This Week In Parasitism

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPtastic trio solves the case of the Surfer from Switzerland, and reveal how taste-chemosensory tuft cells in the gut regulate immune responses to parasites. Links for this episode: Taste-chemosensory cells and parasite gut immunity (Science) Image credit Letters read on TWiP 107 This episode is sponsored by ASM Agar Art Contest and ASM Microbe 2016  Case study for TWiP 107 Todays case is a fun case about a 45 year old gentleman from Assam India, with sixteen years of fever, abdominal pain, darkening of skin, yellowing of eyes. Farmer, does not have much energy. Works barefoot in fields. Fever occurs every other day. Prior medical problems, nothing out of the ordinary. No surgeries, no meds, has never seen physician. Married, kids, no extramarital affairs, HIV negative, eats mostly cooked vegetables. Lives in concrete house, no screens, mosquito netting. Other people in area have similar problems. Water comes from pump, fill plastic jug