15 - Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis neurona, and Neospora caninum: the worst of the coccidians?

Summary

The sick are the greatest danger for the healthy; it is not from the strongest that harm comes to the strong, but from the weakest.

Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

Without question, the most speciose group of eukaryotic parasites are the coccidians. For me, the three most significant members are Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis neurona, and Neospora caninum. One way or another, J. P. Dubey has had a direct hand, literally, in discovering and naming two of these organisms, in resolving one of the parasites' life cycle, and in developing a significantly deeper understanding regarding the biology of all three. Two of these three coccidians, namely T. gondii and N. caninum, infect more people, and cause more abortions in sheep and cattle, than any other protozoan parasite. The third, S. neurona, inflicts serious neurological damage to horses within the U.S.A. Because of the significant medical, veterinary, and economic importance of these parasites, I wanted to talk with J. P. and learn what I could about his interest in these organisms and the diseases they cause. Having known J. P. for probably thirty years, I thought I knew the answer, but I wanted to satisfy my curiosity and see if my guesswork was correct, so I headed for Beltsville, Maryland, in early May of 2006 to find out.

His ‘love affair’ for protozoan parasites, especially Toxoplasma gondii, goes back a long way.