TWiP 290: What's Biting You at Night?
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP solves the case of the patient who developed an intensely itchy, red papular rash after close contact with chickens and their bedding, where small mites were found. Hosts: , , and Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Hero of the Month: Ogobara Doumbo (, , ) on TWiP 290 New Case Man in 30s with well controlled diabetes, elevated AST ALT liver tests, asymptomatic. Ultrasound of liver, multiple cysts. Born in rural Yemen, grew up on farm with cattle, sheep, donkeys, 3-4 indoor/outdoor dogs, bathroom inside house, frequently swam in fresh...
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TWiP 289: Dogs, Parasites, and an Exhausted Immune System
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP explains a single-cell analysis of immune cells in the blood of dogs with canine leishmaniosis, providing a detailed picture of how the immune response changes as the disease progresses. Hosts: , , and Subscribe (free): , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Single immune cell atlas of (iScience) in CanL (LeishVet) Become a of TWiP Send your questions and comments to Music by
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TWiP 288: Taco Bell and the Case of the Runny Jobbies
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP solves the case of the NYC woman in her 30s who developed 3 weeks of significant watery diarrhea after eating at a Taco Bell Restaurant. Hosts: , , and Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV on TWiP 288 Parasite of the month – Parelaphostrongylus tenuis — meningeal worm (brainworm) entry P. tenuis in (Food Animal Pract) P. tenuis in (Int J Parasitol Parasites and Wildlife) New Case Early teen, otherwise healthy, develops rash, for a few weeks, problem at night. All over the body. Helps with backyard chicken coop, plays with...
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TWiP 287: A Vaccine Against Schistosomiasis? SchistoShield Heads to Phase 2
This Week in Parasitism
Mumtaz Balkhi joins TWiP to discuss phase 1 and 1b trials of the schistosomiasis vaccine SchistoShield which demonstrate that it induces functional immune memory responses in US and African populations. Hosts: , , and Guest: Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Phase 1 and 1b results (npj Vaccines) Become a of TWiP Send your questions and comments to Music by
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TWiP 286: Pinworms keep coming back! How to stop reinfection in your home
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP solves the case of the adult female with a 2 year old child who develops anal irritation, but the child and the husband are fine. Hosts: , , and Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV on TWiP 286 Hero – New Case Recent case. Woman in 20s, lives in NYC, goes to urgent care with 3 weeks of significant watery diarrhea, not improving. Otherwise healthy, no travel, works in office in NYC, at some point prior to onset she ate at a Taco Bell. Put on twice a day medication, molecular test of stool confirms...
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TWiP 285: Why Is Cyclospora So Hard to Contain? Parasitologists Explain the 2026 US Outbreak
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP reviews our current understanding of the biology of Cyclospora, the parasite currently causing a large multistate outbreak in the US traced to contaminated lettuce, and why it is so difficult to control. Hosts: and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV of Cyclospora cayetanensis (Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safety) Become a of TWiP Send your questions and comments to Music by
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TWiP 284: It's not the pork
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP solves the case of the 39-year-old man originally from Guatemala, who moved to one of the NYC boroughs in 2023 and presented with headaches for nearly 1 year. Hosts: , , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV on TWiP 284 New Case Recent ID consult: MD/PhD mother doing research, married with child 2 yo, female develops anal irritation, husband is fine, child is fine. Parasitic etiology is considered. Referred to academic ID providers, turns out she had this etiology considered, had received some...
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TWiP 283: Warming up to cryptosporidiosis
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP reviews the projected impact of climate change on the burden of Cryptosporidium in Mali, Kenya, and The Gambia. Hosts: and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV on Cryptosporidium (J Inf Dis) on TWiP 283 Become a of TWiP Send your questions and comments to Music by
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TWiP 282: Does he live in New York?
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP solves the case of the nonbinary patient in his 30s with a history HIV/AIDS presenting with 3 weeks of subjective fevers, chills, generalized weakness and voluminous ostomy output. Hosts: , , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Parasite of the Month: (the green-banded broodsac) on TWiP 282 New Case 39-year-old man originally from Guatemala, who moved to one of the NYC boroughs in 2023 and currently lives with his siblings and cousins, presented with headaches. He reports headaches for several...
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TWiP 281: Ants under the influence
This Week in Parasitism
TWiP reviews gene expression in wood ants infected with the larval lancet fluke, which causes them to leave their nest and attach to a flower until they are eaten by a grazing mammal. Hosts: , , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): , , , Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Gene expression in wood ants (Mol Ecol) Visualisation of the master manipulator in the (Sci Rep) Become a of TWiP Send your questions and comments to Music by
info_outlineTWiP solves the case of the nonbinary patient in his 30s with a history HIV/AIDS presenting with 3 weeks of subjective fevers, chills, generalized weakness and voluminous ostomy output.
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Links for this episode
- Join the MicrobeTV Discord server
- Parasite of the Month: Leucochloridium paradoxum (the green-banded broodsac)
- Letters read on TWiP 282
- TWiP study – information and survey
New Case
39-year-old man originally from Guatemala, who moved to one of the NYC boroughs in 2023 and currently lives with his siblings and cousins, presented with headaches. He reports headaches for several months, possibly nearly 1 year. Over the past 2 weeks, he has had intermittent numbness on the left side of his face and in his left arm and foot, with difficulty standing due to sensory changes in his feet. He states these symptoms are new. He reports a fall related to the numbness but denies balance problems. He denies fever or chills. He has intermittent nausea and vomiting but denies diarrhea, abdominal pain, or other complaints. He works as a busboy in a restaurant and states that he only cleans and does not prepare food. In Guatemala, he used to eat street tacos containing pork and beef, sometimes with undercooked meat. He is a former smoker who quit 4 years ago after smoking for 10 years. He drinks alcohol 3–4 times per week, typically 2–4 drinks per occasion, but not daily. He reports no sexual activity for 1–2 years.
General: no acute distress
HEENT: NC/AT, anicteric, vEEG
Neck: supple, normal ROM
Lungs: clear to auscultation bilaterally
Heart: S1, S2 present, normal rate/rhythm
Abdomen: Soft. Nondistended. Nontender.
Neuro: AAOx3, no obvious focal deficits
Extremities: No cyanosis. No edema.\
Skin: Warm. Dry. No visible rash.
Psychiatric: Appropriate affect and mood for situation.
CT HEAD WO IV CONTRAST-Cystic structures scattered along the subarachnoid space, for example, right sylvian fissure/frontotemporal cortical sulci, right > left suprasellar cistern, interpedicular cistern, basal cistern and left sylvian fissure. Associated mass effect with minimal leftward midline shift (0.2-0.3 cm). Calcifications at the left temporal region. There is no obvious acute intracranial hemorrhage.
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Music by Ronald Jenkees