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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 21d

Skin-penetrating nematodes rely on dopamine signaling to invade their hosts. Blocking dopamine signalization could stop infections before they start. 🔬 @natcomms.nature.com
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Dopamine signaling drives skin invasion by human-infective nematodes - Nature Communications

Skin-penetrating nematodes infect hosts by burrowing through host skin. This study finds that in the human-parasitic, skin-penetrating nematode Strongyloides stercoralis, skin penetration behavior is ...

www.nature.com

Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 23d

Finally, infected mice showed a mixed Th1/Th2/Treg response and cross-reactivity with other schistosome species. 👉Continuous exposure = allergy develops, regardless of which avian schistosome species is present.

Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 23d

Next, we followed parasite migration in the skin and lungs, the most likely affected organs. 🤚🏻 Skin: hyperkeratotic crusts + strong leukocyte infiltration. 🫁Lungs: transient hemorrhages. Clear signs of pathology caused by the infection.

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 23d

First, we analyzed the genetic variability of our T. franki samples. Although the parasite is known to have several haplotypes across Europe, all Czech samples were identical – even though they came from four sites >100 km apart.

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 23d

New study out! 🚨 For the first time, we tracked Trichobilharzia franki, a major cause of swimmer’s itch in Europe, in the lab. 🪱🔬 From genetics to pathology & immunity, our findings shed new light on this tricky parasite and its role in outbreaks.
doi.org/10.1016/j.fa...

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Dr Joanne Power @hanniepower.bsky.social · 28d

Save the dates!! @bspparasitology.bsky.social Spring Meeting 2026 will be in Bonnie Glasgow! 7-9 April 2026, with a drinks reception in Glasgow City Chambers on the 6th of April 2026!
Keep an eye on the BSP website for registration and abstract submission!
Logo by @shannaraeilean.bsky.social! 🦟

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 23d

@parazitologiecz.bsky.social

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 24d

Cool meeting at @sciencecharles.bsky.social right now! 🪱🔬

Martin Zach @mzach.bsky.social · Sep 3

Soon... Registration still open!
#ImmunoSky #philbio #philsci
Link: pmpos.flu.cas.cz/host-microbe...

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · 27d

Second stop of our @4euplusalliance.bsky.social project: Denmark! 🇩🇰🐌🦆 We sampled in various sites – even right in the heart of Copenhagen! 🌊🏙️ Great teamwork, hands-on training, and more data for our #eDNA detection of swimmer’s itch. 🧬 @zikmund.bsky.social

🔗 natur.cuni.cz/en/biology/d...

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Judi Allen @profjudiallen.bsky.social · Sep 7

Truly a most neglected tropical disease. More common than other filarial nematode diseases and yet largely ignored. www.cell.com/trends/paras...

Mansonella perstans – the forgotten filaria

Mansonella perstans is the most prevalent human filarial parasite, infecting over 100 million people worldwide. Despite its wide distribution, it remains one of the most neglected parasitic infections...

www.cell.com

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Sep 7

Thelazia callipaeda is an emerging zoonotic nematode responsible for eye infections. A new human case is reported from Rome, Italy. 👁️🪱🍕 @crpvbd.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.cr...

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Sep 7

Possibly a new species of Leucochloridium from Japan... I really love these creatures! 😍 doi.org/10.1016/j.pa...

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Nic Wheeler @wheelerlab.bio · Aug 21

I am pleased to present a project we've been working on for the least year to try to answer a fundamental question - does a parasite's developmental niche as an egg have effects on larval stages? We show that the answer is very much yes - which has a few implications. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Tissue-specific distribution of eggs in the definitive host drives transcriptomic and behavioral differences in Schistosoma mansoni miracidia

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by human-infective schistosomes (Trematoda: Schistosoma). Intestinal schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa and the Neotropics is caused primarily...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Adam Hayward @adhayward.bsky.social · Aug 12

Absolute pleasure to be involved in this review article on sustainable parasite control in ruminants. Full of lovely stuff on vaccines, nutrition, genetics, grazing and biological control! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Aug 12

Don't miss this opportunity!

Martin Zach @mzach.bsky.social · Aug 12

"Immunology Meets Philosophy vol. 2" focuses on host-microbe interactions while highlighting a variety of conceptual approaches and phenomena, from infectious diseases to evolutionary and metabolic perspectives. #ImmunoSky #philbio #philsci
On-site / online stream registration - link in comments 👇

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Aug 10

First stop of our @4euplusalliance.bsky.social project: Poland! 🐌🦆
We met with @ankarn.bsky.social (thank you! 🙏🏻) to exchange knowledge on bird schistosomes and swimmer's itch and, mainly, share our experience with water filtration and #eDNA detection. 🧬

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Aug 7

Always pleased to see their cell shapes 🤩

Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Parasite - The Journal @parasitejournal.bsky.social · Aug 1

New paper today:
Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from the placenta of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and potential transplacental transmission of the parasite 🧪
doi.org/10.1051/para...

Morphology of the placenta and samples from fur seal #2. A: Stillborn and placental tissue in 2017. B: Placenta in 2022. C: Zonary and belt-shaped placenta, dam, and its pup. D: Magnified C: surface of the chorioallantoic membrane.

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Emma Houlder @emmahoulder.bsky.social · Jul 31

In schistosome 🪱-endemic areas, people are repeatedly reinfected — but we still don’t fully understand how T cell responses develop in these cycles.

In my first ever last-author paper (😱) we investigate this, comparing endemic and repeat controlled human schistosome infection: rdcu.be/exH58

T cell responses in repeated controlled human schistosome infection compared to natural exposure

Nature Communications - In schistosomiasis-endemic regions, the cyclical nature of infection and treatment complicates understanding of host immune responses. Repeated controlled human Schistosoma...

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Tomas Machacek

Tom Pennance @schistosoma.bsky.social · Jul 27

New research w/ @jacobphd.bsky.social et al. published today in Nature Communications: Genes linked to schistosome resistance identified in a genome-wide association study of African snail vectors doi.org/10.1038/s414... 🐌🪱🧬

Genes linked to schistosome resistance identified in a genome-wide association study of African snail vectors - Nature Communications

A genome wide association study of an African vector of schistosomiasis revealed two genomic regions associated with resistance to Schistosoma mansoni. These findings will inform novel control strateg...

doi.org

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Jul 15

🔬 Věda má smysl, když pomáhá v praxi! Vyvíjíme proto metodu pro rychlou detekci původců cerkáriové dermatitidy pomocí #eDNA. 🦆🐌🏊🏻 Honza a Jana to skvěle vysvětlují v reportáži @radiozurnal.bsky.social – díky! 📻
📍 @sciencecharles.bsky.social @ukforum.cuni.cz
🔗 radiozurnal.rozhlas.cz/ptaci-motoli...

Ptačí motolice umí vědci ve vodě odhalit pomocí filtru DNA. Nová metoda je efektivnější i bezpečnější

Když vylezete v přírodě z vody a na těle se vám do večera objeví drobné červené skvrnky, zpozorněte. Mohlo by se jednat o cerkáriovou dermatitidu. Stojí za ní larvy ptačích motolic. Do vody se dostáva...

radiozurnal.rozhlas.cz

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Jun 26

📢 A major study on alveolar echinococcosis 🦊🫐🪱 in Europe reveals over 4,200 human cases, with hotspots in the Alps and Baltics. @thelancetinfdis.bsky.social
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

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Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Jun 26

A very cool study on the man-o’-war, also known as bluebottle (Physalia). 🌊 The iconic creature is not just one species; it is at least four! 🪼🌍 Despite drifting across vast oceans, they don't mix freely. @currentbiology.bsky.social

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Population genomics of a sailing siphonophore reveals genetic structure in the open ocean

Church et al. use population genomics and citizen-science photos to show that Physalia comprises at least four genetically distinct, morphologically recognizable species, each with substantial substru...

www.cell.com

Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · Jun 19

S nástupem letních teplot se nám začínají objevovat první případy cerkáriové dermatitidy (vyrážky z koupání). Víme už o dvou lokalitách ve Středních Čechách. ☀️🏊🏻‍♂️ Tak je možná fajn tu připomenout web pro veřejnost, který jsme k tématu připravili: www.cerkarie.cz 😉

Cerkárie.cz

Cerkáriová dermatitida Cerkáriová dermatitida (jinak také svědivá vyrážka z koupání nebo v angličtině „swimmer’s itch“) je alergická kožní reakce způsobená larvami (cerkáriemi) ptačích motolic, které ...

www.cerkarie.cz

Tomas Machacek @trichotom.bsky.social · May 30

New publication out today! 🥳 Honza and @zikmund.bsky.social developed a sensitive molecular toolkit for detecting bird schistosomes, the main culprits behind swimmer’s itch. 🏊🏻🐌

A step forward in molecular surveillance of bird schistosomes!
@sciencecharles.bsky.social

🔗 doi.org/10.1186/s130...

Molecular detection and identification of Trichobilharzia: development of a LAMP, qPCR, and multiplex PCR toolkit - Parasites & Vectors

Background Cercarial dermatitis (CD), or swimmer’s itch, is a water-borne allergic skin reaction caused by the penetration of the larval stages of bird schistosomes (cercariae) into the skin. Members ...

doi.org

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