Parasites
Latest about parasites
These Gut Bugs Need Their Own Gut Bugs
By Rachael Rettner published
It's a Russian nesting doll of sorts: Parasitic bugs that live in the human gut have their own set of gut bugs inside their intestines.
How Swallowing a Slug Left a Teen Paralyzed
By Mindy Weisberger published
An Australian teenager who ate a garden slug on a dare was infected by a parasite that caused a debilitating brain disease, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
Why 17 People Volunteered to Be Infected with Parasitic Worms
By Sara G. Miller published
At a university hospital in the Netherlands, 17 students have a tropical parasitic disease.
Bizarre, Parasitic 'Fairy Lantern' Reappears in the Rainforest After 151 Years
By Rafi Letzter published
A strange plant that needs no sunlight and sucks on underground fungi for nutrients has turned up in Borneo, Malaysia, 151 years after the last time a scientist found it.
Tick Bites Tick! Tiny Male Puts the Bite on an Engorged Female
By Mindy Weisberger published
A tiny tick had an even tinier bloodsucking hitchhiker.
Weird Worm Crawling in Oregon Woman's Eye Has Only Been Seen in Cows
By Rachael Rettner published
A 26-year-old woman in Oregon made a horrifying discovery: Her eyes were infected with small, translucent eye worms.
Gross Souvenir: Caribbean Trip Lands Couple with Hookworm Feet
By Rachael Rettner published
A Canadian couple is warning travelers about the risks of going shoeless on the beach after the pair returned from a Caribbean trip with hookworms in their feet.
This Parasite Uses Your Own Gut Bacteria Against You
By Brandon Specktor published
If you've ever sipped some untreated tap water while you were abroad on vacation, you may have returned home with an unexpected souvenir: diarrhea.
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