Case of the Week 740
Welcome to our next filarial case by Idzi Potters and the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp. This week features the following lovely microfilariae seen in a Giemsa-stained thick blood film. They measure approximately 220 micrometers in length. Identification? (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - March 12, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 740
Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 741:Brugia malayi Thanks to everyone who wrote in. This is one of my favorite microfilariae! This case had 2 classic features that facilitated the identification: the pink sheath and separation of the 2 terminal nuclei in the tail (see arrows below). As I noted in the case last week, the sheath isn ' t always seen. Therefore, the larger length and tail nuclei configuration can allow for the identification, even when the sheath is absent. (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - March 11, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
It's Finally Here - Filariasis Month with Idzi Potters! Case of the Week 739
Dear Readers,Welcome to Filariasis Month! We will actually have TWO months of filariae for you as there are so many to cover and so many beautiful cases by Idzi and theInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.Idzi and I thought that we should start out with an ' easy ' one. The following objects were seen on a blood smear from a patient living in Gabon. What is your identification? Bonus question: what additional laboratory test is important for guiding treatment?Giemsa stained blood films:Carazzi stain, thin blood film: (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - March 4, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 739
Answer toParasite Case of the Week 739:Loa loamicrofilariaeThanks to everyone who wrote in with comments. We received a lot of different responses including some of the sheathed and unsheathed microfilariae. Therefore, this is a great time to review my approach to identifying microfilariae in blood specimens. You can also readthis articleI wrote with Blaine Mathison and Marc Couturier that provides a diagnostic algorithm for microfilariae in blood. In this algorithm, we recommend first measuring the length of the microfilariae. If they are small (<200 micrometers long), then it is likely to be one of theMansonella...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - March 2, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Developing Low-Cost Lab Techniques: Q & A With Abraham Badu-Tawiah
Credit: Ohio State University.
“I never thought I could make an impact on chemistry and students’ lives. But now, I’m the head of a lab with several Ph.D. and undergraduate students and a postdoctoral researcher; and we’re developing simple, low-cost lab techniques that can be adopted by labs across the world,” says Abraham Badu-Tawiah, Ph.D., the Robert K. Fox Professor of Chemistry at Ohio State University in Columbus. We talked with Dr. Badu-Tawiah about his career progression, research, and advice for students hoping to launch a career in science.
Q: How did you get started on the path to a career in sci...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 21, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques Profiles Source Type: blogs
Get Ready for Filariae!
Dear Readers, I ' m delighted to announce that March and April areFilariasis Monthscourtesy of Idzi Potters and the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp! Image by Blaine MathisonYou may want to brush up on your filariae/microfilariae diagnostic skills in preparation. Here are a few resources to help you: World Health Organization Bench Aids for the Diagnosis of Filarial Infections. Available here: https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/diagnosticprocedures/index.html (see the section on filariasis near the bottom right of the page)CDC DPDx - Laboratory Identification of Parasites of Public Health Concern:Lymphatic fi...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - February 15, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Broadening Opportunities for Students in STEM at Brown University and Beyond
Credit: Courtesy of Brown University.
Andrew G. Campbell, Ph.D., a professor of medical science at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and previous dean of the graduate school, is passionate about researching understudied diseases and helping students reach their full potential.
Dr. Campbell’s lab has studied the single-cell organism Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), a parasite transmitted through the bite of the tsetse fly, which is only found in specific regions of Africa. In humans, T. brucei causes African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. Symptoms of this illness include headache, weakne...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 8, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist STEM Education Profiles Training Source Type: blogs
Do parasites predispose to dangerous behaviors in humans?
Those of you who have followed the game or series The Last of Us will recognize the name Cordyceps. This is the fungus that causes a global pandemic of zombies to break out and start attacking their fellow humans. The writers, in this case, did a good job by using this infection in their story.
Read more…
Do parasites predispose to dangerous behaviors in humans? originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 8, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: L. Joseph Parker, MD Tags: Conditions Infectious Disease Source Type: blogs
Increasing Opportunities in STEM at Brown University and Beyond
Credit: Courtesy of Brown University.
Andrew G. Campbell, Ph.D., a professor of medical science at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and previous dean of the graduate school, is passionate about researching understudied diseases and helping students reach their full potential.
Dr. Campbell’s lab has studied the single-cell organism Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), a parasite transmitted through the bite of the tsetse fly, which is only found in specific regions of Africa. In humans, T. brucei causes African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. Symptoms of this illness include headache, weakne...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 7, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist STEM Education Profiles Training Source Type: blogs
Case of the Week 738
This week ' s case was donated by Dr. Sheldon Campbell. The following object was noted in fresh sole. Interestingly, it was still alive! What parasite is present here? After carefully removing the worms, the sole was breaded in cornmeal and fried. Looks delicious! Would you eat this? (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - February 7, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 738
Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 738: Probable anisakid larva in fresh fish (sole). This is a great reminder to cook your fish well before eating! Alternatively, freeze it for 7 days at -20 C before eating it raw. The final dish that Dr. Campbell created looked quite tasty (sans worms). Not just a few readers noted that they might have some hesitation in eating the final product. 😂One reader commented that generous application of lemon juice to the thawed fish prior to cooking does a great job in removing any live worms (and may result in a mass exodus!) However, this is only a good solution if you like...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - February 6, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Case of the Week 737
This week ' s case was generously donated by Dr. Richard Bradbury. The is a permanent mounted stool sample from a Gambian child with watery diarrhea. It is stained with iron haematoxylin; objects of interest are approximately 10-15 micrometers long. Check out the video for a 3D view and classic motility pattern! (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - February 1, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 737
Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 737:Pentatrichomonas hoministrophozoites. P. hoministrophozoites have 5 flagella: 4 are directed anteriorly, while the 5th is directed posteriorly, forming the outer edge of an undulating membrane. This results in characteristic motility that Richard likes to describe as " a man trapped inside a plastic bag " (!) I managed to capture a couple of still images from the video which show this phenomenon:As noted by jebarner, P. hominis,as well asEnteromonas hominis, Retortamonas intestinalis, andChilomastix mesnili are non-pathogens and indicators of ...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - January 31, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Case of the Week 736
The following arthropods were submitted to the lab for identification from a daycare center. What is your identification? What are the implications for this facility? (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - January 25, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 736
Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 736:Cimexsp., the human bedbug. Nymphs and an adult are present. The two species ofCimexthat infest humans areC. lectularius(the common bedbug) and its tropical relative, C. hemipterus.As noted by Idzi and Florida Fan, the setae (hairs) are shorter than the width of the eye, which allows us to rule out other cimicids of birds and mammals that may temporarily infest human habitats.Tanya Gravier provided a helpfullinkfrom the US Environmental Protection Agency on dealing with bedbug infestations in child care centers. As noted by Idzi, the risk is not with disease transmission...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - January 24, 2024 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
