Parasitic Diseases

These Ants Use Germ-Killers, and They’re Better Than Ours - The New York Times These Ants Use Germ-Killers, and They’re Better Than Ours - The New York Times Posted: 26 Sep 2019 09:50 AM PDT As a microbiologist, Massimiliano Marvasi has spent years studying how microbes have defeated us. Many pathogens have evolved resistance to penicillin and other antimicrobial drugs, and now public health experts are warning of a global crisis in treating infectious diseases . These days, Dr. Marvasi, a senior researcher at the University of Florence in Italy, finds solace in studying ants. About 240 species of ants grow underground gardens of fungi. They protect their farms against pathogens using powerful chemicals secreted by bacteria on their bodies. Unlike humans, ants are not facing a crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Writing in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Dr. Marvasi and his colleagues argue that fungus-farming...

Drug can reverse hyperactivity induced by parasitic infection - Science Daily Drug can reverse hyperactivity induced by parasitic infection - Science Daily Posted: 30 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT When rodents get infected by Toxoplasma gondii , the single-celled brain parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, they become hyperactive risk-takers. In findings published this week in mBio , researchers show for the first time that it's possible to reverse that behavioral change. Surprisingly, the study also showed that the restoration of normal behavior resulted from reducing inflammation -- and not from reducing the amount of parasites in the brain. Toxoplasma can infect any mammal. People become infected after exposure to the feces of an infected cat, through a blood transfusion, or by eating undercooked and contaminated meat. Most healthy people show no symptoms, though the parasite can cause body aches and fever, similar the flu. The parasite can ...

CONFESSIONALS: I convinced my professor to start the tapeworm diet - The Peak CONFESSIONALS: I convinced my professor to start the tapeworm diet - The Peak Posted: 28 Sep 2019 09:07 AM PDT Written by Ana Staskevich, Peak Associate Forgive me, SFU trash-panda gods, for I have sinned.  Disclaimer: I'm actually a PRETTY GOOD student with a decent enough GPA — well, I'm not on academic probation, at least. And I know that classes require a lot of effort. But sometimes they're just way too hard and the professors . . . well, they don't make things ANY easier! Okay, I'll just come out with it — I manipulated my professor into starting the tapeworm diet. Look, I know that sounds insane. But what's more insane is just how hard it is for me to dig this shady, underground matter back up after hiding it for half a year!  It all started last fall, when I entered my third year as a kinesiology major. (Are you feeling a b...

Poverty as a disease trap - Stanford University News Poverty as a disease trap - Stanford University News Posted: 03 Sep 2019 12:00 AM PDT No drug can cure a paradox. That basic truth is at the heart of a new Stanford-led study highlighting how poverty traps make it impossible to eradicate a potentially deadly disease with current approaches. A woman bathes in the Senegal River, while her children play nearby. Common livelihoods, daily chores, hygiene practices and children's play depend on the waterway, where residents are repeatedly exposed to reinfection by the parasitic worms that cause schistosomiasis. (Image credit: Andrea Lund) The study, published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , looks at why years of mass drug administration in Senegal have failed to dramatically alter infection rates of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that lurks in waterborne snails and affects more than 200 million people ...

I Have What?! 3 Symptoms of Parasites and How to Get Rid of Parasites - KTEN I Have What?! 3 Symptoms of Parasites and How to Get Rid of Parasites - KTEN Posted: 20 Sep 2019 12:43 PM PDT Originally posted on https://www.kuam.com/story/41079283/i-have-what-3-symptoms-of-parasites-and-how-to-get-rid-of-parasites Not feeling quite like yourself? It could be because you're sharing your body with an unwanted guest. Nobody wants to think that they may suffer from a parasite infection. But, prompt treatment may literally save your life. Keep reading to learn symptoms of a parasitic infection and how to get rid of parasites. Parasites Overview A parasite will attach to a host to live, grow and reproduce off of the victim's resources. Human disease-causing parasites can include protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. People often associate out of the country travel with parasitic infections. While many undeveloped nations carry a ...

Cover crops in your Charleston garden are an integral part of a healthy yard - Charleston Post Courier Cover crops in your Charleston garden are an integral part of a healthy yard - Charleston Post Courier Posted: 28 Sep 2019 11:00 AM PDT One of the most important parts of gardening is maintaining healthy soil. This is most evident in the vegetable garden, as well as with many other aspects, from annuals to shrubs. Whenever there is bare soil, weeds take advantage and reduce nutrient availability while rain can leach the rest. Cover crops are a great way to protect the soil while also adding organic matter and encouraging biodiversity. A cover crop is any crop that is planted but not considered a cash crop. While cover crops are becoming more and more common in agriculture, they are still underutilized in home gardens. A marigold crop is good for nematode control. Christopher Burtt/provided The idea of cover-cropping is a...

Asian jumping worms can be hard to control - Grand Island Independent Asian jumping worms can be hard to control - Grand Island Independent Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:04 PM PDT Autumn is officially here. For many of us that means jumping for joy, for pumpkin spice latte, cozy sweaters and cooler temperatures. There is another jumping thing that won't bring as much joy into our lives as the lattes. The Asian jumping worm is Nebraska's newest invasive species. Just as the name implies it is native to Asia. It was found in Wisconsin in 2013. There are about 17 species of jumping worms found in North America and have been reported throughout the eastern and southern United States, parts of the Midwest and Oregon. To date, Asian jumping worms have been found in Douglas, Lancaster, and Platte counties in Nebraska. Asian jumping worms are also known as jumping worms, crazy worms, Alabama jumpers and snake worms. They get these names from thei...