At home in bed, Gerald was feeling delirious. He had been having headaches for weeks that seemed to be gradually increasing in frequency and intensity. Today he felt dizzy, his thinking was foggy, and there was a growing sense of pressure in his head. Feeling restless and upset, he wandered outside. People seemed to be avoiding him, walking across the street to stay away. Looking down, he realized that he had forgotten his pants and was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and socks. Then, as though someone had flipped a light switch, everything went dark. Gerald awoke in a hospital bed, feeling even worse than before. His doctor informed him that he had suffered a seizure and sent him for an MRI. The imaging tests showed large cyst-like lesions scattered throughout his cerebral parenchyma and significant abnormal accumulation of CSF (causing cerebral edema and severe headaches). Some were calcified, while others showed a small, dense looking larvae organism. 1. What disease/pathogen is afflicting Gerald? What are the main symptoms that make this likely?
2. Laboratory tests showed an elevated concentration of a specific type of white blood cell in Gerald’s blood. Which leukocyte would this be, and what function does it serve?