This Week In Parasitism

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 Become a patron of TWiP. 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