"So, naturalists observe, a flea has smaller fleas that on him prey; and these have smaller still to bite ’em; and so proceed ad infinitum."
- Jonathan Swift

June 2, 2010

June 2 - Rhinosporidium seeberi


Rhinosporidium seeberi is a bit of a mystery. It is found primarily in India and Sri Lanka and causes a disease known simply as rhinosporidiosis, which is an infection in the mucosal tissues of the nose, pharynx, and sometimes the eyes. The organism is a member of the group Mesomycetozoea, which are single-celled organisms thought to predate the split between animals and fungi. The natural history of these parasites is also not very well known - they are thought to occur in water and possibly soil and infect people when tissues are exposed when they bathe in common ponds. The image come from this website - if you're brave, open that link for some pictures of the infection in people.

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