Parasites

We humans are the greatest of earth's parasites - Martin H. Fischer

Parasites

image by: Kevin Van Rompaey

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Parasites inside your body could be protecting you from disease

It’s fair to say parasites are generally bad for their hosts. Many cause disease and death so, like most species, we humans usually try to avoid infection at all costs. But it turns out that some parasites, although potentially harmful in isolation, can in fact help hosts to cope with more deadly infections.

Understanding when parasitism is beneficial has important implications for how we manage infectious diseases, but we currently know very little about this phenomenon. Our new study, published in Evolution Letters, tells us that parasites can readily evolve different mechanisms to defend their hosts from other infections, which suggests that host protection should be common in…

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 Parasites inside your body could be protecting you from disease

It’s fair to say parasites are generally bad for their hosts. Many cause disease and death so, like most species, we humans usually try to avoid infection at all costs. But it turns out that some parasites, although potentially harmful in isolation, can in fact help hosts to cope with more deadly infections.

10 Signs You May Have A Parasite

Having a parasite can be a scary thought, but you're not alone; parasites are far more common than you think. It’s a myth that parasites only exist in underdeveloped countries. In fact, the majority of the patients I see in my clinic have a parasite. As you will see, parasites can causing a myriad of symptoms, only a few of which are actually digestive in nature.

4 Parasites That Want To Invade Your Brain

They just want a nice home! And to destroy you.

Parasite of the Day

The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. In celebration of the enormous diversity of parasites and to highlight their importance, we created this blog, which showcased a species of parasite every day. Now that 2010 is over, we will continue to add more parasites from time to time, and write about any newly published research on parasite species that we have posted about yet.

Six human parasites you definitely don’t want to host

Parasites are fascinating. They are uniquely adapted to survive, in some cases through very complex life cycles. There’s also research to suggest that some may even change the behaviour of hosts to assist them in their quest to reproduce. But you wouldn’t want to get one. Here are six of the most gruesome.

This Week in Parasitism

This Week in Parasitism (TWiP) is a podcast about eukaryotic parasites started by Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier...The TWiP trio strives for an informal yet informative conversation about parasites which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background.

BadBugs

If you suspect parasites, but tests run by your doctor have returned negative, then request PCR testing. Many laboratories in the UK would not be able to exclude D. fragilis and B. hominis, therefore it is possible that some patients infected with these parasites could be misdiagnosed as having IBS. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many patients infected with these parasites are indeed being misdiagnosed as having IBS.

Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites

A parasitologist's view of the world.

MammalParasites.org

The Global Mammal Parasite Database is a compilation of records of parasites and their hosts that have been documented in the published scientific literature. As the quote above suggests, mammals are an extremely well-studied group of animals, and there are thousands of published reports and scientific studies describing their parasites and the abundance of parasites in wild populations.

PARA-SITE

PARA-SITE was designed to provide basic information about parasites causing disease in animals and people. It covers information on: parasite morphology (fundamental to taxonomy); host range (species specificity); site of infection (tissue/organ tropism); parasite pathogenicity (disease potential); modes of transmission (spread of infections); differential diagnosis (detection of infections); and treatment and control (cure and prevention).

Parasite Ecology

Why is it “parasite” ecology and not “disease” ecology? The honest answer is that when I was picking a title for this blog, I found several existing blogs that were named Disease Ecology. I thought for a while about cool alternative names. Rejected ideas included “Parasites FTW,” “If You Don’t Read this Blog, You’ll Get Parasitized,” “The Cutest, Fluffiest Organisms on Earth,” and “Mmmm, Parasites.” However, I decided to keep it simple, and go with Parasite Ecology. And as it turns out, that’s an accurate title for the kinds of things I blog about.

Parasites & Vectors

Parasites & Vectors is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal dealing with the biology of parasites, parasitic diseases, intermediate hosts, vectors and vector-borne pathogens.

Parasites in Humans

This website is all about parasitic infections caused by worms, microscopic protozoa and skin parasites. The worms category is divided into roundworms, flukes and tapeworms. You can find the parasites on the right navigational menu.

Parasitophilia

A Blog About Parasitism.

Pets and Parasites

The content of the Pets and Parasites web site was developed, reviewed, and endorsed by CAPC. The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) is an independent council of veterinarians, veterinary parasitologists, and other animal health care professionals established to create guidelines for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. It brings together broad expertise in parasitology, internal medicine, public health, veterinary law, private practice, and association leadership.

R.E. Pugh Parasite Collection

Dedicated to the Memory of Peter Boreham.

This Week in Parasitology

This Week in Parasitism (TWiP) is a podcast about eukaryotic parasites started by Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier. Daniel Griffin, MD joined the team in January 2015 and added not only his expertise in infectious diseases, but began a new feature of TWiP, the case study.

Companion Animal Parasite Council

The mission of the CAPC is to foster animal and human health, while preserving the human-animal bond, by generating and disseminating credible, accurate and timely information for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of parasitic infections.

Project Monarch Health

MonarchHealth is a project in which volunteers sample wild monarch butterflies to help track the spread of a protozoan parasite across North America. Our mission is to achieve a broader understanding of host-parasite interactions in monarch butterflies and to enhance awareness of monarch biology and conservation through the coupling of citizens and scientists.

CDC

Parasites can cause disease in humans. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not. The burden of these diseases often rests on communities in the tropics and subtropics, but parasitic infections also affect people in developed countries.

MedlinePlus

Parasites range in size from tiny, one-celled organisms called protozoa to worms that can be seen with the naked eye. Some parasitic diseases occur in the United States. Contaminated water supplies can lead to Giardia infections. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, which is dangerous for pregnant women. Others, like malaria, are common in other parts of the world.

Natural News

Parasites news, articles and information.

RadioLab

What's gotten into you? In this hour, Radiolab uncovers a world full of parasites. Could parasites be the shadowy hands that pull the strings of life? We explore nature's moochers, with tales of lethargic farmers, zombie cockroaches, and even mind-controlled humans (kinda, maybe). And we examine claims that some parasites may actually be good for you.

ScienceDaily

Pests and Parasites News.

Seafood Health Facts

Information on how to select and handle seafood products to avoid foodborne illness is provided. All living organisms, including fish, can have parasites. Parasites are a natural occurrence, not contamination. They are as common in fish as insects are in fruits and vegetables. Parasites do not present a health concern in thoroughly cooked fish.

DrugBank

Agents used in the treatment of malaria. They are usually classified on the basis of their action against plasmodia at different stages in their life cycle in the human.

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