今年的英国寄生虫学会（BSP）autumn symposiumwas held in Salford at the highly futuristic Media city, University of Salford. On this occasion the BSP collaborated with theBritish Ecology Society专注于疾病生态系统，野生动植物和人类健康的话题。结果是一个挤满了人的几天，其中包括一些关于广泛主题的有趣演讲，这是一场激烈的辩论，问一个引人入胜的问题：“我们都注定要失败吗？”最后，一部出色的戏剧表演电影，名为“传播”。

Parasitologists- already working in a highly specialised field- often concentrate on one particular species and narrow down further to a single protein or even a gene, so it was refreshing to take a step back and appreciate infectious diseases with a much wider perspective. It was an opportunity to consider thought-provoking topics such as the effects of predation on host parasitism, the unique transmission ecosystems ofEchinococcus multilocularisacross China and even how invasive species encountered on our field trips could be hitch hiking home via our wellies!

彼得·哈德森（Peter Hudson）教授（宾夕法尼亚州立大学）开启了这项活动，他在女儿的婚礼上从严肃的“爸爸跳舞”中恢复了动力。他热情地谈论了疾病生态学的发展和发展，其在理解寄生虫 - 宿主相互作用的动态以及预测新兴的传染病（例如埃博拉病毒）方面的作用。彼得·哈德森（Peter Hudson）在使用埃舍尔（Escher）的艺术相反的照片中看到了寄生虫宿主关系的微妙平衡。

杰西卡·斯蒂芬森（加的夫大学）还提出了关于特立尼达鸟鸟的捕食的有趣发现（Poecilia网站）influences their behaviour and fitness with a knock-on effect on parasitism byGyrodactylus turnbulli。她的研究表明，高度早期的孔雀鱼更可能浅滩，而且个体之间的相互作用增加使寄生虫可以轻松地在人群中分发。相比之下，较少前期的个体过着更孤独的生活，因此表现出相对较低的寄生虫患病率。她的结果还显示了性别和年龄特异性性状介导的捕食者作用的证据。在今年的BSP春季会议上，她的演讲被评为最佳生态学生的演讲。

Given its applicability to biologists in all fields across the world, for me the most strongly resonating message came from Dr Alison Dunn (University of Leeds). She highlighted the毁灭性物种的毁灭性影响例如杀手虾，斑马贻贝和美国信号小龙虾可以在水生生态系统上拥有。在潮湿的条件下，这种物种可以生存长达两周，因此被认为是在钓鱼网，泥泞的鞋子的底部或独木舟的缝隙上搭便车。

结果Check, Clean, Dry” initiative was launched by the government in collaboration with several NGOs to try to tackle the problem. Although the campaign is directed at water sports participants it is important for those of us who frequently conduct field work overseas to operate keeping these basic guidelines in mind:

• Check all gear and clothing for live organisms, particularly in areas that are hard to inspect.
• Clean and wash all clothing, footwear and equipment properly.
• Dry all equipment thoroughly, as many species can live for many days in moist conditions.

还有一系列出色的海报在一系列主题上，来自Trichomonas加利纳，a protozoan parasite that causes a horrifyingly disfiguring disease in pigeons and doves, to whole genome sequencing of the rabies virus. Featured opposite is Abigail Best, a recent MSc graduate from the LSTM, Liverpool, presenting her poster on lymphatic filariasis (LF). After spending her summer collecting data in Ghana, she carried out analyses on the prevalence and morbidity of LF, and the management of symptoms. Interestingly, she found that the use of soap and water correlated positively with the severity of lymphodema, and suggested that this was due to more rigorous compliance by patients already suffering badly from lymphodema.

The conference concluded with a premier of the BSP’s new promotional film, which was shot at this year’s spring meeting in Cambridge. It features many big names in Parasitology, as well as more junior scientists and enthusiastic students. The film will feature on theBSP’s websiteshortly, so watch this space!