A Florida woman’s serious pneumonia that landed her in the hospital turned out to have a very strange culprit: deer meat tainted by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Though it took some time for the woman’s doctors to discover the true cause of her worsening illness, they were able to treat her in time once they did.
An invasive, dog-killing parasite is now lurking in Southern California. In new research this week, scientists say they’ve confirmed the newfound spread of the flatworm Heterobilharzia americana to the area. The parasite is not thought to be a danger to humans, but it could become an emerging threat to pets and…
A parasitic brain-infecting roundworm primarily spread by rats and snails is planting down roots in more parts of the U.S., research this week suggests. Scientists appear to have confirmed the presence of the parasite within local rodent populations in the state of Georgia. While human cases are considered rare, these…
Parasitic worms that zombify ants to do their bidding might be even more clever than we knew. Recent research has found that these parasites can not only compel ants to climb up blades of grass but also to climb back down when the weather gets too hot—all as part of their devious strategy to get eaten by larger…
