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Guest: Christina Naula

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Helminth infection enhances West Nile viruses pathogenesis (Cell)
• Hero: Franz Von Lichtenberg
• Letters read on TWiP 194

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 194

Woman in 40s, on return from Puerto Rico where she often went. Went to local beaches, brought their dogs. Noticed problem on foot, raised red serpiginous lines, slowly moving all over the foot. Bloodwork showed elevated eosinophils. 

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Audun returns to help solve the case of the Ecuadorean Gentleman Treated for COVID-19, followed by a discussion of the interaction of Blastocystis with the intestinal microbiota and the immune system, and of course a new clinical case from Daniel.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Guest: Audun Lier

Download TWiP #192 (46 MB .mp3, 76 minutes)

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Blastocystis interactions with gut microbiota and immune system (PLoS Path)
• Hero: Lucy Engel Graves Taliaferro
• Letters read on TWiP 193

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 193

Male, 50s, seen by physician for unilateral eye pain, blurred vision, watery drainage. Soft contact lens wearer. Given eye drops, oral medication, sent for another opinion when does not resolve. Has hypertension, hyperlipidemia, no surgeries, no allergies, is on hypertension/statin med. Works in store. No toxic substance use. HIV negative. Lives on large piece of land with his own well, away from city, own septic tank. Left eye is very red. Ophthalmologist report: decreased visual acuity in left eye, injection of conjunctiva, edema, erosions, send corneal scrapings for culture. Swims in Long Island Sound. No travel history. No pets. 

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiPers solve the case of the Teenager in Malawi with Red Urine, then Audun joins to present our clinical case for this episode.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Guest: Audun Lier

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Hero: George B. Craig
• Letters read on TWiP 192

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 192

Older gentlemen with chills, muscle aches, headaches, shortness of breath, family members same symptoms. Hypertension, diabetes. From rural Ecuador, worked in timber industry, worked on farm. No pets. COVID positive. Treated with steroids, ab. Got worse over next two weeks. Developed bloodstream infection and pneumonia. Saw serpiginous trail on diagnostic agar plate of sputum sample. Started on treatment and recovered. No eosinophils on admission, later developed eosinophilia. 

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiPers solve the case of the Rural Man from North Carolina with Blurred Vision, and discuss the results of single-cell RNA sequencing of Schistosoma mansoni.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• RNAseq atlas of S. mansoni (Science)
• Hero: Kathleen Hussey
• Letters read on TWiP 191

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 191

Visit in Malawi, capital, teenage son of USAID worker urine has started to turn red. New to Malawi. On weekends go 2.5 hr east to lake and place to swim, Lake Malawi. Given pills, taken morning and night, clears up. Rest of family has been swimming in Lake Malawi. All in family are healthy. 

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Christina from Glasgow returns to help the TWiPlets solve the case of the Ghanian Woman with Abdominal Mass, followed by discussion of the impact of COVID-19 on malaria morbidity and mortality in Africa.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Guest: Christina Naula

Download TWiP #190 (57 MB .mp3, 94 minutes)

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• COVID-19 effects on malaria in Africa (Lancet)
• Hero: Clark Read
• Letters read on TWiP 190

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 190

Male, 50 yo, rural NC, suddenly notices blurred vision right eye. Went away 1 hr later, normal vision. Returned next night, same eye, then corrected. Went to local doctor, sent to larger med center, went to Presbyterian Hospital NYC. Had exposure to various animals, normal diet. Dickson and Dr. Brown went to see this gentleman. Examined by head of ophthalmology dept. Dickson looked through ophthalmoscope and saw cause of his blurred vision in anterior chamber of eye. Next morning when were going to remove it, had penetrated optic nerve and disappeared. Sent home and never heard from again. Made living by selling hunting dogs, ran a kennel. 

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Dickson, Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Baby with Hydrocephalus, and present a new clinical case for listeners to solve.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• PWB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Letters read on TWiP 188

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 188

Man in 90s, suffering for months, healthy, hypertension, diabetes, large man, over 6 ft, 200 lb, rash. Full body rash for months. Gone through allergy med, cream, prednisone, some helped but regressed. Tried ivermectin 3 pills, got better for a few weeks, then rash worsened. Primary care doc did thorough exam, found abnormal area between toes, did scraping, sent to lab. When came back, asked some questions. Wife is also suffering. Gave larger dose of ivermectin, repeated 2 weeks later, wife also treated, and then recover. Not COVID-19, no HIV-AIDS, no drinking or smoking. Started before COVID, first in wife. Had gone on trip, not far away, stayed in hotel. No pets.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Dickson, Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Middle Aged Woman with Loss of Vision in One Eye, and discuss the role of heme oxygenase in the various protozoan infections.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email

Links for this episode

• Heme oxygenase-1 in protozoan infections (PLoS Path)
• Support Floating Doctors at PWB
• Letters read on TWiP 187

Become a patron of TWiP

Case Study for TWiP 187

Pregnant newly married, living North Shore, first pregnancy. Affluent family, measured successful lawyer who cooks. Organic eating. Boy born at 9 mo, has midwife, has delivery at home. Baby has enlarged head. OB diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Mother healthy. No meds. Works in retail store, lives with husband, not working for second half of pregnancy. Drank alcohol rarely. No significant travel. Patient reports having no pets but her brother owns small farm, and husband likes serving rare meats, all kinds, which she has eaten since she married him. Will do ultrasound, CT, blood work.

Music by Ronald Jenkees