Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

Impact of Group Size and Habitat Disturbance on Parasitic Infection in Free-ranging Proboscis Monkeys

This study examines how group size and habitat disturbance affect parasitic infections in proboscis monkeys, finding group size correlates with specific parasite abundances and habitat disturbance influences infection patterns.

Warmer world gets sicker: meta-analysis reveals strong increase in parasitism at elevated temperatures across diverse host-parasite systems

This study meta-analyzes 775 effect sizes from 124 studies to show elevated temperatures increase parasitism in many host-parasite systems, with varied responses across taxa.

Counterproductive: coinfection of a water flea by a fungus and a microsporidium reduces the reproductive outputs of all parties.

This study shows that coinfection of water fleas by a fungus and a microsporidium reduces the reproductive outputs of all parties, with virulence expressed through host mortality and reduced fecundity.

The Phylogeny and the Evolution of Parasitic Strategies in Trematoda

This study reconstructs the evolutionary history of trematode parasitic strategies using mitogenomic and nuclear genomic data, finding that ancestral trematodes had direct life cycles with no intermediate hosts.

The duration and predictability of heatwaves shape host-parasite interactions under thermal stress

This study investigates how heatwave duration and predictability affect host-parasite interactions under different mean temperature conditions, finding parasite-specific responses to thermal variability.

Changes in gene regulation are associated with the evolution of resistance to a novel parasite

The paper examines gene regulation changes in threespine stickleback populations with varying resistance to a freshwater cestode, showing population-specific transcriptomic responses and the role of fibrosis in parasite defense.

Juvenile hosts and natal dispersers are protected in the early stages of epidemics

The paper shows that younger hosts have lower parasite prevalence and that dispersing juveniles are less infected during early epidemic stages in C. elegans.

Food Supplementation Reduces Nematode Super-Shedding in a Wild Mammal

This study shows that food supplementation reduces nematode abundance super-shedding in wild voles but not infection likelihood or intensity, and identifies age-related fitness impacts of nematode infection.

Host genetics and the Skin Microbiome Independently Predict Parasite Resistance

This study shows that host genetics and the skin microbiome independently predict parasite resistance in Trinidadian guppies, with the microbiome explaining as much variation in infection severity as genetic selection lines.

Prevalence of the parasitic copepod, Sarcotaces sp., infection in British Columbia rockfishes (Sebastes sp.) and implications for rockfish life-history

This study reports the prevalence of Sarcotaces sp. infection in rockfishes and its impact on length-at-maturity, with higher infection rates in certain species and sex-specific effects.

Resource supplementation alters host exposure, susceptibility, and infection dynamics across a diverse parasite community

This study shows resource supplementation affects parasite infection dynamics and host behavior in wild wood mice, with mixed effects across 12 parasite taxa.

First record of Argulus japonicus infestation onCyprinus carpio in Hungary, and the first descriptionof Argulus japonicus subsp. europaeus subsp. nov.Keve, 2025

The paper reports the first occurrence of Argulus japonicus in Hungary and describes a new subspecies based on molecular and morphological analyses.

Shell-bound archives: uncovering nematode encapsulations in the Galapagos' largest radiation

The paper examines nematode encapsulations in Galapagos snails to explore host-parasite interactions and their ecological and evolutionary implications.

Balancing sample sizes in parasitology: A novel experimental infection method using faecal parasite eggs and aquatic intermediate hosts.

This paper introduces a method to experimentally infect intermediate hosts with parasite eggs from definitive hosts, enabling controlled infections and balanced sample sizes across host sizes.

Spatial patterns of trematode-induced pits on bivalve skeletons: Challenges and prospects for research on parasite-host dynamics

This study uses spatial point pattern analysis to examine trematode-induced pits on bivalve shells, revealing non-random spatial patterns that provide insights into parasite-host interactions.

Effects of host sex, age and behaviour on co-infection patterns in a wild ungulate

This study examines co-infection patterns in European roe deer, finding that proximity to livestock, sex, age, and activity levels influence parasite presence, with minimal between-parasite interactions.

The legacy of past heatwaves on 'off-host' parasite stages: Reduced infection risk and costs in the Daphnia-Pasteuria system

The study examines how heatwaves affect the infectivity and host response to Pasteuria ramosa spores, finding reduced infectivity and genotype-specific host effects.

Prevalence of zoonotic hepatic nematode varies with small mammal community diversity across a heterogenous landscape in Eastern Uganda

This study finds higher prevalence of Calodium hepatica in areas with lower small mammal diversity, particularly linked to increased Rattus rattus presence in Eastern Uganda.

Rapid evolution in response to biological invasion: variation in resistance and survival of the European bitterling fish across a gradient of Sinanodonta woodiana expansion

The paper examines how European bitterling fish populations adapt to parasitism by invasive mussels, finding evolved tolerance in long-associated populations.

Heatwaves and cold snaps alter host-parasite population dynamics in the Daphnia magna-Ordospora colligata system

This study examines how heatwaves and cold snaps affect host-parasite dynamics in Daphnia magna and Ordospora colligata, showing temperature-dependent changes in parasite burden and host population size.

Changes in housing and diet combined increase fecal Oxyurid load in captive tokay geckos

This study shows that combining housing and diet changes increases fecal oxyurid parasite load in captive tokay geckos, but does not affect their general condition.

Modeling the zebrafish gut microbiome's resistance and sensitivity to climate change and parasite infection

This study examines how zebrafish gut microbiome responds to temperature and parasite infection, finding that higher temperatures reduce parasitic infection and alter microbiome dynamics.

Host avoidance and resistance vary independently and are specific to parasite genotype

This study separates avoidance and resistance in C. elegans against S. marcescens and finds no correlation between them, suggesting independent covariation and genetic specificity.

Egg hatching in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus shows no evidence of quorum sensing

The study investigates whether quorum sensing influences egg hatching in Schistocephalus solidus, finding no density-dependent hatching but confirming lower hatching rates for selfed eggs.

Needle in a haystack: A droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assay to detect rare helminth parasites infecting natural host populations

The paper develops a droplet digital PCR assay to detect and quantify rare helminth parasites in environmental samples, demonstrating its sensitivity and applicability across multiple helminth systems.

Uncovering Host-Parasite Dynamics: Gene Expression Shifts in Hematodinium-infected Chionoecetes bairdi in Response to Temperature Change

This study examines gene expression changes in Hematodinium-infected crabs under different temperature conditions, identifying temperature-responsive genes in both host and parasite.

Efficiency of Anthelmintic Treatment and Its Effect on Microparasite Dynamics in Wild Mastomys natalensis

This study evaluates the impact of anthelmintic treatments on helminth and microparasite dynamics in wild Mastomys natalensis, finding that pyrantel pamoate reduces gastrointestinal nematodes and correlates with decreased Morogoro virus seropositivity.

Local and global density have distinct and parasite-dependent effects on infection in wild sheep

The paper examines how local and global density affect parasite infection in wild sheep, finding distinct effects depending on age and parasite type.

Population density drives increased parasitism via greater exposure and reduced resource availability in wild hosts

This study shows that higher host population density increases parasite counts through both greater exposure and reduced resource availability in red deer.

Snail-trematode dynamics in central Alberta wetlands: A longitudinal survey of infections and interactions

The paper surveys snail-trematode dynamics in central Alberta wetlands over multiple years, identifying new trematode species and interactions, and highlighting the need for continued sampling.