TWiP 141: Paratransgenesis

The TWiP Wataalamu solve the case of the One Year Old From Kenya With Moving Skin Lesions, and describe how to make mosquitoes refractory to Plasmodium with engineered symbiotic bacteria.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

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Links for this episode:

• Engineered Serratia make mosquitoes refractory to Plasmodium (Science)
• Operation Sea Spray (Wikipedia)
• Photo credit
• Letters read on TWiP 141

Case Study for TWiP 141

A 59 yo Spanish speaking female on Long Island originally from Guatemala. Goes to ER after returning from 10 day trip to visit friends and relatives in Guatemala and El Salvador with fever, cough, diffuse muscle aches, fatigue, chills. Respiratory pathogen panel done, positive for rhinovirus. Told that it's just a virus, go home. 5 days later returns with fever and chills, pain in upper belly, feels constipated. Admitted. No past med/surg, no allergies, no significant family history, no meds. Works cleaning houses. Travel: spends most time in and around big cities, lots of exposure to animals, ate all local fare; conch ceviche, fresh eggs, flattened chicken dish. Elevated white count left shifted, neutrophils increased, eosinophils cleared; cultured Salmonella from blood. IV antibiotics given, gets better, about to go out the hospital door, when results of stool O&P comes back from initial admission. Observed: Entamoeba coli; Endolimax nana; Blastocystis hominis. Released to home, 2 weeks later feels fine.

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Music by Ronald Jenkees