Roestenberg and colleagues at Leiden University Medical Center are undertaking a controversial yet highly interesting study; infecting healthy volunteers with schistosomes.
An exciting new model for investigating gene function in mosquitoes and supporting evidence for the role of FREP1 in malaria-transmission blocking strategies.
To win the fight against parasitic diahorreal disease, the molecular detail of pathogenesis must be understood. Three recent studies identified the Giardia-secreted proteins involved; highlighting the importance of virulence factors during infection and their potential as new drug targets. Giardia and giardiasis When Antony van Leeuwenhoek peered through his single lens microscope at his own… Read more »
If you want to control tick numbers, promoting red wood ants may be the answer. Research recently published in Parasites & Vectors has found that the presence of red wood ants is negatively associated with tick abundance, suggesting the ants provide an ecosystem role of locally reducing numbers of Lyme disease spreading ticks.
In the control of parasitic diseases, the correct diagnostic tool at the right time will accurately assess the burden of disease, monitor the impact of the disease control intervention and save valuable resources. Knowing where and when to use which diagnostic tools is paramount to the control of parasitic diseases of public health and veterinary importance. A recent study compares two different diagnostic tools in use for schistosomiasis, presenting findings that have important implications for public health policy in the context of schistosomiasis control and elimination efforts.
Parasitic infections can cause multiple changes to occur to their hosts. Are these changes all initiated by the same mechanism or are several causes involved? A spiny-headed worm and its shrimp host have been used to explore this question.
A recent study in Guangzhou, China provides a comprehensive overview of Aedes albopictus and insecticide resistance