Let's keep the pot boiling, or at least simmering, on the aspect of
training and availability of jobs for parasitologists. One person
commented about the downsizing of parasitology courses in the
professional curricula. Another commented about not replacing
parasitologists with parasitologists but with persons with other
skills. This is happening all over the U.S. and so I gather in
Australia. But, what is going on in the real world of parasitology
is different. For example, in our Clinical Parasitology laboratory
we are seeing an upsurge of parasites occupying new hosts. During
the past year, we have frequently diagnosed Giardiasis in cattle
(predominately) as well as other herbivores. In the past, we saw
giardiasis routinely in dogs and cats, but why the upsurge in
herbivores? We also have seen massive infections of Entamoeba bovis
in white-tailed deer (captive and free-living) and in cattle
(multiple herds). These animals had soft to loose stools - was this
caused by E. bovis, which supposedly is a non-pathogen? Who knows?
Also, Cryptosporidium has become a major cause of morbidity (and
mortality) in livestock and humans, and now the EPA wants water
supplies tested for Crypto and Giardia. Who is going to diagnose
these infections?? the lab technicians?? Who is going to train
them??
I hear reports of resistance to certain drugs by parasites of
veterinary importance. Our livestock owners and large animal
clinicians place lots of emphasis on drugs, rather than pre-worm
diagnosis. Indiscriminate deworming of animals enhances the
pocketbook but it certainly contributes to drug resistance. What can
we expect with our courses downsized even more?
With the suggestion that veterinary parasitologists may be elitist,
perhaps that is true. I can assure you, however, that when one who
is a veterinarian works in a veterinary school with clinicians
and with students, their credibiity is significantly higher than the
person who does not have a DVM degree. Of course, the same is true in
medical schools, but there little emphasis is placed on parasitic
diseases.
I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that we are rapidly
approaching the time that there will be no one out there who can
identify and diagnose parasitic diseases and who can do the life
cycles and epidemiology, etc. Maybe the trend will shift back to the
more basic things in science by then. In other words, the worm will
turn.
Katherine Prestwood
College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
email prestwood.a at calc.vet.uga.edu
