Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites

Answer:   Hymenolepis nana , the dwarf tapeworm This worm is usually acquired through ingestion of an infected arthropod intermediate host...

This case was generously donated by Florida Fan. The following were seen in a scalp scraping specimen submitted for fungal smear using KOH...

Answer:   Demodex sp. mites There are 2 described species of human Demodex mites: D. folliculorum found in hair follicles, and D. brevis ,...

The following was identified in skin scrapings from a patient with an itchy rash on his hands and wrists.  It measures approximately 100 mic...

Answer:  Egg of the scabies mite, Sarcoptes scabei .  Note that you can still see it moving within the egg.  The scabies mite has short ...

Dear loyal readers, You may have noticed that there was no case last Monday.  This is because I was off on vacation to Yellowstone National...

Thank you for all of the responses!  Yes, we are probably looking at some type of thermophilic or thermotolerant free-living nematode.  (I w...

The following were submitted to the lab for identification in a small jar of formalin.  They measure approximately 2 mm in greatest dimensio...

Answer:  Crab lice, ( Phthirus pubis or Pthirus pubis ).  Anon points out that " Pthirus " is correct rather than "Phthirus...

The following case was generously provided by Emily Patterson. These objects were found within a portion of resected intestine in a patien...