The Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Medical Technology sponsored a CPD seminar through its regular Discurso on November 10, 2022. This seminar titled “Facts of Fascioliasis: Trailblazing research on Liver Fluke Infections” was held at the Central Laboratory auditorium. Two notable parasitologists from the University of Valencia, Spain, were invited to provide updates and insights into emerging public problems with zoonotic origin.
The first speaker was Prof. Dr. Santiago Mas-Coma, an expert member of the World Health Organization. He discussed Human and Animal Fascioliasis with emphasis on parasite morphology, distribution, epidemiology, modes of transmission, and public health impact. He also stressed the existence of intermediate forms of Fasciola sp., a new focus for research that institutes future challenges in the control and prevention of this parasitic infection from a worldwide perspective.
The second speaker, Prof. Dr. Maria Dolores Bargues Castello, is the deputy director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Fascioliasis and its Snail Vectors. Her talk dealt with the relative importance of snail vectors in the transmission of Fasciola sp. and Schistosoma sp. She described freshwater gastropods, especially those belonging to the Family Lymnaeidae, in terms of their morphology, relative abundance, and phylogeny. She also shared her experiences with human schistosomiasis across the globe. Both of these parasitic infections, fascioliasis, and schistosomiasis, are zoonotic and are common in the Philippines.
This academically enriching research-based seminar was in collaboration with UST Graduate school and was attended by academic staff, undergraduate and graduate school students from the Medical Technology Department, including students from other courses.
