Australian Society for Parasitology Presidential Address: Echinococcus and Giardia: Variation on a theme

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INTRODUCTION organisms, this could result in a disjointed collection WHEN Professor Sprent reiterated his interest in of research findings, particularly in view of the time publishing the Presidential Addresses of the constraints of this address. However, I hope my title Australian Society for Parasitology, I was only too allays any fears and conveys the fact that I intend to pleased to continue a tradition established in the early focus on a common theme with respect to both days of the Society over 20 years ago. The practice of organisms. publishing the Presidential Addresses was revived by Although Echinococcus and Giardia are phyloProfessor Bryant in 1983 (Bryant, 1983) and followed genetically and biologically quite distinct, apart from shortly afterwards by Dr Howell (Howell, 1985). I sharing the small intestine as their predilection site, should like to take advantage of this unique avenue of they both have one very important characteristic in publication to give an overview and my interpretation common: pronounced variability, particularly at the of some of the research I have been involved with on intraspecific level. However, with both organisms, it Echinococcus and Giardia. With two such disparate has been very difficult to reconcile whether observed variation in characters such as host occurrence, de* Annual Scientific Meeting, Fremantle, Western velopment, infectivity, virulence, response to drugs, Australia, 9-l 1 August 1990. etc. reflect genetic differences or are environmentally or