Parasites

Latest about parasites

cicadas on fungal hallucinogens

This Fungal Hallucinogen Makes Cicadas Orgy Till Their Butts Literally Fall Off

By Isobel Whitcomb published

Their bodies may disintegrate, but these bugs don’t care.

Insects
An image of the pork tapeworm <em>Taenia solium</em>.

Woman Had a Huge Tapeworm 'Egg' Encased in Her Brain. Why She's Super Happy About It.

By Rachael Rettner published

When is it a huge relief to hear you have a parasite lurking in your brain? When it's not a cancerous brain tumor.

Viruses, Infections & Disease
Three people were recently confirmed to contract rat lungworm disease after being infected with parasites known as rat lungworms (<em>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</em>).

Three Cases of Brain-Infecting Parasite Recently Confirmed in Hawaii

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

Last December, a tourist in Hawaii ate a slug on a dare — not realizing, of course, a wiggly brain-loving parasite was along for the ride.

Mind
<em>Demodex</em> mites burrow face-first inside the pores at the bottom of your hair follicles. Shown here, a scanning electron micrograph of such mites protruding from a dissected human hair follicle.

'Face Mites' Live in Your Pores, Eat Your Grease and Mate on Your Face While You Sleep

By Brandon Specktor published

Meet the ubiquitous "face mites" that live in your pores, eat your grease and have sex on your face while you sleep.

Health
Sand fleas are parasites that burrow into people's skin, causing intense pain, itching and inflammation. A new report describes five cases of "extreme" sand flea infections. Above, an image showing embedded sand fleas on the back of a patient's hand.

How Sand Fleas Cause 'Extreme' Infections

By Rachael Rettner published

A new report describes five cases of "extreme" sand flea infections in Colombia, showing that life-threatening illnesses with this parasite still occur.

Viruses, Infections & Disease
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So Many Ticks Were Feasting on This Unlucky Python, They Looked Like Living Scales

By Mindy Weisberger published

Some 511 bloodsucking ticks were removed from this snake.

Snakes
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10 Strangest Medical Cases of 2018

By Rachael Rettner published

Here are the most intriguing medical cases made headlines in 2018

Viruses, Infections & Disease
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Man Dies 8 Years After Swallowing a Live Slug That Left Him Paralyzed

By Mindy Weisberger published

Swallowing a live garden slug led to a serious parasitic infection for an Australian teen.

Mollusks
A number of dogs working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been infected with a parasite that can lead to heart problems. Above, researchers place a 24-hour heart monitor on a DHS dog to check for heart problems.

US Homeland Security Dogs Face a Growing Occupational Risk: A Nasty Parasite

By Rachael Rettner published

A surprising number of dogs working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are infected with this parasite, according to a new study.

Viruses, Infections & Disease
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Medieval Germans Riddled with Tapeworms

By Mindy Weisberger published

Archaeologists peek into the past by prodding preserved human poo.

Archaeology
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