This is a photomicrograph of an adult tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus. It is tiny, only 3-6 mm long. However, it can cause a world of hurt. E. granulosus, in a larval form, causes cysts to form, generally in the liver and lungs. A cyst? What's the big deal? The big deal is that they can grow quite large. So although they are not malignant masses, they can put pressure on surrounding tissues and cause organ dysfunction. Additionally, the cysts are filled with a fluid, that i

This past winter, I went to Haiti under the auspices of the Christian Veterinary Mission. (Yes, I realize that that might seem odd, but they are doing great work there, and were quite respectful of my non-Christian status. There is an enormous number of missionaries keeping certain parts of the safety net afloat. It's not a sustainable model, but it is going to be needed for decades.) It's hardly news that Haiti is in a world of hurt. They were in bad shape before the earthqu