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This Week in Parasitism

This Week in Parasitism

Vincent Racaniello

TWiP is a monthly netcast about eukaryotic parasites. Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier, science Professors from Columbia University, deconstruct parasites, how they cause illness, and how you can prevent infections.
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Top 10 This Week in Parasitism Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best This Week in Parasitism episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to This Week in Parasitism for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite This Week in Parasitism episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 182: Super spreaders of science
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04/11/20 • 74 min

Dickson, Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Ugandan Volunteer With Morning Bites and discuss integration of HIV-1 into the Schistosome genome, with a sprinkling of COVID-19 throughout.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 182

60 yo female comes in with husband, grew up in Lima Peru. Having issue had when child, would get itchiness around anus, mother would have her eat pumpkin seeds. Every 2-3 weeks wakes up with severe itching. Put in q-tip and extracted something, has video of it. ONP stool cultures negative. Referred to Daniel. Negative medical history, no allergies, no surgeries, no medications. Does travel, mainly to Uganda. HIV negative, no toxic habits. Husband reports no symptoms. Has children/grandchildren.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 180: A spleen palaver

TWiP 180: A spleen palaver

This Week in Parasitism

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02/08/20 • 81 min

The TWiP professors solve the case of the Ugandan Child with Splenomegaly, and reveal that mutations in the P. falciparum genome that confer artemisinin resistance interfere with endocytic uptake of hemoglobin.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 180

Uganda with a twist. Meets two people with watery diarrhea, 12 episodes/day, loss of appetite. No fever, no blood in stool. Living for months at staff guest house. One week prior to onset went on weekend trip to area with waterfalls. Were served outdoor meal: meat, salad, fruit. Recommends empiric treatment trimethoprim/sulfamethoxzole for 7 days. Prompt resolution of diarrhea. A few days later, upon drinking coffee with milk gets severe cramps. 20s, long term female volunteers.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 179: Verminous visitors

TWiP 179: Verminous visitors

This Week in Parasitism

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01/11/20 • 103 min

The TWiP DVD solve the case of the Child Who Passed Worms, and discuss a non-human primate model for severe malarial anemia.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 179

From Uganda, eastern up in mountains, rainy season. 6 yo girl brought in by mother on Monday, reporting several days of feeling poorly, headache, fever, muscle aches. Negative malaria smear on Monday. Wednesday returns, feeling worse, fever higher, headache worse. Lungs clear, belly (pain on left side) has large spleen. Living in good conditions, well dressed, dirt floor house, concrete walls. Toilet is hole in back. Same dietary habits, high in carbs. No mosquito netting. Water from stream. No siblings. HIV negative.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 178: The shadowlands of medicine
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12/04/19 • 111 min

The Knights of the TWiP solve the case of the Man Who Lost Weight, and discuss a Plasmodium protein kinase that is a malarial drug target.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 178

Eastern border of Uganda with Kenya, in mountains. Drinking water from nearby stream. Two young boys come to clinic, without parents. Sent in by grandmother because 1 yo brother has been passing worms. Long, white, flat. Shown photos in PD7, pinkish worm, 8 inches long, round. He points to those, what he has been seeing in brother’s stool. 1 year old seems small, protuberant abdomen; brother small for stated age, bit of protuberant belly. Diet: high carbohydrate, flour deep fried; yams; cabbage; some rice; soybeans; pumpkin; bananas.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 177: A scabrous education

TWiP 177: A scabrous education

This Week in Parasitism

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11/06/19 • 89 min

The TWiPsters solve the case of the Rashy Schoolteacher, and reveal a drug from rotifers that live on the snail intermediate host which paralyzes schistosome cercariae and prevents infection of mice.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dand Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 177

49 yo man sent to Daniel for ID consultation. Reports in August visited Hawaii with family, then flies to CA. Family event there. Take him to Pakistani restaurant. One day later has gastrointestinal issues, nausea, diarrhea. Goes to urgent care, send stool for O&P. Look at stool, shows chilomastix mesnili. No medicines, will be ok. Over this period of 1 week he loses 15 pounds. Gains 5 back. End of October feels fine, no bloating or diarrhea. No symptoms but goes to gastroenterologist. Stool test returns with D. fragilis; and chilomastix mesnili. Now sees Daniel. Not on any meds. No allergies, no toxic habits, athletic. No illness in family. Normal exam. He ate salads in Hawaii.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 175: None alone pathognomonic

TWiP 175: None alone pathognomonic

This Week in Parasitism

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09/04/19 • 107 min

The TWiP'ers solve the case of the Sudanese Boy With Fever, and reveal antibodies against that slow invasion of red blood cells potentiate other malaria-blocking antibodies.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 175

70 yo man born in India, came to US 1985. Has not gone back for 2-3 years. Admitted with acute onset of fever, cough, not eating well. Was fine until a week ago, had lost consciousness, fever 102F. Negative cultures for urine and blood. Some kidney stones, type II diabetes, elevated cholesterol, no surgeries. No family medical issues. Started on vancomycin on zosyn. Works in post office, lives with house in private home. No toxic habits. Has history of hiking trip 1-2 months prior, in Rhode Island, in June. No pets, animals. Exam unimpressive. Labs: crit 25, hemoglobin 9. Platelets 39. Bilirubin 5.3. Liver enzymes slightly elevated. Chest CT clear, blood smear: anisocytosis, microcytosis, polychromasia, 4.3% reticulocytes. Daniel orders one test, 90 minutes later starts treatment. HIV negative.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 174: Fat cat

TWiP 174: Fat cat

This Week in Parasitism

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08/01/19 • 73 min

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

The TWiPloid organisms solve the case of the Doctor with Chronic Epigastric Pain, and reveal how levels of linoleic acid in the intestine enable the sexual cycle of Toxoplasma gondii in cats.

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Case Study for TWiP 174

12 yo male living in refugee camp after fleeing Sudan. Presents to doctor with history of fever for many months, every other day; chronic abdominal pain. Tried antimalarials, no effect. Broad spectrum antibiotics, no effect. Exam: fast heart, clear lung, enlarged liver, enlarged palpable spleen. Camp has limited resources, no more diagnostic tests. Tried intravenous amphotericin. Child improves.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 172: A painless lesion

TWiP 172: A painless lesion

This Week in Parasitism

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06/14/19 • 103 min

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

The metacyclic TWiPomastigotes solve the case of the Child With a Painless Leg Lesion, and reveal how to kill mosquitoes with a genetically modified fungus.

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Case Study for TWiP 172

Retired US Navy physician, lives aboard his sailboat, just finished doing remote medical volunteer work in C. America. In DR when has sudden onset of dull prog worsening epigastric lower abdominal pain. Over next 12 hr intensifies, near tears, went to local medical center. Admitted, given IV, probiotics. Febrile, elevated WBC 20,000, platelets low, white counts left shift. Initially some constipation, then diarrhea with some blood. Discharged without diagnosis; still fever and chills; rash rose colored spots on torso. Daniel gets involved; 3 day course of azithromycin, symptoms continue; then metronidazole, feels better, fever, pain, symptoms resolve. Wife is ok. Three men working on his boat, one had bloody diarrhea before the patient did. Keeps a bowl of nuts around.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 171: Better than a sharp stick in the eye
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05/23/19 • 94 min

The Leishmaniacs solve the case of the Child With Band Keratopathy, and reveal a eukaryotic parasite with functional mitochondria but without mitochondrial genomes.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode: Case Study for TWiP 171

By boat to remote village, young boy (

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This Week in Parasitism - TWiP 185: Latrinalia

TWiP 185: Latrinalia

This Week in Parasitism

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07/03/20 • 63 min

Dickson, Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Wife of a Guy with Cyclospora Diarrhea, and discuss the discovery of an intrinsic oscillator that drives the bloodstream stage cycle of the malaria parasite.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Case Study for TWiP 185

Seeing this type of case 1/week for last several weeks. 75 yo female, admitted with fever, body aches, cough, loose stool for 2 week, sodium 118. Sheltering in place in Long Island, some gardening, no travel. Blood testing detected low sodium. COVID-19 negative, no other symptoms. Blood work: wbc 2000; hematocrit 24; platelets 40; sodium 120s. Unremarkable physical exam. Lyme test negative; other tick borne diseases negative.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to [email protected]

Music by Ronald Jenkees

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FAQ

How many episodes does This Week in Parasitism have?

This Week in Parasitism currently has 249 episodes available.

What topics does This Week in Parasitism cover?

The podcast is about Life Sciences, Microbiology, Podcasts and Science.

What is the most popular episode on This Week in Parasitism?

The episode title 'TWiP 184: The hunter gets captured by the game' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on This Week in Parasitism?

The average episode length on This Week in Parasitism is 86 minutes.

How often are episodes of This Week in Parasitism released?

Episodes of This Week in Parasitism are typically released every 20 days, 6 hours.

When was the first episode of This Week in Parasitism?

The first episode of This Week in Parasitism was released on Nov 13, 2009.

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