Postgenomic spoof ads

How we think about parasites in the developed world. These slides were initially part of my paper presentation at the 2013 Dimensions of Political Ecology conference at the University of Kentucky. Helminth therapy involves the use of intestinal parasites like hookworm to treat autoimmune diseases of the digestive track. This application of evolutionary medicine has proven very effective. The basis for its success is that our hypersterilized environments and the lack of parasites trigger disease. This advert suggests how the production of evolutionary medicine might play out in other ways, and indeed there is already a market in DIY parasite treatments. Nonetheless, the irony in this advert is that while we may see hookworms as a means to cure disease, they remain a pervasive scourge in many parts of the developing world.