Parasites

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

Zombie animals: 10 real-life cases of body-snatching
By Scott Dutfield last updated
Zombie movies have it all wrong. Parasites are the real zombie killers.

10 ways to avoid summer tick bites
By Tia Ghose last updated
Experts shared tips with Live Science on how to protect yourself from tick bites and reduce your risk of tick-borne diseases.

Humpback whales caught on film for 1st time treating themselves to a full body scrub on the seafloor
By Sascha Pare published
New footage shows, for the first time, how humpbacks scrub off dead skin and parasites to stay streamlined and keep their skin healthy.

'Mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma hides from the immune system with 2 key genes
By Kamal Nahas published
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.

Tick-borne parasite is spreading in the Northeast, CDC says
By Nicoletta Lanese published
A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is spreading in the northeastern U.S.

'Supergene' mutation turned ants into parasitic wannabe queens
By Sascha Pare published
Scientists have identified a mutant strain of clonal raider ants that look like miniature queens and evolved quickly because of a single "supergene" mutation.

Fatal 'brain-eating' amoeba successfully treated with repurposed UTI drug
By Nicoletta Lanese published
Doctors successfully treated a patient's rare brain infection with a drug typically used for UTIs.

10 surprising facts about the 'mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma gondii
By Harry Baker published
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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