Infectious: An infectious diseases podcast

In this episode, we'll be covering the first part of a three-part series on our new favourite disease.... SCABIES! For our start to this harrowing journey, we'll be covering everything to do with Sarcoptes scabiei (var hominins), the itsy bitsy mite approximately the size of a grain of salt that causes uncontrollable itching in the bodies of those it afflicts. We're going to talk all about their family tree (Hint: they helps us make cheese AND dust); how they love to use our skin as their own personal metropolis; why exactly these tiny little guys can't live without us; oh, and why humans are to blame for mange in dogs (woof).  Throwing a special thanks to the wind for Larry G. Arlian, a professor out of Wright State University, who I SWEAR is the world expert on scabies and contributed to at least 50% of the articles I read.  Finally, want to find me to connect more or read some show notes?? Check out: Twitter: @infectiouscast  Instagram: @infectiouscast www.infectiouscast.com

This week we'll take a deeper look into Campylobacter, one of the most prolific bacteria you might have never heard of. We'll cover the myriad of ways that you can contract this little agent (obstacle courses anyone?), why cuddling your pet chicken might just be a one way trip to the toilet, and the chilling reality of a rare outcome of this foodborne illness that can immobilize its victims, Guillain-Barre syndrome. Tune in to learn more about the epidemiology, biology, and history of this intriguing disease!

In Episode 1 we're talking about Kuru, AKA "The Laughing Death", the first infectious spongiform encephalopathy (I dare you to say that 10 times fast) to be discovered and described among humans. We'll dive straight into the heart of the Kuru epidemic in Papua New Guinea, describe its mysterious and intriguing origins, and tell you everything you need to know about what a prion is and how they work!