Registration is not possible at the moment.
If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please send a message to [email protected].
The 2026 LUMC (Leiden)/E-UMC (Rotterdam)/Hogeschool Leiden course in clinical parasitology focuses on the clinical and diagnostic aspects of parasitic infections of importance in routine clinical practice in European countries. Practical sessions will be alternated with in-depth lectures given by experts in the field of clinical parasitology.
Target audience
Medical specialist (including those in training), in particular the physician-microbiologist.
Course objectives
The course in clinical parasitology is a succession of the well acknowledged LUMC course on Laboratory Diagnosis of Human Parasitic Infections. The course was originally designed for Dutch clinical medical microbiologists in training and experienced senior technicians, but has opened for international participants in the last ten years.
During the laboratory sessions, high quality clinical samples will be used for microscopy examination, illustrated by real-life case histories and interactive photo quizzes. Both clinical and public-health aspects will be covered of a broad range of parasitic diseases.
By the end of the course the participants will be familiar with clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of most common parasitic infections, including those seen in travellers and migrants such as malaria, schistosomiasis and intestinal helminths. Some less common parasitic infections will be discussed. Serology and molecular diagnostics will be discussed as well as more recent developments within routine laboratory practice.
Dutch clinical medical microbiologists in training are obliged to subscribe for the full two weeks. International participants are offered the option to subscribe for week 1 or week 2 only, but for unity participation to the full course is strongly advised.
Programme
(minor adaptations still possible)
Week 1
Monday
• Introduction and registration
• Patient case of the day
• Soil transmitted helminths
• Strongyloidiasis
• Echinococcosis
• Taeniasis and other common cestodes
• Slide quiz
Tuesday
• Patient case of the day
• Schistosomiasis and other common trematodes
• Lab procedures for the diagnosis of helminths
• Slide quiz
Wednesday
• Patient case of the day
• Clinical aspects of malaria
• Laboratory diagnosis of malaria
• Non-microscopy diagnosis of malaria
• Slide quiz
Thursday
• Patient case of the day
• Case management in malaria
• Blinded cases in malaria
• Laboratory diagnosis of filariasis
• Slide quiz
Friday
• Patient case of the day
• Laboratory diagnosis of intestinal protozoa
• Laboratory diagnosis of coccidian and less common intestinal parasites
• Clinical aspects of giardiasis
• Slide quiz
Week 2
Monday
• Patient case of the day
• Laboratory diagnosis of coccidian and less common intestinal parasites
• Artefacts of microscopy
• Kinetoplastida: Leishmania and Trypanosoma
• Parasites of the skin
• Therapy of more complicated parasitic infections
• Slide quiz
Tuesday
• Patient case of the day
• Ectoparasites
• Lab procedures for the diagnosis of parasitic infection
• Toxoplasmosis
• Clinical aspects of toxocariasis and trichinellosis
Wednesday
• Patient case of the day
• New developments in the diagnosis of parasites
• Parasitic cases in severely immunocompromised patients
• Filariasis and Dracunculus, a practical approach
• Sarcocistis, gnatostomiasis and other exotic parasites
• Research in human parasitology
Thursday
• Patient case of the day
• Trichomonas
• Clinical cases seen in a teaching hospital in the Netherlands
• Free living amoeba
• Parasites, migration and climate change
Friday
• Microscopy-based techniques for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites – a discussion
• E-diagnosis, artefacts and delusions
• Remaining parasites of interest and clinical cases
• Test
Course coordinators
- Dr. Jaap van Hellemond, Associate Professor Clinical Parasitology, Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center (E-UMC), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Dr. Lisette van Lieshout, Associate Professor Clinical Parasitology, Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Tonny de Vos, University of Applied Sciences, Leiden, The Netherlands
Approved by the Netherlands Society for Parasitology (NVP).
Practical information
Course dates
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 January 2026
Course venue
University of Applied Sciences Leiden
Zernikedreef 11
2333 CK Leiden
The Netherlands
Registration procedure
Registration is not possible at the moment.
For details, please contact the following people:
- Lisette van Lieshout ([email protected]) for questions on the content of the course
- Marian van der Gijp or Riyanne den Haring ([email protected]) for questions about the organization of the course
The course has been organized yearly around the same time of the year. Ask for information about future courses in case you are interested to participate ([email protected]) .
Registration fee
For full-time course of 10 days in 2 weeks: TBA
For one week course: TBA, those who want to participate in the second week only need to contact Dr Lisette van Lieshout beforehand.
The fee includes coffee, tea, lunches and teaching materials.
Travel costs, accommodation (incl. breakfast) & dinners are not included.
Attendance grants
In the 2025 course there are no attendance grants.
CME Accreditation
Accreditation by NVMM and the NVP (Dutch societies for Medical Microbiology and for Parasitology).
Target audience
Clinicians (in training), biomedical researchers, or senior technicians interested and/or working in clinical parasitology, preferably in a European setting. Teaching is done in small groups with intense interaction between course participants and tutors. The international participants (maximum 8) will collaborate intensively with the Dutch course participants. The maximum total size of the group is 20. Those who are not familiar at all with clinical parasitology are expected to do some additional introductory reading at home. All teaching materials will be provided. In the second course week the focus will be more on exotic parasites, in depth details of clinical presentation and treatment and aspects specifically of interest within a North-West European context.
Choice made?
We look forward welcoming you at this course. This course will start on January 12th 2026.
If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please send a message to [email protected].
Need more information?
For details, please contact the following people:
- Lisette van Lieshout ([email protected]) for questions on the content of the course
- Marian van der Gijp or Riyanne den Haring ([email protected]) for questions about the organization of the course
Growing in Life Science & Health
Are you a professional working in the field of Life Science and Health, looking to deepen your knowledge with an eye toward the future? At the Center for Bioscience & Diagnostics (CBD) of Leiden University of Applied Sciences, we offer various courses that align with your field of work.
Algemene voorwaarden
Voor alle post-hbo opleidingen, cursussen en maatwerktrajecten gelden de algemene leverings- en annuleringsvoorwaarden van Hogeschool Leiden.