There are all sorts of cruel parasites out there, and more are being uncovered all the time. Scientists have recently found several invasive species of parasitic wasps that have now landed in the U.S. Researchers at Binghamton University and the University of Iowa made the discovery. For the first time ever, they detected the presence […]
‘Weird Looking’ Otter Poo Reveals an Unexpected Role in Parasite Control
Receiving an unsolicited photo of worm-infested animal poop would make anyone cringe, unless you’re a parasite expert like Katrina Lohan. When a colleague sent her a snapshot of a watery pile of feces with a fire-engine red worm inside, she was instantly intrigued. “She sent this to me and was like, ‘I think this is […]
A Man’s Eye Got Infested by a Worm, so Doctors Vacuumed Out the Eye Juices
Here’s something to remind you that things could always be worse. A case study this month documents a man whose eye became infested with a parasitic worm. Doctors in India detailed the real-life body horror tale in the New England Journal of Medicine last week. The man was afflicted by a parasitic roundworm typically found […]
U.S. to Dump Billions of Flies From Planes to Fight ‘Man-Eater’ Maggots
The U.S. The Department of Agriculture has declared war on a flesh-eating maggot that infests wildlife, livestock, household pets, and, in rare cases, people. The battle strategy? Dumping billions of sterilized flies out of planes over Mexico and Texas. Using this tried-and-true biological control technique, the USDA aims to stamp out the larvae of the […]