Sunday, October 26, 2014

Case of the Week 323

Happy Halloween to all my readers!  This week's case will be a be a bit unusual.  I had my annual Halloween party last night and had a great turn out from my lab and our pathology and microbiology trainees.  Here are some of the top parasitology costumes.  Can you guess their identity?























I also made some special 'myiasis' cupcakes for the party.  Here is the assembly process and the final product:

Rolled fondant with red sugar sprinkles


Fondant 'maggots'

 Assembled cupcakes containing a 'maggot' in a custard 'pus' center.  The fondant is held onto the cupcake by a layer of buttercream frosting:

Removing the maggot reveals almost too realistic custard 'pus'




The cupcake idea was not my own, alas.  I got the idea from this web site.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Taenia solium in 1st and 2nd pictures.
Eggs of Echinococcus spp. in 3rd picture.
A very cool myasis cake too :)

Wan Hafiz

Trish Simner said...

I agree with Wan. I think Heather is an egg packet of Dipylidium caninum. :)

I miss your Halloween parties Dr. Pritt. I would have driven the 8 hours to participate. :)

Thanks for sharing. Great costumes and desserts!

ParasiteGal said...

Trish, you would have been welcome!

Anonymous said...

What creative minds, hope you all had a wonderful party. The first picture depicts T. solium. Then there were T. saginata proglotids and hydatic cysts, folowed by D. caninum. Finally what tasty maggets.
Happy Halloween to all.

Florida Fan

Anonymous said...

I am a bit late! But just saw these!
Wonderful costumes! and you made the myasis cup cake! Way to go Dr Pritt!
Shawn