This Week in Parasitism Vincent Racaniello

The TWiP team solves the case of the Pregnant Ghanian Living Near a River, and reveal emodepside, a drug for treatment of onchocerciasis.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
Download TWiP #205 (56 MB .mp3, 93 minutes)
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Links for this episode Emodepside for onchocerciasis (PlOS NTD) Hero: Dr. Mwelecele Ntuli Malecela Letters read on TWiP 205 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 205
Two women, 80s and 50s. Former had 9 children, lives in Ghanian village with large lagoon, many mosquitoes. Concerned about chronic swelling of left leg, groin area for much of her life. Walks barefoot. 50 yo with 4 children, both legs started to swell, cold, mosquito bites. With time left leg becomes hard, swollen, disfigured. Has gone to hospital for ulceration. Common problem in her village, mostly women but some men. Problems getting access to medications. 
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP team solves the case Two Ghanians Near A Fast-Flowing River, and discuss a promising new drug for treatment of African trypanosomiasis.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
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Links for this episode Oral fexinidazole for African trypanosomiasis (Lancet) Hero: Madeline Albright Letters read on TWiP 204 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 204
Pregnant woman, 20 yo, living in eastern Ghana near Volta River delta. Often in river. In second trimester. Comes in with abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea. Ovoid forms seen in stool, 160 microns, have single lateral projections. Other ovoid forms 45×30 microns which contain polar bodies.
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP team solves the case of the Shopkeeper with Thirst, Rash, and low Blood Oxygen, then review a study on the effect on survival to adulthood in Tanzania of mosquito net use in early childhood.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
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Links for this episode Mosquito net use in Tanzania (NEJM) Michiaki Takahashi (Wikipedia) Letters read on TWiP 203 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 203
Two individuals, same issue. Small village in Ghana, near fast flowing river. Teenaged boy, father farmer. Boy develops severe itchy rash on right leg. Light and dark areas. They live nearby, father farms near river. After school they swim in river then travel. Father in 70s, has 2-3 cm nodule on left knee, second on in groin area, no other problems. Has some visual issues. Nodules are firm, fixed to the skin.Both have positive diagnostic skin snip.
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees

Sara from the Febrile Podcast joins the TWiP team at The Incubator to solve the case of the Man With an Egg Laden Colonic Mass, and Daniel presents a new puzzle for us to solve.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
Guest: Sara Deng
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Download TWiP #201 (72 MB .mp3, 60 minutes)
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Links for this episode Febrile podcast Hero: Eloise Blaine Cramm Support MicrobeTV at Parasites Without Borders Letters read on TWiP 202 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 202
Man 60 yo shopkeeper in Rohingya Camp displaced Myanmar natives. 3 months getting up at night, urinating, thirsty, losing weight. Develops rash on elbows, abdomen, very itchy. Rest of family has rash as well. Starts headache, fever, cough, trouble breathing, seeks medical care. O2 sat is in 80s. Past med/surg healthy individual, heavy smoker, HIV negative. Living in dwelling with tin roofs, dirt floors, many people crowded. Elevated WBC count; elevated glucose.
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP team solves the case of the Man with a Cat and Ring Enhancing Lesions, and discuss domestic mammals as reservoirs for Leishmania donovani on the Indian subcontinent.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
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Links for this episode Reservoirs for Leishmania (Transboundary Emerg Dis) Support MicrobeTV at Parasites Without Borders Letters read on TWiP 201 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 201
Older male, >65, abdominal pain over last several months, getting worse, otherwise feels well. No change in weight. Past medical, surgical unremarkable. Social: grew up in rural inland China. As adult lived in large city. Always active and healthy, eating fish and leafy vegetables. Move to US 10 years before illness. No pets. No toxic habits. HIV negative. Unremarkable exam. Labs: elevated white count, platelets low, not anemic. Differential on white count: neutrophils predominant. Gets belly CT: reveals mass in colon. Colonoscopy done, mass resected. Pathology: shows adenocarcinoma, but also eggs in sample. Slightly ovoid, 80 microns.
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees

The TWiP team solves the case of the Gentleman from New York with Intestinal Issues, and review a 20 year study of butterflies, their associated parasitoid wasp and Wolbachia introduced into an island community.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula
Download TWiP #200 (41 MB .mp3, 68 minutes)
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Links for this episode Accidental parasitoid introduction (Mol Ecol) Hero: Gerald Keusch Support MicrobeTV at Parasites Without Borders Letters read on TWiP 200 Become a patron of TWiP
Case Study for TWiP 200
Man in 30s with HIV-AIDS, presents with lower extremity weakness, headache, fever, ends up in hospital. Lives with wife and her cat, doesn’t take his medications. CD4 less than 100. Told to take medicine every day, one 3x week, one weekly. Does not drink alcohol, only eats well cooked meat. Born and raised in San Juan. Has had multiple sexual exposures with multiple women over years. Thin coating on tongue, lungs bowel normal. Has weakness in lower extremities. Skin unremarkable. Labs: CT shows multiple ring enhancing lesions with surrounding edema, also on MRI.  
Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv
Music by Ronald Jenkees