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UrduEntamoeba histolytica is a parasitic disease affecting up to 50 million people and killing more than 50,000 people each year worldwide. The standard of care is a drug called Metronidazole/Flagyl, but it is far from ideal — therapy requires three…
Tag: PARASITOLOGY
Research addresses the complex problems of malaria
Everyone knows 2 + 2 = 4, but what about mosquitoes plus malaria? Lauren Childs, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech, says there’s an equation for that too. Childs recently co-authored a report with a team from Harvard…
Nobody finds the Alzheimer’s Germ in $1 Million Challenge, but eight researchers split $200K, says Dr. Leslie Norins of Alzheimer’s Germ Quest
There is now keen interest in deeper investigation of infectious agents as the trigger of Alzheimer’s disease
New comprehensive study on feeding patterns of tiger mosquitos in Europe
Spanish scientists conduct the most complete study to date of the feeding patterns of the tiger mosquito in Europe
Magnetic attraction: Breakthrough test for malaria
After nearly a decade of research, a new test that detects the magnetic properties of malaria-infected blood could soon be used to help eliminate the mosquito-borne disease. Dr Stephan Karl, a Senior Research Fellow in Malaria and Vector Biology at…
New UCF study examines leeches for role in major disease of sea turtles in Florida
The disease fibropapillomatosis causes sea turtles to develop tumors on their bodies, which can limit their health and mobility
A glimpse into the formation of mitoribosome
The mitochondrial ribosome is an intricate machine that translates the organellar genome into functional proteins. The formation of the mitochondrial ribosome is a hierarchical process involving dozens of different components. The newly published cryo-EM study by Tobiasson et al in…
£2.3 million grant to uncover more about tropical diseases affecting world’s poorest populations
The five-year project, which will be led by the University of Glasgow and is funded by the Wellcome Trust, will study the Leishmania parasite which spreads leishmaniasis – a disease that causes skin ulcers and damage to internal organs, bone…
Ebola is a master of disguise
Faculty of Medicine team from University of Ottawa have discovered a druggable pathway the virus uses to trick its way into our organs
Social distancing in the natural world: Strategies to detect and avoid disease
The notion of social distancing rose to public prominence approximately a year ago, when health officials began recommending it as a way to slow the spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite the novelty of the concept among many contemporary…
Ultimately, beneficial fungi could be more effective than pesticides against nematodes
Over the past 30 years, the use of soil fumigants and nematicides used to protect cole crops, such as broccoli and Brussel sprouts, against cyst nematode pathogens in coastal California fields has decreased dramatically. A survey of field samples in…
European hibernating bats cope with white-nose syndrome which kills North American bats
What are the reasons for such a contrast in outcomes? A scientist team led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has now analysed the humoral innate immune defence of European greater mouse-eared bats to the fungus.…
Fungus that eats fungus could help coffee farmers
Coffee rust is a parasitic fungus and a big problem for coffee growers around the world. A study in the birthplace of coffee – Ethiopia – shows that another fungus seems to have the capacity to supress the rust outbreaks…
Deeper insight into how tick spit suppresses cattle immunity
A tick saliva study reveals immune responses that could lead to better protection for cattle. Scientists from Hokkaido University, Japan and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have revealed that substances…
Tick behavior and host choice explains geographical patterns of Lyme disease prevalence
Variations in tick density, choice of host animals, and host-seeking behavior explain Lyme patterns
New study identifies bird species that could spread ticks and Lyme disease
Global synthesis reveals bird traits that promote Lyme and flags high-risk species
Drug to treat rare genetic disease may help control transmission of African Trypanosomiasis
Study suggests nitisinone is toxic to tsetse flies, but harmless to pollinator insects
New heat method kills pathogens with minimal damage to plants
In the strawberry nursery industry, a nursery’s reputation relies on their ability to produce disease- and insect-free plants. The best way to produce clean plants is to start with clean planting stock. Many nurseries struggle with angular leaf spot of…
CCNY’s David Lohman finds Asian butterfly mimics different species as defense mechanism
Many animal and insect species use Batesian mimicry – mimicking a poisonous species – as a defense against predators. The common palmfly, Elymnias hypermnestra (a species of satyrine butterfly), which is found throughout wide areas of tropical and subtropical Asia,…
Evolution in a test tube: these bacteria survive on deadly copper surfaces
The descendants of regular wild-type bacteria can evolve to survive for a long time on metallic copper surfaces that would usually kill them within a few minutes. An international research team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the…
Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a deadly disease caused by the “brain-eating amoeba” Naegleria fowleri , is becoming more common in some areas of the world, and it has no effective treatment. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Chemical Neuroscience have found…
Study reveals structure of protein and permits search for drugs against neglected diseases
Discovery by Brazilian scientists paves the way for the study of more potent molecules capable of directly destroying parasites underlying elephantiasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis, with fewer adverse side-effects
Asian tiger mosquito poses low risk for Zika virus outbreaks
The Asian tiger mosquito does not pose a major risk for Zika virus epidemics, according to a study published December 31 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Albin Fontaine of the Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, and colleagues.…
Gut cells sound the alarm when parasites invade
A chain reaction led by cells lining the intestines tips the immune system off to the presence of the parasite Cryptosporidium, according to a study led by researchers in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Genetic engineering without unwanted side effects helps fight parasites
Around a third of the world’s population carries Toxoplasma gondii , a parasite that puts people with a weakened immune system at risk and can trigger malformations in the womb. The single-celled pathogen also leads to economic losses in agriculture,…
Researchers use artificial intelligence to ID mosquitos
Rapid and accurate identification of mosquitoes that transmit human pathogens such as malaria is an essential part of mosquito-borne disease surveillance. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have shown the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence system–known as a…
Two tough fungi discovered in Denmark: Devour flies from within
BIODIVERSITY University of Copenhagen researchers have found and described two fungal species for the first time. The fungi infect adult flies and subsequently create a hole in the abdomen of their hosts’ bodies. Infected flies then buzz around days as…
Fan mussel larval dispersal for the future of an endangered species
Science to protect an emblematic species in the Mediterranean
Red propolis could be used to treat schistosomiasis
In vitro studies and experiments with mice show that the natural extract was more effective than the only drug available to combat this parasitic disease
Researchers identify the bacteria that can make the Bolson tortoise become ill
The Bolson tortoise ( Bolson Gopherus flavomarginatus ) is the largest land reptile in North America. It lives mainly in dry areas, in particular, in the Chihuahua desert in northern Mexico. In recent decades, its numbers have fallen by 50%,…
$4 million grant to improve boxwood blight prevention
Boxwoods are a common staple in landscaping and bring life and energy to gardens year-round across the globe, allowing for wide-ranging customization of the green shrub. But boxwoods face a threat – a fungal infection that is easily transported through…
Greater mosquito susceptibility to Zika virus fueled the epidemic
The Zika virus has spread around the world over the last decade, causing millions of infections, some of which have been associated with congenital abnormalities and neurological disorders. Scientists from the CNRS, the Institut Pasteur, and the IRD[1] turned their…
Extremely rare parasitic crustacean discovered in museum shark collection
Scientists have discovered an extremely rare species of cymothoid from the mouth of a museum specimen of a deep-sea shark caught from the East China Sea, suggesting its wide distribution around the globe. Cymothoids are a family of isopods (a…
APS launches new outreach service, Grow: Plant Health Exchange
The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is pleased to introduce Grow: Plant Health Exchange , an online, science-based resource for plant health management professionals and practitioners to exchange knowledge and discover the latest applied research. All the content is freely accessible…
Parasite infection discovery could assist mental health treatments
New research into how a common parasite infection alters human behaviour could help development of treatments for schizophrenia and other neurological disorders. Scientists say behaviour changes in those infected with T. gondii, which currently infects 2.5 billion people worldwide and…
Parasitic worms offer ‘the missing link’ on the dual nature of a key immune regulator
Whether the signaling molecule IL-33 wakes up or turns down the immune response depends on what cell type releases it, School of Veterinary Medicine researchers found.
Yale scientists identify protein that protects against Lyme
Yale researchers have discovered a protein that helps protect hosts from infection with the tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme Disease, a finding that may help diagnose and treat this infection, they report Nov. 11 in the journal PLOS Pathogens .…
Infection by parasites disturbs flight behaviour in shoals of fish
Biologists study social responsiveness in fish
Biologists shed light on mystery of how microbes evolve and affect hosts
TORONTO, ON – The era of COVID-19 and the need to constantly wash one’s hands and sanitize things have brought microbes to new levels of scrutiny, particularly for their impact on an individual’s health. While associations between microbes and their…
Coral researchers find link between bacterial genus and disease susceptibility
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Corals that appear healthy are more prone to getting sick when they’re home to too many parasitic bacteria, new research at Oregon State University shows. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the study, published in Environmental Microbiology…
Exposure to suboptimal doses of antimalarial drugs could, under certain circumstances, increase mala
A new study shows that, depending on the parasite stage, suboptimal doses of artemisinin could increase its conversion to the sexual form, which is the only form that can be transmitted
Endangered trees in Guam contribute to ecosystem diversity and health
Research at the University of Guam has shown that the decomposition of leaf litter from three threatened tree species releases nitrogen and carbon into the soil for use by other plants. The results illuminate the importance of biodiversity and the…
Biodiversity monitoring programmes need a culture of collaboration
Integration of contributors promotes the quantity and quality of data
Discovery adds new species to Rice lab’s ghoulish insect menagerie
Rice, UNAM team’s four new wasp species are the ‘tip of the iceberg’
Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal species on heterodera glycines
Introduced to the United States over 60 years ago, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has spread broadly throughout the Midwest and eastern parts of the country. After penetrating the root tissue, SCN take nutrients away from the soybean plant and reduce…
Preventive drugs halve malaria cases in African schoolchildren
Intervention could hold key to eliminating the disease as part of a three-pronged approach
New evidence to guide the practice of blood transfusions in children with severe malari
A new study shows that transfusions could help increase survival, even at higher haemoglobin levels than those currently recommended
Climate projection research may help to battle ‘snail fever’ worldwide
STONY BROOK, NY, October 8, 2020 – Projections of temperatures and precipitation amounts in climate change scenarios may be a key component in a large research initiative with the goal to reduce schistosomiasis, also known as “snail fever,” a debilitating…
Sicker livestock may increase climate woes
Vicious cycle: More parasites means higher emissions of potent greenhouse gas
Boosting chickens’ own immune response could curb disease
URBANA, Ill. – Broiler chicken producers the world over are all too familiar with coccidiosis, a parasite-borne intestinal disease that stalls growth and winnows flocks. Various approaches, developed over decades, have been used to control coccidiosis, but the disease remains…