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With the falling level of formal diagnostic parasitology training, many clinical laboratories now find themselves with a rapidly drying puddle rather than a pool of experienced staff confident in their ability to identify a wide variety of either faecal or blood parasites. Combined with the emergence of several newly recognised opportunistic parasites, the rigours of CPA accreditation and an overall reduction of NHS staffing levels, demands for parasitology expertise have never been higher.

Over the last 10 years Microbiologists have seen Cyclospora cayetanensis become well recognised as the cause of diarrhoea in immunocompetent and immunocompromised humans. Travel to exotic foreign countries is becoming cheaper and more popular and many travellers are exposed to parasites/organisms not endemic to their country of residence. 

On the other hand, global warming will be good for the UK's economy, with more tourists and better wine-producing conditions.  Many of us involved in diagnostic parasitology will mourn the loss of interesting imported parasites. Having said that, our 'home grown' outbreaks of Giardia and Cryptosporidia may well become more frequent as water companies struggle to meet public demand for drinking water.

However, the past few years have seen an increased risk of flooding in many regions of the UK. The following advice from the HPA is encouraging. "Any risks to the public from infections arising from floods are very rare in the UK. Although flood water may be contaminated with sewage, animal and other waste, any harmful micro-organisms in the water are usually very diluted and so present a very low risk of infection."  http://www.hpa.org.uk/flooding

What effect will global warming have on parasites in the tropics? Waterborne diseases such as Giardia, Cryptosporidia, amoebae etc. may become more prevalent in countries prone to flooding such as Bangladesh and many of the Far East islands.

Molecular techniques such as Real-Time PCR are in widespread use and it is through these techniques that we find that Entamoeba histolytica has been shown to have a non-pathogenic doppelgänger in the form of Entamoeba dispar. 

  Read on.

A few yummy pictures to get you 'in the mood'.

Adult Ascaris lumbricoides - What does this remind you of?

Epifluorescence - Cyclospora