This is a good article and an overview in how the parasite issues is being looked into. It adds another dimension in terms of looking at the whole picture of parasites rather than our individual problem. My reason for liking this article is that it lets me know that there are people in the world who do care and they are aware of the problem (albeit, not enough people.)

A sidebar note:  Last year when I was doing some research, I noticed that universities were adding more parasitology to their curriculum making students aware that an annual salary could be $60,000-80,000 (not bad for studying parasites all day in a lab and no high-end job pressure.) Treating people for the problem would be a higher salary. This is significant because I know about ten years ago, some graduating IM graduates started out in their practice $90,000-110,000 and I don’t think it has changed significantly (at least, not in our state.) The fact that students are being encouraged in this subspecialty of medicine is an indication to me that there is a new undercurrent that is being slowly recognized with a foundation being built. I think in years to come, it will be common place that people will be referred to a parasitologist rather than a GI doc for this problem  (at least, I hope so!)

Some of you might be looking into a career change, perhaps the below article maybe an inspiration. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the field of parasites!

Below I've included the intro, but there is more to the article.....

Vol. 95, Suppl. I: 79-87, 2000

Daniel G Colley

Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Building 102, MS F-22, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA

INTRODUCTION

The opportunities and challenges for the study and control of parasitic diseases in the 21st century are both exciting and daunting. Based on the contributions from this field over the last part of the 20th century, we should expect new biologic concepts will continue to come from this discipline to enrich the general area of biomedical research. The general nature of such a broad category of infections is difficult to distill, but they often depend on well-orchestrated, complex life cycles and they often involve chronic, relatively well-balanced host/parasite relationships. Such characteristics force biological systems to their limits, and this may be why studies of these diseases have made fundamental contributions to molecular biology, cell biology and immunology. However, if these findings are to continue apace, parasitologists must capitalize on the new findings being generated though genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, and genetic manipulations of both host and parasite. Furthermore, they must do so based on sound biological insights and the use of hypothesis-driven studies of these complex systems. A major challenge over the next century will be to capitalize on these new findings and translate them into successful, sustainable strategies for control, elimination and eradication of the parasitic diseases that pose major public health threats to the physical and cognitive development and health of so many people worldwide.

Human parasitic diseases are caused by numerous, widely disparate infectious organisms. Many require transmission by complex vectors. Some involve intermediate hosts. A few can be acutely lethal. Many result in chronic infections that often cause severe morbidity in only a relatively small proportion of those infected. Several are among the most prevalent infections in the world, and severe morbidity in even a low percentage of those infected results in major global burdens of disease. Some occur only sporadically and infrequently. These seemingly all-encompassing characteristics make parasitic diseases some of the most interesting, challenging and important infectious diseases facing scientists, clinicians, and public health officials as we move into the 21st century. This presentation will address the future of parasitology by first citing examples of the recent progress and contributions from this field, and then by examining some of the scientific and public health promises and challenges that lie before us.

BASIC SCIENCE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE WORLD OF PARASITOLOGY

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

CELL BIOLOGY

IMMUNOLOGY

ANTI-PARASITIC DRUG DEVELOPMENT

BASIC SCIENCE NEEDS IN PARASITOLOGY

PARASITIC DISEASES THAT POSE PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS: WHERE ARE WE, AND WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

FINAL DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-027620000007...