Discussion

The public has a fascination with parasites and the diseases they may cause, so there is much demand for articles, lectures and documentaries on parasitology. But there is a thin line between the educational and sensational aspects of this discipline. This lecture will look at how parasites are portrayed in the media and examine how closely that matches reality. Despite such a high level of interest, public engagement in the UK is seriously lacking in crucial areas, to the detriment of individual patients and the public health. Individual cases will be used to illustrate the point