The Tropical Worm Lab UCR

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Costa Rica
San Pedro
The Tropical Worm Lab UCR

Helminthology Laboratory of the University of Costa Rica.

27/05/2026

La leishmaniosis visceral canina es una enfermedad parasitaria transmitida por flebótomos que puede afectar gravemente la salud de los perros y también tiene importancia en salud pública. 🦟🐶

Muchos animales pueden permanecer infectados durante meses o años sin mostrar signos clínicos evidentes, por lo que la detección temprana y la prevención son fundamentales.

⚠️ Signos frecuentes:
• Pérdida de peso
• Lesiones en piel
• Caída de pelo
• Crecimiento anormal de uñas
• Debilidad y apatía

🔬 El diagnóstico veterinario oportuno permite un mejor manejo de la enfermedad.

🛡️ ¿Cómo prevenir?
✔ Uso de repelentes y collares
✔ Control del vector flebotomo (no es lo mismo a mosquitos)
✔ Revisiones veterinarias periódicas
✔ Evitar exposición en horarios de mayor actividad del insecto

La educación y la vigilancia son claves para proteger a los animales y a la comunidad.

26/05/2026

🦈 Meet Paronatrema davidbowiei: a new parasite species from Costa Rica’s Pacific waters

Researchers from Italy 🇮🇹, Costa Rica 🇨🇷 and Spain recently described Paronatrema davidbowiei found in the pelagic thresher shark, Alopias pelagicus, from Costa Rica.

The species name davidbowiei honors David Bowie, inspired by the parasite’s distinctive appearance and the creativity often reflected in species naming.

Like other digenean trematodes, it likely has a complex life cycle involving mollusks, prey fishes, and sharks as definitive hosts.

This discovery combined morphology, electron microscopy, and DNA analyses through an international collaboration between scientists, highlighting the value of global partnerships in uncovering marine biodiversity.

25/05/2026

From wild canids in Costa Rica to uncovering hidden parasite diversity across the Americas 🧬🌎

In this video, we break down our recent study on Angiostrongylus vasorum and the evidence for cryptic diversity within this important cardiopulmonary nematode. Using phylogenetics, haplotype networks, and molecular markers, we found that populations from Costa Rica form a distinct lineage from those reported in Europe and Brazil.

These findings suggest there may be more diversity — and possibly more species — circulating in wild canids than previously recognized.

Published in Elsevier’s Acta Tropica and AI video created with NotebookLM, curated by the authors themselves 😉

20/05/2026

María Fernanda is a third-year student of Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry at the University of Costa Rica. She is currently working on a phylogenetic analysis of Theileria equi found in horse blood samples, as well as other protozoa related to equine piroplasmosis in Costa Rica.

In her free time, she enjoys making desserts, watching movies, spending time with her family and playing with her dog.

18/05/2026

🪱 Echinostoma revolutum: a small parasite with major public health importance

🔬 Echinostoma revolutum is an intestinal trematode (fluke) belonging to the family Echinostomatidae. It infects birds, mammals, and humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked freshwater snails, fish, or amphibians.

📌 Key morphological characteristics:
• Leaf-shaped adult body
• Oral sucker surrounded by a characteristic collar of spines
• Ventral sucker well developed
• Elongated digestive ceca
• Hermaphroditic reproductive system
• Operculated eggs visible under microscopy

🧫 Why is it important?
This parasite is associated with zoonotic transmission and can cause:
⚠️ abdominal pain
⚠️ diarrhea
⚠️ malnutrition
⚠️ intestinal inflammation

🌎 Human infections are mainly reported in areas where freshwater intermediate hosts are commonly consumed.

🔎 Correct morphological identification is essential for diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, and differentiation from other intestinal flukes.

📚 Parasitology reminds us that microscopic organisms continue to have a major impact on global health and food safety.

11/05/2026

🪱 Freshly collected Ascaris lumbricoides — one of the largest intestinal nematodes infecting humans.

🔬 Morphological features observed:
• Cylindrical, elongated, unsegmented body
• Creamy white to pinkish coloration in fresh specimens
• Smooth cuticle with tapered ends
• Prominent sexual dimorphism:
▫️ Female — larger with a straight posterior end and a waist in the first anterior end
▫️ Male — smaller with a ventrally curved tail
• Characteristic trilabiate mouth at the anterior end

📏 Adult females may reach up to 35 cm in length.

⚠️ Passage or defecation of adult worms is usually associated with a heavy parasitic burden, often reflecting severe infection.

🧫 Fresh specimens are especially useful for studying natural coloration, texture, and external anatomy before preservation changes morphology.

03/05/2026

Not the cutest topic—but an important one 👇

🦠 Enterobius vermicularis (aka pinworm) is one of the most common human parasitic infections worldwide, especially in children.

🔬 What’s happening in the body?
After ingestion of microscopic eggs (often via contaminated hands, surfaces, or food), the larvae hatch in the small intestine and mature in the colon. At night, adult females migrate to the perianal region to lay eggs—this is what drives the classic symptom.

⚠️ Key pathology & symptoms:
• Intense perianal itching, especially at night
• Sleep disturbance and irritability
• Possible secondary bacterial infection from scratching
• In rare cases: migration to the ge***al tract causing irritation or inflammation

🧪 Diagnosis tip:
The “tape test” (yes, literally adhesive tape) is commonly used to collect eggs for microscopic identification.

💊 Treatment:
Anthelmintic medications are effective—but reinfection is common, so hygiene matters just as much as medication.

🧼 Prevention basics:
• Handwashing (especially after bathroom use & before eating)
• Keeping nails short
• Washing bedding and clothing regularly

Not glamorous—but understanding the life cycle helps break it.

27/04/2026

🧬 What can genomes reveal about parasite control?

Our pangenome analysis of Angiostrongylus spp.—including A. costaricensis—uncovers key insights into the biology of these zoonotic nematodes and their interaction with hosts.

✨ What we found:
🔹 Conserved genes → potential drug targets
🔹 Accessory genome → adaptation & immune evasion
🔹 Genomic variation → host specificity differences

💊 These findings open new avenues for:
➡️ Novel anthelmintic development
➡️ Repurposing existing drugs

Understanding genomic diversity is a crucial step toward better control of these neglected parasites 🌎

This work could be done thanks to the collaboration between , .morar of the lab and .rojas22

16/04/2026

🪱 Trichuris trichiura: the whipworm

Not all parasites look the same—and Trichuris trichiura is a perfect example.

🔬 Morphology highlights:
• Whip-shaped body (thin anterior, thick posterior)
• Anterior end embeds into the intestinal mucosa
• Adults measure ~3–5 cm
• Eggs are barrel-shaped with distinct bipolar plugs—a key diagnostic feature

🦠 Where does it live?
The large intestine, especially the cecum.

⚠️ Why does it matter? (Trichuriasis)
Light infections can go unnoticed, but heavy parasite burdens can lead to:
• Chronic diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Re**al prolapse (especially in children)
• Anemia and growth impairment

🌍 Transmission:
F***l–oral route via ingestion of embryonated eggs from contaminated soil, food, or water.

💡 Take-home message:
Sanitation and hygiene are still the strongest tools we have to break the cycle of infection.

13/04/2026

A young dog presented with lethargy, pale mucous membranes, and intermittent diarrhea. On examination, marked anemia was evident—raising immediate suspicion of a blood-feeding parasite. F***l analysis confirmed the presence of helminth eggs.

This case highlights the importance of routine parasitological screening and timely anthelmintic treatment. Prevention remains key: regular deworming, hygiene, and environmental management are essential to reduce infection pressure.

Have you encountered similar cases in your practice or studies? Which species have you found? Comment below 👇🏽😉

Dirección

Faculty Of Microbiology Of The University Of Costa Rica
San Pedro

Teléfono

+50625118645

Página web

http://www.micro.ucr.ac.cr/tipo-de-directorio/seccion-de-helmintologia-medica

Notificaciones

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