People, Parasites, and Plagues

← People, Parasites, and Plagues13 apr · 39 min

The World’s Most Successful Parasite: Inside Toxoplasma’s Weird Biology

The World’s Most Successful Parasite: Inside Toxoplasma’s Weird Biology13 apr39 min

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Diego Huet, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia, to explore Toxoplasma gondii. It's often called the world’s most successful parasite. Infecting up to a third of the global population, Toxoplasma is both incredibly common and largely invisible. Dr. Huet breaks down how it spreads, why most people never know they have it, and how it can persist in the body for life by forming dormant cysts. We also dive into the p...