Vincent and Daniel solve the case of the Panamanian Farmer with Three Weeks of Diarrhea, and discuss how microbes egested during bites of sand flies exacerbate the severity of leishmaniasis.

Hosts: Vincent Racanielloand Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Sand fly microbesand leishmaniasis severity (Cell Host Micr)
• Letters read on TWiP 153

Case Study for TWiP 153

Man in clinic, in city recently, developed rash in groin area, concerned about this. Lives in open relationship with male partner, had sexual encounter with another male. Few weeks. Rash is in the pubic hair, is very itchy. Mostly around umbilicus, can see blue spots in this area. These are skin changes. Buys magnifying glass to look and describes seeing things which we see as well. No notable medical history.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP peeps solve the case of the Panamanian Mother with Steatorrhea, and reveal new monoclonal antibodies that effectively block malarial infection.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Plasmodiumimmunity from injected sporozoites(Nature)
• New monoclonal prevents malaria infection(Nat Med)
• Parasite Hero: Carlos Chagas
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 152

Case Study for TWiP 152

40 yo man in same Panamanian village, diarrhea for several weeks, notices blood mixed in with stool. Works in fields. No weight change, no fever, but tired. Drinking water from rooftop, lives in home with wooden slat floor, no electricity, many animals around, no one else sick in family. Lower belly tenderness, normal rectal exam. Farmer with 3 weeks of bloody diarrhea.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The Podfessors solve the case of the Itchy Child from Panama, and discuss competition for blood in human malaria-helminth co-infections.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Competingfor Blood (Ecol Letters)
• Parasite Hero: William C. Campbell
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 151

Case Study for TWiP 151

Woman in 30s, mother of last two boys we saw, same locale. Concerned about abdominal pain for 3 years. Fullness, bloating of lower abdomen. No blood in stool, but occasionally loose stools, difficult to clean, stick/pasty/greasy stool. Had visited hospital, underwent test, told it is an ovarian cyst and needs surgery. Took omeprazole, allbendazole, azithromycin, none helped. On exam, diffuse abdominal tenderness. Portable ultrasound: small ovarian cyst 1.5 cm, not tender.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiPers solve the case of the Panamanian Man With Leg Ulcer, and describe how a crab predator preferentially feeds on parasite infected prey - even though the parasite makes them faster!

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Parasite enhances susceptibilityto predators (Oecologia)
• Parasite Hero: Miriam Rothschild
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 150

Case Study for TWiP 150

Up to Costa Rican border, travel by boat 2.5 hr, up stream through mangroves. Mobile med clinic in village in small island in archipelago. Mother concerned about two children, have a very itchy rash on trunk and arms. Worse at night, needs medicine. Boy is 6 yo, has rash on buttocks, arms, genital area. Nothing out of ordinary in medical history. Living in same village as previous case, few hundred people, home has slat wood floors, toilet is over water. Dogs, pigs, chickens; no electricity; water comes off roof. On exam see rash, on dermoscopy see 1 cm long brown lines, clotted blood deltas at end. In this area many kids have this rash.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

Shivang joins the TWiP triumvirate to solve the case of the New Yorker With Rash and Pins and Needles, and reveal how agrochemicals increase risk of human schistosomiasis by causing high snail density.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

Guest: Shivang Shah

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Links for this episode:

• Even dinosaurs had parasites (Cosmos Mag)
• Why some people are wormier than others (RSTMH)
• Angiostrongylus species in badger lungs (thanks, Rachel!)
• Spread of rat lungworm (Hawaii News Now)
• Aussie teenager swallowed slug (news.com.au)
• Agrochemicals increase snail numbers (Nat Comm)
• Parasite Hero: Émile Brumpt
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 149

Case Study for TWiP 149

31 yo man ulcer on let, 4 cm diameter. Raised borders, reddish and hard. Feels well, concerned not resolving. Started as bump, slowly enlarged, ulcerated, 1 month now. Healthy, no prior med, diabetes in mom. Works in field with machete, lives with family, social drinking, smoking. Lives in isolated villages on Northern Panama archepelago, many animals and insects. Homes are raised, slats on floor. No fever, normal bp hr, breathing low teens. Healthy athletic young man, otherwise good health except for ulcer on left leg. Non tender, no pain, base of ulcer red; no purulent material, borders raised but not undermined. Feels hard around edge, no scab. Did dermoscopic exam: erythema, small yellowish teardrops, small white starbursts.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP-tologists solve the case of the South American Child With Belly Pain, and reveal how B1 cell IgE blocks parasite clearance by inhibiting mast cell activation by B2 cell IgE.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Do not eat raw earthworms! (Pediatrics)
• Would you let worms in your veins? (Science)
• Guinea Pig Doctors by Jon Franklin and John Sutherland
• Parasite Hero: David Bruce
• Letters read on TWiP 148

Case Study for TWiP 148

Will have a guest on next show to unveil! Female teenager living in NYC, previously in good health, rash for 2 week, abnormal feeling in legs. Initially had URT infection, no cough or fever. Rash is itchy, worse at night. But feeling of pins and needles, sharp stabbing in feet and legs. In ER told is zoster, started on gabapentin. Few days later fevers, pain getting worse. Seen by neurologist and ID doc, admitted. No past med/surg. Type 1 diabetes in aunt, father migraines, no autoimmune diseases. Had received chickenpox vaccine! Social: lives with parents and younger brother, much travel, Holland, Hawaii, most recent, pet lizard. In Hawaii, salad that she ate but no one else. Physical: febrile, heart rate >110, bp ok. Does not want to move because of pain. Neurological: extremity movement is slow. Rash irregular on chest, neck, back, abdomen. Labs: white normal, not much shift. Sed: 24, slightly increased. Lumbar puncture: increased white cells 280, 32% eosinophils.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The three amigos of parasitology solve the case of the New York Lawyer With A Foot Ulcer, and discuss a survey of rodents for the raccoon roundworm in California.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Monthly case studies (CDC)
• The Parasite on the Playground (NYTimes)
• Introduced rats and raccoon roundworm (J Parasitol)
• Parasite Hero: Theodor Bilharz
• Letters read on TWiP 147

Case Study for TWiP 147

Three year old boy, in tropical S. America, brought in by mother, says has been sick about a month. Previously healthy, 4 healty siblings, vaccines up to date, now has abdominal pain. Belly pain increases throughout day, poor appetite, constipated, has goat stools, pellets. Has had fever, seems swollen, face pale, urine dark, belly distended. Occasionally coughs. Living conditions: home has dirt floor where he spends most of day. On exam is febrile, doesn’t look well, no teeth, sleepy, not responsive, distended belly, pale, weight 13 kg. Diffuse scaly skin inflammation around perianal area, breakdown of skin around mouth. HIV, HTLV1 negative. Dogs, chickens, goats around, they come in house. Stool O&P sent out, contained something that gave diagnosis.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWIPniks solve the case of the Man With Diarrhea and 100 Micron Objects In Stool, and discuss the reticulocyte receptor for Plasmodium vivax.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Reticulocyte receptor for Plasmodium vivax (Science)
• Image credit: Parasitic Diseases, 6th Ed.
• Parasite Heroine: Marietta Voge
• Letters read on TWiP 146

Case Study for TWiP 146

27 yo male lawyer comes NY area to be seen, has 4 cm ulcer on right foot. Painless, has raised borders, minimal surrounding erythema. Going on for quite a while. Initially was papule, enlarged, ulcerated, this enlarged and has been more than 4 weeks. No past med probs, allergic to penicillin but just upset his stomach. No meds. Social habits: drinking. Own apt in NYC. Travel: 1 month before papule was whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, noticed when he got back. Wore sandals, got lots of insect bites. Afebrile, normal BP, fit athletic young man. Non tender lesion, base is red, white fibrous coating. Border raised but not undermined. No surrounding swelling, no eschar over wound, open non healing.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees

The Estimados Profesores of TWIP solve the case of the Man With Motile Objects, and reveal the secreted and excreted proteins of Giardia parasites.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Excretory and secretory products of Giardia intestinalis (PLoS NTD)
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 145

Case Study for TWiP 145

Male 40s, visiting NYC on business. Lives in Thailand, seeks medical attention for diarrhea and abdominal pain. Diarrhea is continuous, even at night. Feels swollen. Stool cultures come back negative. CBC reveals eosinophilia. Clinician orders stool O&P. See something in stool: large elliptical objects, over 100 microns.

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

Music by Ronald Jenkees