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

New viruses identified in bats in China
By Brian Owens published
Bats found near orchards harbor pathogens that could be passed to livestock or humans.

Common parasite decapitates human sperm
By Bill Sullivan published
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.

Scientists capture footage of bizarre deep-sea creature with parasite pig tails
By Elise Poore published
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.

Why we need parasites, despite them leeching life from others
By Euan Ritchie published
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.

Parasitic worms cause terrible diseases — could the viruses they carry be to blame?
By Rohini Subrahmanyam published
Roundworms harbor viruses, which could be responsible for these parasites' painful symptoms in humans, scientists theorize.

Parasitic 'horror' wasp that bursts from a fly's abdomen like an 'Alien' xenomorph discovered in Mississippi backyard
By Patrick Pester published
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.

Genetically engineered 'mind control' parasite could deliver drugs to the brain
By Nicoletta Lanese published
Scientists are developing an engineered parasite to get drugs into the brain.

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.
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