parasites

New treatment for dreaded Leishmania parasite

harminka — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:57:53 -0600

Eating a meal in a restaurant is one of those trivial, everyday activities we take for granted in the developed world. For Canadian aid worker Louisette Pouliot, however, the simple act of grabbing a quick bite at an outdoor eatery in Ouagadougou, the capital of the African nation of Burkina Faso, had profound implications for her life and health.

Parasites keep the water clear

harminka — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:11:42 -0600

Rivers and oceans all over the world are home to a variety of microorganisms. Under certain conditions, these microorganisms can grow and reproduce without limit. When the water is rich with nutrients and there are no predators or parasites to keep their populations in check, some populations of microorganisms can grow until the water seems to turn a different color – their color.

Molecular biologists have decoded genome of nematode living in beetles

harminka — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:41:01 -0500

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, together with American colleagues, have decoded the genome of the Pristionchus pacificus nematode, thereby gaining insight into the evolution of parasitism.

Study shows parasites outweigh predators

harminka — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:41:47 -0500

In a study of free-living and parasitic species in three estuaries on the Pacific coast of California and Baja California, a team of researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, the United States Geological Survey, and Princeton University has determined that parasite biomass in those habitats exceeds that of top predators, in some cases by a factor of 20.

New molecular insight into amboebic dysentery

harminka — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:21:47 -0500

In the June 15th issue of G&D, Dr. Sinisa Urban (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and colleagues reveal a potential role for the rhomboid enzyme, EhROM1, in the pathogenesis of the enteric protozoan parasite, E. histolytica.

Scientists discover new player in innate immune response

harminka — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:44:28 -0600

All multicellular animals have an innate immune system: When bacteria, parasites or fungi invade the organism, small protein molecules are released that eliminate the attackers.

Can interacting pathogens explain disease patterns?

harminka — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:26:04 -0600

A new study into the way in which parasites interact with each other could help predict when infectious diseases are likely to break out.

New insights into fate of antiparasitics in manured soils

harminka — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:11:40 -0600

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the question, if the entry of veterinary medicinal products (VMP) into soils via manure application is of environmental relevance.

Predators and Parasites May Increase Evolutionary Stability

harminka — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:29:01 -0500

A new study explores the role of natural enemies, such as predators and parasites, for mixed mating, a reproductive strategy in which hermaphroditic plants and animals reproduce through both self- and cross-fertilization. The findings highlight the possible evolutionary consequences of these interactions.

Researchers reveal genetic secrets of devastating human parasite

harminka — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:08:15 -0500

An international team of researchers has revealed the genetic secrets of one of the world’s most debilitating human parasites, Brugia malayi (B. malayi), which the World Health Organization estimates has seriously incapacitated and disfigured more than 40 million people around the globe.

Scientists solve genetic code of parasitic worm causing elephantiasis

harminka — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:59:58 -0500

More than 150 million people worldwide are infected with filarial parasites -- long, thread-like worms that can live for years inside the human body and cause severe, debilitating diseases such as elephantiasis.

How human body fights off African parasite

harminka — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:44:07 -0500

Trypanosoma are a nasty class of single-celled parasites that cause serious, even fatal, diseases in human and animals. Two species cause sleeping sickness, a disease that threatens all of sub–Saharan Africa. There’s a catch though: one parasite, Trypanosoma brucei brucei (T. b. brucei), infects animals but seems to spare humans, and scientists haven’t quite understood why.