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Hydnora bolinii

Odd parasitic plant with fleshy flowers identified as new species

18 January 2023

A review of hydnora plants has identified one new species based on preserved specimens and reinstated two others, bringing the total number to 10


A species of the Trypanosoma brucei parasite, which can cause sleeping sickness, in blood

Drug clears sleeping sickness parasite from the body in clinical trial

29 November 2022

In a small trial, an experimental medicine was 100 per cent effective at ridding the parasite that causes sleeping sickness from the bodies of people with an early to intermediate infection


Microplastic fiber under a microscope with biofilm (fuzzy blue) and T. gondii (blue dot) and giardia (green dot) pathogens

Microplastics may be dragging faecal parasites from land into the seas

26 April 2022

Three parasites that are sometimes found in cat and human faeces can live on the surface of microplastic particles, and may be transported into the sea


Parasites may make dogs smell good to disease-spreading sandflies

Parasites may make dogs smell good to disease-spreading sandflies

18 March 2021

A parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis, a disease that can be fatal, ups its chances of spreading by making the dogs it inhabits smell good to sandflies that can go on to bite humans


mosquito

Malaria parasite hides in human blood by changing how its genes work

26 October 2020

Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite, can live undetected in the human bloodstream for months by changing the way its genes are expressed


Hollow tubes attacjed to Neobolous fossil

Oldest known parasite is a worm-like animal from 512 million years ago

2 June 2020

Hundreds of fossil animals that lived more than 500 million years ago had worm-like objects attached to them – the oldest hard evidence of parasitism


Fish used for sushi now carry 283 times more parasites than in 1980s

Fish used for sushi now carry 283 times more parasites than in 1980s

19 March 2020

Between 1978 and 2015, the number of parasitic Anisakis worms found in fish increased 283 times – which means sushi could be more likely to be infected, as are marine mammals such as dolphins and whales


Animal that doesn't need oxygen to survive discovered

Animal that doesn't need oxygen to survive discovered

24 February 2020

All animals rely on oxygen at least at some stage of their life, but a parasite that infects fish seems to have completely lost the ability to use it – where it gets its energy from is still a mystery


Business students more likely to have a brain parasite spread by cats

Business students more likely to have a brain parasite spread by cats

25 July 2018

A study of students found that those who have a brain parasite linked to outbursts of explosive rage are more likely to be majoring in business studies


Lizards keep evolving toxic green blood and we don't know why

Lizards keep evolving toxic green blood and we don't know why

16 May 2018

All the green-blooded lizards in the world live in New Guinea, but it turns out the trait has evolved there independently at least four times


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