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                    <title><![CDATA[ Latest from Live Science in Parasites ]]></title>
                <link>https://www.livescience.com/tag/parasites</link>
        <description><![CDATA[ All the latest parasites content from the Live Science team ]]></description>
                                    <lastBuildDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
                            <language>en</language>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Diarrhea and stomachaches plagued Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian's Wall, discovery of microscopic parasites finds ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/diarrhea-and-stomachaches-plagued-roman-soldiers-stationed-at-hadrians-wall-discovery-of-microscopic-parasites-finds</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Analysis of latrine sediments at the Roman fort of Vindolanda has revealed that at least three parasites were widespread among Roman soldiers. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:55:45 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Romans]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dm5Coan5tq8THypFv9sNS-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Vindolanda Trust]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[An aerial view of a third-century baths and latrine block at Vindolanda.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[aerial view of Roman ruins of a bathhouse]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[aerial view of Roman ruins of a bathhouse]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Diagnostic dilemma: A woman got a rare parasitic lung infection after eating raw frogs ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-got-a-rare-parasitic-lung-infection-after-eating-raw-frogs</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ In an unusual case, a woman developed a parasitic infection in her lungs, when more typically, the parasite stays just under the skin. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:54:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A8aETuMCzWFJrth2YRFD46-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[ampols via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Undercooked or raw frog meat can sometimes carry parasites capable of infecting people who consume the meat.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[ten or so east asian bull frogs shown sitting in water]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[ten or so east asian bull frogs shown sitting in water]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 1,300-year-old poop reveals pathogens plagued prehistoric people in Mexico's 'Cave of the Dead Children' ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/1-300-year-old-poop-reveals-pathogens-plagued-prehistoric-people-in-mexicos-cave-of-the-dead-children</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists studied ancient poop and found loads of intestinal diseases. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:33:49 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[The Americas]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2qTnM8foptVqmbw4GYTjij-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Johnica Winter; CC-BY 4.0 ]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Desiccated fecal material from the Cave of the Dead Children in Mexico.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a piece of dried feces sits on a table with a scale bar]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a piece of dried feces sits on a table with a scale bar]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Your fear is well-founded': How human activities have raised the risk of tick-borne diseases like Lyme ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/your-fear-is-well-founded-how-human-activities-have-raised-the-risk-of-tick-borne-diseases-like-lyme</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Changes to forests, and how close people and their livestock live to them, have changed tick habitats and the risks humans face of Lyme disease and other illnesses. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sean Lawrence ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xEHEePnnkqSQ65JQNt7eAX-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The black-legged tick, or deer tick, &lt;em&gt;Ixodes scapularis&lt;/em&gt;, can transmit Lyme disease and other health hazards.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a close-up of a tick on a stick]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a close-up of a tick on a stick]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Diagnostic dilemma: A woman had something in her eye — and it turned out to be parasitic worms ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-had-something-in-her-eye-and-it-turned-out-to-be-parasitic-worms</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A woman went to the hospital several times with the feeling that something was stuck in her eye. It turned out to be parasites. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 22:42:38 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eY5Hq3rQ5qYvVJpipewK4H-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Wilfried Lebon, Jacques Guillot, Maria-Jesús Álvarez, José Antonio Bazaga, Marie-Laure Cortes-Dubly, Pascal Dumont, Marianne Eberhardt, Héctor Gómez, Olivier Pennant, Noémie Siméon, Frederic Beugnet and Lénaïg Halos, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en, via Wikimedia Commons]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A woman had experienced eye redness and itchiness for about a month before doctors pinpointed the cause of her symptoms. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An image of a Thelazia callipaeda worm under the microscope in black and white.  ]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An image of a Thelazia callipaeda worm under the microscope in black and white.  ]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ New viruses identified in bats in China ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/new-viruses-identified-in-bats-in-china</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Bats found near orchards harbor pathogens that could be passed to livestock or humans. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:58:20 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:18:03 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brian Owens ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fyoJF6mJguUJSrKJEyYjPJ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Dibyendu Ash via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Bats caught near orchards in China&#039;s Yunnan province were found to be infected with 20 never-before-seen viruses.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a group of bats huddle together in a cave]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a group of bats huddle together in a cave]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Common parasite decapitates human sperm ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/fertility-pregnancy-birth/common-parasite-decapitates-human-sperm</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ If you've handled cat litter or eaten raw meat or unwashed produce, there’s a chance you might have a permanent toxoplasmosis infection spread throughout your body. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 15 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Reproductive Health]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Bill Sullivan ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nbAapmc3JfVgrHCdHfVPy7-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[wildpixel via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[&lt;em&gt;Toxoplasma&lt;/em&gt; can infiltrate the reproductive system.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of toxoplasma floating around]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of toxoplasma floating around]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Scientists capture footage of bizarre deep-sea creature with parasite pig tails ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/fish/scientists-capture-footage-of-bizarre-deep-sea-creature-with-parasite-pig-tails</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists on an expedition to the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica have recorded horrifying videos of parasitic copepods feasting on the head of a deep sea rattail fish. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:42:28 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:11:43 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ elise.poore@futurenet.com (Elise Poore) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elise Poore ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cXo6j72QxcbLBWoMcGX9HC-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Schmidt Ocean Institute]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A rattail deep sea fish swims close the sea floor with two parasitic copepods attached to its head.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A rattail deep sea fish swims close the sea floor with two parasitic copepods attached to its head.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A rattail deep sea fish swims close the sea floor with two parasitic copepods attached to its head.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Why we need parasites, despite them leeching life from others ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/why-we-need-parasites-despite-them-leeching-life-from-others</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ An ecologist shares his passion for parasites. From their vital roles in nature, to strange super powers and extraordinarily complex life cycles, parasites are natural wonders worthy of protection. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:14:40 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Euan Ritchie ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g7acSFXaf4KjYJFCGfWTNU-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[ijimino via Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A tongue-eating parasite inside a fish&#039;s mouth]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A tongue-eating parasite inside a fish&#039;s mouth]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A tongue-eating parasite inside a fish&#039;s mouth]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Parasitic worms cause terrible diseases — could the viruses they carry be to blame? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/parasitic-worms-cause-terrible-diseases-could-the-viruses-they-carry-be-to-blame</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Roundworms harbor viruses, which could be responsible for these parasites' painful symptoms in humans, scientists theorize. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:30:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:07:03 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rohini Subrahmanyam ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uY6GESAL2q8WPv2qngZyVD-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Mark Taylor]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[These Ecuadorian whipworms are an example of a parasitic worm species that infects humans. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A view of a petri dish with hundreds of tiny spiral worms in it]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A view of a petri dish with hundreds of tiny spiral worms in it]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Parasitic 'horror' wasp that bursts from a fly's abdomen like an 'Alien' xenomorph discovered in Mississippi backyard  ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/bees-wasps/parasitic-horror-wasp-that-bursts-from-a-fly-s-abdomen-like-an-alien-xenomorph-discovered-in-mississippi-backyard</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists accidentally discover new species of wasp that lays eggs inside living, adult fruit flies, which then burst from the hosts' abdomens while they're still alive. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 13 Sep 2024 10:15:31 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:38:44 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Insects]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Patrick Pester ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RCogff3qdyQkpHbgGSKrff-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Matthew Ballinger]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The parasitoid wasp larva bursting out of a fruit fly. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Parasitoid wasp larvae bursting out of fruit fly; the larvae almost the same size as the fly&#039;s body.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Parasitoid wasp larvae bursting out of fruit fly; the larvae almost the same size as the fly&#039;s body.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Genetically engineered 'mind control' parasite could deliver drugs to the brain ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/genetically-engineered-mind-control-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists are developing an engineered parasite to get drugs into the brain. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jul 2024 21:25:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Medicine &amp; Drugs]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uh8m8e9v8ReaHyDybMudTV-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[wildpixel via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A parasite that invades the brain could be tweaked to deliver drugs, scientists say.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of the single-celled organism toxoplasma gondii, which has almond-shaped cells and a large nucleus]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of the single-celled organism toxoplasma gondii, which has almond-shaped cells and a large nucleus]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ DNA from dozens of human skeletons unravels history of malaria ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/dna-from-dozens-of-human-skeletons-unravels-history-of-malaria</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Malaria is often considered a tropical disease, but data hidden in historical human remains has shed new light on the parasite's world travels. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:00:01 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:05:43 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Michael Schubert ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gUs3mBuu69LCaByzEuF63h-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Purna Lama, Boudha Stupa Thanka Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Surprisingly, scientists found evidence of malaria in a person who resided on a cold, high-altitude site in Chokhopani, Nepal. The team suspects that the long-distance trader caught the illness in a warmer, low-lying region.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An artist reconstruction depicting a person in robes carrying a large bag of goods and leading pack animals up a mountain. This is a depiction of a long-distance trader whose remains were analyzed in the study]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist reconstruction depicting a person in robes carrying a large bag of goods and leading pack animals up a mountain. This is a depiction of a long-distance trader whose remains were analyzed in the study]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Parasitic worms infect 6 after bear meat served at family reunion ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/parasitic-worms-infect-6-after-bear-meat-served-at-family-reunion</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Parasitic worms infected a family who'd shared a meal that included undercooked bear meat kabobs. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2024 20:24:24 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:05:32 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RrvPcqD9CrRSYf4eezENXG-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[CDC/ Dr. Irving G. Kagan via Public Health Image Library]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[In severe infections, Trichinella worms embed their cysts in a person&#039;s muscle tissue, as shown here.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a pink and white micrograph depicts a curled, worm shape embedded in muscle tissue]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a pink and white micrograph depicts a curled, worm shape embedded in muscle tissue]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 32 diseases you can catch from animals ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/32-diseases-you-can-catch-from-animals</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Humans can catch a huge number of diseases from animals, and these can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 13:00:31 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:05:25 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristen Fischer ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tXDUJiJLXxeWorFyqJR5Ph-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Wayne HUTCHINSON / Alamy Stock Photo]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Not all animal diseases are transmissible to humans, but some can jump between species.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A large red sign on the road that says &quot;animal disease control zone ends&quot;]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A large red sign on the road that says &quot;animal disease control zone ends&quot;]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 32 scary parasitic diseases ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/32-scary-parasitic-diseases</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Parasites can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, ranging from short-term to lifelong. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 16:34:10 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:05:25 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristen Fischer ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n6auEjyMYKmn65A2rLktSU-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY viaGetty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[illustration of the single-cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii against a colorful background; many clear, oblong cells are shown with small, red nuclei inside them]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[illustration of the single-cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii against a colorful background; many clear, oblong cells are shown with small, red nuclei inside them]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[illustration of the single-cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii against a colorful background; many clear, oblong cells are shown with small, red nuclei inside them]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Parasite that lived in woman's eye for 2 years likely came from crocodile meat ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/parasite-that-lived-in-womans-eye-for-2-years-likely-came-from-crocodile-meat</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Doctors described a case of a rare infection called ocular pentastomiasis, which is caused by a parasite known to lay its eggs in snakes. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2024 15:13:01 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:05:03 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ubtXx7MnkEeNWFFEpTFd8h-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[JAMA Network® © 2024 American Medical Association]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[This parasite was removed from the corner of a woman&#039;s eye. The white arrow is pointing to the typical segmentation seen in this type of parasite.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[close up of a yellowish-white grub curled up into a C shape]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[close up of a yellowish-white grub curled up into a C shape]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Deadly dog parasite found in Southern California in a 1st ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/deadly-dog-parasite-found-in-southern-california-in-a-1st</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A free-swimming worm that can infect and kill dogs has been found in the Colorado River near the California-Arizona border. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:05:33 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:04:46 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cemRFExHBNfkDwnPPCVVpF-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[LorenzoPatoia via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A parasitic worm that can cause a dangerous disease in dogs has been found on the banks of the Colorado River.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[small curly haired dog wearing a collar and standing on a river bank as it shakes water from its fur]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[small curly haired dog wearing a collar and standing on a river bank as it shakes water from its fur]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Bedbugs plagued Britain 1,900 years ago, Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall reveals ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/bedbugs-plagued-britain-1900-years-ago-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-reveals</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The earliest known evidence of bedbugs in Britain was found at a first-century fort near Hadrian's Wall. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:50:54 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:04:14 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Romans]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ lgeggel@livescience.com (Laura Geggel) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Laura Geggel ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YWTz5kwWgouUmNerqRp44K-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[animatedfunk via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[While excavating at Vindolanda, a Roman auxiliary fort in northern England, archaeologists found the earliest evidence of bedbugs in Britain.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Lifelike 3D rendering of a bedbug.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Lifelike 3D rendering of a bedbug.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Few insect orders have been spared': Why death by parasite keeps life in the forest thriving ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/few-insect-orders-have-been-spared-why-death-by-parasite-keeps-life-in-the-forest-thriving</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ In the adapted excerpt below, from Meetings with Remarkable Mushrooms, ecologist Alison Pouliot encounters a species that targets the larvae of ghost moths, revealing how the deadly fungus brings balance to the forest. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 16 Dec 2023 14:00:26 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:03:36 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Alison Pouliot ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G5d35VvtbHRoEEn8YWZawj-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Oliver Thompson-Holmes/Alamy Stock Photo]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A dead ant on a leaf with a parasitic fungus bursting from its body and arching up and over]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A dead ant on a leaf with a parasitic fungus bursting from its body and arching up and over]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A dead ant on a leaf with a parasitic fungus bursting from its body and arching up and over]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 8 times fossilized human poop dropped big knowledge on us. (Number 2 will surprise you.) ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/times-fossilized-human-poop-dropped-big-knowledge-on-us-number-2-will-surprise-you</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Here's the scoop on ancient human poop. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:03:10 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ lgeggel@livescience.com (Laura Geggel) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Laura Geggel ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QgwfyWY8f86iqjD3r94x2h-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[DBenitostock via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[What can this poop tell us?]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Human or animal poop of brown color lying on yellow background.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Human or animal poop of brown color lying on yellow background.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Humpback whales caught on film for 1st time treating themselves to a full body scrub on the seafloor ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/humpback-whales/humpback-whales-caught-on-film-for-1st-time-treating-themselves-to-a-full-body-scrub-on-the-seafloor</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ New footage shows, for the first time, how humpbacks scrub off dead skin and parasites to stay streamlined and keep their skin healthy. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2023 16:30:15 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:35:49 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Bacterial &amp; Fungal Infections]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ sascha.pare@futurenet.com (Sascha Pare) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sascha Pare ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/o5VpvDQGDAmqgxkrAMQHZ4-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Griffith University]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A sequence of rolls lasted for about five minutes and consisted of four full or side rolls on average.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Screenshots from the underwater footage taken for research purposes show humpback whales rolling on the sandy seafloor.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Screenshots from the underwater footage taken for research purposes show humpback whales rolling on the sandy seafloor.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma hides from the immune system with 2 key genes ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/mind-control-parasite-toxoplasma-hides-from-the-immune-system-with-two-key-genes</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A single-cell parasite relies on two genes that boost each other's activity to switch into "defense mode" when attacked by the immune system. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:00:17 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 13:10:41 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kamal Nahas ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xm7umzXpj8rzrtcQrj4ufV-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[illustration of single-cell parasites floating through the bloodstream alongside blood cells ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[illustration of single-cell parasites floating through the bloodstream alongside blood cells ]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[illustration of single-cell parasites floating through the bloodstream alongside blood cells ]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Tick-borne parasite is spreading in the Northeast, CDC says ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/tick-borne-parasite-is-spreading-in-the-northeast-cdc-says</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is spreading in the northeastern U.S. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:59:52 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:00:51 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uGPhtsZ9XMBnAK7RyFnMhM-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[kmatija via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is becoming more common in the northeastern U.S.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[close up of a deer tick on a blade of grass reaching one of its legs towards a bare human leg]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[close up of a deer tick on a blade of grass reaching one of its legs towards a bare human leg]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Supergene' mutation turned ants into parasitic wannabe queens ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/supergene-mutation-turned-ants-into-parasitic-wannabe-queens</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists have identified a mutant strain of clonal raider ants that look like miniature queens and evolved quickly because of a single "supergene" mutation. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 10 Mar 2023 12:18:47 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:46:41 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Insects]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ sascha.pare@futurenet.com (Sascha Pare) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sascha Pare ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jjnJeeMtmohVrSTLCSJMDb-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Daniel Kronauer]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A newly described mutant strain of clonal raider ants (Ooceraea biroi) stands out in the colony due to the insect&#039;s queenlike wings.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Two winged clonal raider ants stand out against a white background.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Two winged clonal raider ants stand out against a white background.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Fatal 'brain-eating' amoeba successfully treated with repurposed UTI drug ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/fatal-brain-eating-amoeba-successfully-treated-with-repurposed-uti-drug</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Doctors successfully treated a patient's rare brain infection with a drug typically used for UTIs. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2023 21:02:14 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:22:35 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Medicine &amp; Drugs]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9J9k9iEiEVempNPayCzrBn-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[This organism can trigger a very rare brain infection called &quot;granulomatous amebic encephalitis,&quot; which kills 90% of those infected.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of the brain eating amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris , depicted in pink against a white, speckled background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of the brain eating amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris , depicted in pink against a white, speckled background]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 10 surprising facts about the 'mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma gondii ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/surprising-toxoplasma-gondii-facts</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ T. gondii is one of the most common infectious parasites on Earth, but it is also one of the most interesting to learn about. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:06:03 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:34:47 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Bacterial &amp; Fungal Infections]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Baker ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QkZkJZcu6adk8BaajZGBXG-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[CDC]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ One in three people are infected with Toxoplasma parasite — and the clue could be in our eyes ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/toxoplasma-parasite-human-eyes</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Toxoplasma gondii is probably the most successful parasite in the world today. The disease caused by this parasite can scar the back of the eye. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2022 16:38:04 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:18:38 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Bacterial &amp; Fungal Infections]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ justine.smith@flinders.edu.au (Justine R. Smith) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Justine R. Smith ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9eEHX7RxG3R4HbYux7SDPe-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Artist&#039;s illustration of Toxoplasma gondii]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Artist&#039;s illustration of Toxoplasma gondii]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Artist&#039;s illustration of Toxoplasma gondii]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Why do cats and dogs rub their butts on the floor? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/why-cats-dogs-scoot-butts-on-ground</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Here's why your cat or dog might be rubbing its butt on the floor. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2022 12:00:01 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:53:57 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tyler Santora ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Cdkg4gDwXi9JgTq6ZdiyDJ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[harpazo_hope via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A cat hides under a rug with its butt sticking out.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A cat hides under a rug with its butt sticking out.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A cat hides under a rug with its butt sticking out.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 1,500-year-old Roman 'flower pot' was actually a port-o-potty ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/roman-empire-port-o-potty</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The preserved eggs of a human intestinal parasite prove that a fifth century Roman pot was used as a toilet. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:56:24 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Romans]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LYdjr99zTcR2Faq7GSjXhR-1280-80.jpeg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[R.J.A. Wilson]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The small ceramic pot contained preserved eggs of a human intestinal parasite.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[The small ceramic pot contained preserved eggs of a human intestinal parasite.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The small ceramic pot contained preserved eggs of a human intestinal parasite.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Watch thousands of 'vinegar eels' swarm through a water droplet in amazing new video ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/vinegar-eel-nematode-synchronize</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The microscopic nematodes known as vinegar eels move together in a strange synchronized swimming routine, new research videos show. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2022 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:53:45 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8vsZDmaByupT7F8VG7tTk4-1280-80.jpeg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Anton Peshkov]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Thousands of vinegar eels swim in unison inside a droplet of water]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Thousands of vinegar eels swim in unison inside a droplet of water]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Thousands of vinegar eels swim in unison inside a droplet of water]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Parasitic worm forces tarantulas to tiptoe, then starves them to death ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/tarantula-killing-nematode-jeff-daniels</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists discovered a new type of parasitic worm that only infects the mouths of tarantula spiders. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:35:49 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Spiders &amp; Other Arachnids]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ApjuaLepqrr5PYZ6yau3bH-1280-80.jpeg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Adler Dillman/ UCR]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[That&#039;s no spittle: The white marks around this tarantula&#039;s mouth are a tangle of parasites called nematodes. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[That&#039;s no spittle: The white marks around this tarantula&#039;s mouth are a tangle of parasites called nematodes. ]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[That&#039;s no spittle: The white marks around this tarantula&#039;s mouth are a tangle of parasites called nematodes. ]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Social vomit and hairy eyeballs: 10 times animals grossed us out in 2021 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/grossest-animal-news-2021</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Here are some of our favorite gross-outs in science news this year. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 26 Dec 2021 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:56:36 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d9NJUDGjwqzdyo7uA7cQpY-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Galveston Island State Park]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[This creepy isopod is serving as a prosthetic tongue.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[This creepy isopod is serving as a prosthetic tongue.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[This creepy isopod is serving as a prosthetic tongue.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d9NJUDGjwqzdyo7uA7cQpY-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Mind-controlling fungus makes male flies mate with dead, infected females ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/fungus-flies-mate-dead-infected-females</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The pathogenic fungus Entomophthora muscae doesn't just kill the flies it infects; it also turns males into sex-crazed necrophiliacs. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2021 12:05:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:36:30 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Insects]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VB9kZYbxHMjXRHKjCGER9g-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[A. Naundrup et al.]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Why would male flies mate with dead females? A fungus made them do it.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Why would male flies mate with dead females? A fungus made them do it.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Why would male flies mate with dead females? A fungus made them do it.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VB9kZYbxHMjXRHKjCGER9g-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Tongue-eating' lice invade fish's mouth in this year's creepiest Halloween photo ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/texas-fish-tongue-parasite</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Tongue-eating parasites chow down on fishes' mouths and eventually replace their tongues ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2021 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:57:34 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Joanna Thompson ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d9NJUDGjwqzdyo7uA7cQpY-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Galveston Island State Park]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Parasitic lice ate this fish&#039;s tongue and turned its mouth into a condo]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[This creepy isopod is serving as a prosthetic tongue]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[This creepy isopod is serving as a prosthetic tongue]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d9NJUDGjwqzdyo7uA7cQpY-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Tick transforms into a glowing alien from a sci-fi nightmare in trippy photo ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/glowing-nightmare-tick-nikon-small-world.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Outstanding examples of stunning microscopy were recently honored in the Nikon Small World contest. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2021 11:00:05 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:53:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/o44oosX2WpojRXi58EJGKc-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Photo by Dr. Tong Zhang &amp; Dr. Paul Stoodley/Courtesy of Nikon Small World]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Scientists captured this image of a tick&#039;s head at Ohio State University&#039;s Campus Microscopy and Imaging Facility.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Scientists captured this image of a tick&#039;s head at Ohio State University&#039;s Campus Microscopy and Imaging Facility.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Scientists captured this image of a tick&#039;s head at Ohio State University&#039;s Campus Microscopy and Imaging Facility.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/o44oosX2WpojRXi58EJGKc-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Rare 'zombie fingers' parasitic fungus is hanging on (barely) in Australia ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/zombie-fingers-fungus-australia.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists recently found that a fungus resembling zombies' fingers is more widespread in Australia than anyone suspected. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2021 11:02:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:20:09 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mJC6vkr7QLZy5aG8UwzF3R-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Scientists recently found that a fungus resembling zombies&#039; fingers is more widespread in Australia than anyone suspected.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Scientists recently found that a fungus resembling zombies&#039; fingers is more widespread in Australia than anyone suspected.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Scientists recently found that a fungus resembling zombies&#039; fingers is more widespread in Australia than anyone suspected.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mJC6vkr7QLZy5aG8UwzF3R-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Murder hornets and monkey cannibals: 10 times nature freaked us out in 2020 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/nature-freaked-us-out-2020.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Some of this year's top science stories were truly the stuff of nightmares. ]]>
                                                                                                            </description>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:50:01 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Primates]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/85cXFZg7FzseqM4TC4DFFc-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Courtesy of Kory Evans, Rice University]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Can a cat parasite control your mind? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/can-cat-parasites-control-human-brains.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ This parasite may manipulate your brain to make you take more risks. ]]>
                                                                                                            </description>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2020 11:00:37 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:51:01 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Benjamin Plackett ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MCcryMt5RQtLBv2v44J68N-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Meet the 'vampire' parasite that masquerades as a living tongue ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/image-fish-tongue-parasite.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Digital models of a fish skull revealed a parasitic stowaway inside its mouth: a "tongue biter" isopod that consumed and then replaced the fish's tongue. ]]>
                                                                                                            </description>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:08:47 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:32:50 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/85cXFZg7FzseqM4TC4DFFc-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Courtesy of Kory Evans, Rice University]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A tongue-eating louse, or isopod (purple) became this fish&#039;s living tongue.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Evolution turned this fish into a 'penis with a heart.' Here's how. ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/anglerfish-fusion-sex-immune-system.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Anglerfish are literally missing part of their immune system, but this allows them to permanently fuse during sex, new research suggests ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:32:48 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N6tsBcMs3V6Q7VTctEQzWh-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A female anglerfish. Hey, pretty lady.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A female anglerfish. Hey, good lookin&#039;!]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A female anglerfish. Hey, good lookin&#039;!]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N6tsBcMs3V6Q7VTctEQzWh-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Mind-controlling fungus makes zombie cicadas lure other cicadas to a zombie fate ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/zombie-cicadas-lure-victims.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Not only does the fungus Massospora infect cicadas, eat their bodies and turn them into mind-controlled zombies, it forces them to attract more cicada victims. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2020 12:12:49 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:32:48 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Insects]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5TuVo7brPmT9Uier5uoQcV-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Angie Macias]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[West Virginia University researchers were part of a team that discovered how Massospora, a parasitic fungus, manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings like females — a mating invitation — to tempt and infect other males.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[West Virginia University researchers were part of a team that discovered how Massospora, a parasitic fungus, manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings like females — a mating invitation — to tempt and infect other males.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[West Virginia University researchers were part of a team that discovered how Massospora, a parasitic fungus, manipulates male cicadas into flicking their wings like females — a mating invitation — to tempt and infect other males.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5TuVo7brPmT9Uier5uoQcV-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Woman's sore throat was really a worm living in her tonsil ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/parasitic-worm-tonsil-sashimi.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A woman's sore throat turned out to have a rare — and horrifying — cause. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2020 11:34:05 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:32:37 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rachael Rettner ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h37HYzccYccoifE2NTfn8H-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[Tuna sashimi]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Tuna sashimi]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Tuna sashimi]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Cambrian fossils show oldest example of parasites in action ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/cambrian-parasites.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Fossil brachiopods from China were crusted with parasites, which may have hijacked their hosts' feeding structures in order to steal their dinner. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:20:54 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:34:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Extinct species]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ge9fpBYPKwZJn2EbyEY4cH-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Zhifei Zhang (Northwest University)]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[In this reconstruction of the Cambrian brachiopod Neobolus wulongqingensis, tubelike parasites cling to its shell.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[In this reconstruction of the Cambrian brachiopod Neobolus wulongqingensis, tubelike parasites cling to its shell.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[In this reconstruction of the Cambrian brachiopod Neobolus wulongqingensis, tubelike parasites cling to its shell.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'First species discovered on Twitter' is a parasitic fungus that dines on millipede genitals ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/parasitic-millipede-fungus-named-for-twitter.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Researchers discovered a new species while looking at Twitter photos. They have named the parasite Troglomyces twitteri. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2020 12:15:25 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:45:05 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qks4CBvhCC4AaLBfvFHr9M-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Santamaria S, Enghoff H, Reboleira AS]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Two white dots (circled in red) are actually a new species of parasitic fungus that lives on American millipedes.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Two white dots (circled in red) are actually a new species of parasitic fungus that lives on American millipedes]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Two white dots (circled in red) are actually a new species of parasitic fungus that lives on American millipedes]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Mind-control' cat parasite has now reached Hawaii's parks ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/mind-control-parasite-oahu-cats.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been found on Oahu, Hawaii public lands for the first time. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:59:31 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:38:57 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Cats]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5GVR5F9DLzJHPMiSCxFLsN-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[Feral cats such as this one, photographed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii in Hanauma Bay, introduced a parasite into local ecosystems. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Feral cats such as this one, photographed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii in Hanauma Bay, introduced a parasite into local ecosystems. ]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Feral cats such as this one, photographed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii in Hanauma Bay, introduced a parasite into local ecosystems. ]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Shocked' scientists find brain parasites in baby lizards still in shells ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/parasitic-worms-in-lizard-embryos.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists found parasitic worms in the brains of lizard embryos. How did they get there? ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2020 12:08:57 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:20:15 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Lizards]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Reptiles]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nicoletta Lanese ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fWFiSS2AfW5FoRKuLRHvcW-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Nathalie Feiner]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Female common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis)]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Lizard embryo.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Lizard embryo.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Scientists discover first known animal that doesn't breathe ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/first-non-breathing-animal.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A genomic analysis of the creepy parasite H. salminicola reveals that the creature has no mitochondrial DNA and no way to breathe — two animal firsts. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 24 Feb 2020 20:13:49 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:58:54 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brandon Specktor ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q78HCWNMhVBfjZXp97VKRc-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Stephen Douglas Atkinson]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Spores of the parasite H. salminicola swim under a microscope. Those alien &quot;eyes&quot; are actually stinger cells, one of the few features this organism hasn&#039;t evolved away.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Spores of the parasite H. salminicola swim under a microscope. Those alien &quot;eyes&quot; are actually stinger cells, one of the few features this organism hasn&#039;t evolved away.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Spores of the parasite H. salminicola swim under a microscope. Those alien &quot;eyes&quot; are actually stinger cells, one of the few features this organism hasn&#039;t evolved away.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Heart-warming? More like heart-harming. Here are 5 cardiac parasites ... for Valentine's Day ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/heart-parasites.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Some types of parasitic infections can lead to serious heart problems. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 14 Feb 2020 10:57:49 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:37:37 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Bacterial &amp; Fungal Infections]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mindy Weisberger ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7hFVcSsUTtQByQp8jpU87C-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[CDC]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[This image of a muscle tissue cell, magnified 1200X, reveals a cluster of Trypanosoma cruzi organisms.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[This image of a muscle tissue cell, magnified 1200X, reveals a cluster of Trypanosoma cruzi organisms.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[This image of a muscle tissue cell, magnified 1200X, reveals a cluster of Trypanosoma cruzi organisms.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7hFVcSsUTtQByQp8jpU87C-1280-80.jpg" />
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 6 Times Parasites Grossed Us Out in 2019 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/weirdest-parasite-infections-2019.html</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Here are the weirdest parasitic infections we covered this year. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:17:41 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections &amp; Disease]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rachael Rettner ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MFN87RR7rNDCTkJe7swov6-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[CDC/ Dr. Mae Melvin]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[An image of the pork tapeworm &lt;em&gt;Taenia solium&lt;/em&gt;.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An image of the pork tapeworm &lt;em&gt;Taenia solium&lt;/em&gt;.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An image of the pork tapeworm &lt;em&gt;Taenia solium&lt;/em&gt;.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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