parasites
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A Parasitic Disease Spread By Sandflies Is More Common In The US Than Previously Thought
One of the species of sandfly that spreads leishmaniasis in North and South America, Lutzomyia longipalpis. Photo: Ray Wilson, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (Wikimedia Commons) A disease spread by sandflies seen as an exotic nuisance in the U.S. might not be solely a traveller’s disease after all. A new study published Wednesday in JAMA…
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After Eight Days Of Itchy Eyes, Oregon Woman Finds 14 Worms
It’s a medical discovery you’d hate to be part of: A 26-year-old Oregon woman is believed to be the first human ever reported to be infected with a certain species of eye worm.
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The Fungus That Turns Ants Into Zombies Is More Diabolical Than We Realised
Carpenter ants of the Brazilian rain forest have it rough. When one of these insects gets infected by a certain fungus, it turns into a so-called “zombie ant” and is no longer in control of its actions. Manipulated by the parasite, an infected ant will leave the cosy confines of its arboreal home and head…
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Cuckoos Are Even Bigger Arseholes Than We Realised
In one of the more notorious dick moves of the animal kingdom, parasitic cuckoo birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, forcing them to raise the cuckoo chicks as if they were their own. New research shows that female cuckoos conduct this bait-and-switch while scaring the crap out of their unsuspecting hosts…