Breakthrough Discovery Unlocks Mysteries Surrounding Parasite Immunity and Development
Ticks have the ability to detect a cytokine from infected mammalian blood, triggering a defense mechanism against bacteria that cause Lyme disease. A team of…
Parasites News
Bad News: Warming Oceans Have Decimated Marine Parasites
Over 100 years of preserved fish specimens provide a unique look at parasite population trends over time. A study from the University of Washington reveals…
Turning Cells Into “Zombies”: Scientists Identify the Secret That Allowed a Parasite To Infect 30% of Humans
A large portion of people on the planet is infected with the parasite Toxoplasma. Now, a study headed by scientists at Stockholm University demonstrates how…
50 Years of Searching – Promising Treatment for Chagas Disease Discovered
Tens of millions of people in the Americas are affected by the condition, yet there are no effective treatments. Researchers at the University of Georgia…
Turning Harmless Cells Into Ruthless Tumor and Virus Killers
Processes in the human body transform harmless immune cells into ruthless killers According to a recent study, the human body has the capability to change…
Microscopic Mites That Mate on Our Faces at Night May Soon Become One With Humans
The secret lives of mites in the skin of our faces. First ever comprehensive DNA analysis of mites that live in the hair follicles of…
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Will Have Complex Effects on Infectious Disease Transmission
Temperature variation affects pathogens and their hosts in distinct ways, and these organisms are influenced by the type of variation and the average background temperature…
Scientists Discover How Toxoplasma Parasites in the Brain Manipulate Host Cells To Survive
WEHI researchers have discovered how dormant Toxoplasma parasites in the brain manipulate their host cells to ensure their own survival. The researchers showed that the…
Mistletoe – Famous for Christmastime Kisses – Is Actually a Parasitic Plant With Poisonous Berries
A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. But, botanically speaking,…
Debilitating Human Parasite – Worms That Grow Up to 3 Feet Long in the Body – Transmitted via Dogs Eating Fish
Efforts to eradicate a human parasitic disease are being hampered by dogs eating infected fish, new research shows. Guinea worm disease is usually caught by…
Domestic Cats Drive Spread of Potentially Deadly Toxoplasma Parasite to Wildlife
New UBC research suggests free-roaming cats are likely to blame in the spread of the potentially deadly Toxoplasma gondii parasite to wildlife in densely populated…
Honeybees Use Social Distancing To Protect Themselves From Parasites
Honeybee allogrooming behavior (upper left) and trophallaxis (feeding, center). Credit: Dr Michelina Pusceddu, University of Sassari Honeybees increase social distancing when their hive is under…
War in the Gut: How Microbes in the Human Gut Resist the Cholera Bacterium
Cholera is still an enormous problem. An acute diarrheal disease, there have been seven major pandemics in the last two hundred years. According to the WHO,…
Beware of Dog Parks: Canine Parasite Has Evolved Resistance to All Treatments
Hookworms have evolved to evade all FDA approved medications veterinarians use to kill them. Hookworms are one of the most common parasites plaguing the companion…
Looming Extinction Crisis: If Endangered Primates Disappear, So Will Their Parasites. That’s Actually a Problem
The extinction crisis looming for monkeys, apes and their kin could have even greater ripple effects on the tiny underappreciated species that set up camp…
Microbial Molecule Turns Plants Into Zombies: The Curse That Might Contain a Cure
Zombie plants, witches’ brooms and the curse that might contain a cure. A newly discovered manipulation mechanism used by parasitic bacteria to slow down plant…
Ivermectin: Can People Take a Drug for Horses and Cows To Treat a Deadly Virus?
Demand has surged for ivermectin, a drug widely given to horses and cows to treat worms and other parasitic infections, as a possible treatment or…
Biological Engineers Find a New Target for Malaria Drugs – Could Kill Drug-Resistant Parasites
Blocking a key enzyme could kill parasites that have evolved resistance to existing drugs. Every year, more than 200 million people are infected with malaria,…
