Parasites
![treatments, alternative treatments, bugs, insects, parasites](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QVByXkUvAM93jn7a2KrZtb-320-80.jpg)
They’re small, sneaky, and likely to make you sick. From viruses, to bacteria, to pesky protozoa, here are the latest findings on the parasites that live among (and on, and in) the creatures of the Earth.
Related Topics: Insects, Invasive Species
Latest about parasites
![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](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gUs3mBuu69LCaByzEuF63h-320-80.jpg)
DNA from dozens of human skeletons unravels history of malaria
By Michael Schubert published
Malaria is often considered a tropical disease, but data hidden in historical human remains has shed new light on the parasite's world travels.
![a pink and white micrograph depicts a curled, worm shape embedded in muscle tissue](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RrvPcqD9CrRSYf4eezENXG-320-80.jpg)
Parasitic worms infect 6 after bear meat served at family reunion
By Nicoletta Lanese published
Parasitic worms infected a family who'd shared a meal that included undercooked bear meat kabobs.
![A large red sign on the road that says "animal disease control zone ends"](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tXDUJiJLXxeWorFyqJR5Ph-320-80.jpg)
32 diseases you can catch from animals
By Kristen Fischer published
Humans can catch a huge number of diseases from animals, and these can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi.
![illustration of the single-cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii against a colorful background; many clear, oblong cells are shown with small, red nuclei inside them](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n6auEjyMYKmn65A2rLktSU-320-80.jpg)
32 scary parasitic diseases
By Kristen Fischer published
Parasites can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, ranging from short-term to lifelong.
![close up of a yellowish-white grub curled up into a C shape](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ubtXx7MnkEeNWFFEpTFd8h-320-80.jpg)
Parasite that lived in woman's eye for 2 years likely came from crocodile meat
By Nicoletta Lanese published
Doctors described a case of a rare infection called ocular pentastomiasis, which is caused by a parasite known to lay its eggs in snakes.
![small curly haired dog wearing a collar and standing on a river bank as it shakes water from its fur](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cemRFExHBNfkDwnPPCVVpF-320-80.jpg)
Deadly dog parasite found in Southern California in a 1st
By Nicoletta Lanese published
A free-swimming worm that can infect and kill dogs has been found in the Colorado River near the California-Arizona border.
![Lifelike 3D rendering of a bedbug.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YWTz5kwWgouUmNerqRp44K-320-80.jpg)
Bedbugs plagued Britain 1,900 years ago, Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall reveals
By Laura Geggel published
The earliest known evidence of bedbugs in Britain was found at a first-century fort near Hadrian's Wall.
![A dead ant on a leaf with a parasitic fungus bursting from its body and arching up and over](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G5d35VvtbHRoEEn8YWZawj-320-80.jpg)
'Few insect orders have been spared': Why death by parasite keeps life in the forest thriving
By Alison Pouliot published
"The fungus swiftly colonizes and liquefies the caterpillar's delicate innards via powerful enzymes that pervade the creature's entire body cavity, effectively consuming the caterpillar from the inside out."
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