Host-parasite interactions are dynamic biological processes encompassing the molecular, cellular, physiological, and ecological exchanges between a parasite and its host that determine infection establishment, persistence, and transmission. They include mechanisms of host recognition and invasion, nutrient acquisition, immune evasion and modulation by the parasite, and host immune detection, effector responses, and tolerance strategies. These interactions drive coevolutionary arms races, shaping parasite virulence, host resistance, and specificity through genetic variation and selection. At the systems level, host-parasite interactions influence pathogen life cycles, tissue tropism, and disease outcomes, integrating signaling pathways, microbiome context, and environmental factors that modulate susceptibility and epidemiological patterns.
Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States on June 3, pet owners and shelters alike have expressed concern about what this might mean for their animals. ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2026
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15
A new study published in the Journal of Helminthology by researchers from the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, together with collaborators from Greenland and the Faroe ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 7, 2026
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13
Wormlike parasites cause crickets to jump into streams, where the fatty insects nourish endangered fish. Ayano Medo and Takuya Sato sought to characterize the flow of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)—a nutritious long-chain omega-3 ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 7, 2026
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8
All living organisms are known to inherit genes, DNA sequences that contain instructions for producing specific proteins and performing biological functions, from their parents. In some cases, however, genes can also shift ...
For nearly half a century, scientists have known that malaria parasites force their way into human red blood cells through a ring-shaped structure called the moving junction. What no one could work out was what it actually ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 30, 2026
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10
Honey bees infected with a gut parasite smell different, which could allow bee colonies to detect disease and influence behavior inside the hive, new research finds.
Plants & Animals
Jun 30, 2026
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84
Agricultural scientists are rethinking their battle plans against plant parasites that cause billions of dollars in annual yield losses for American farmers.
Ecology
Jun 25, 2026
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7
The honeybee mite, Varroa destructor, finally breached Australia's biosecurity defenses four years ago, and is here to stay. Even more concerning, our standard treatments—such as specialized pesticides—are already failing.
Ecology
Jun 22, 2026
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18
Malaysian scientists have discovered a new species of parasitic fungus in Borneo's jungles that preys on "zombie fungi" known to infect insects before subjecting them to a gruesome death.
Ecology
Jun 19, 2026
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1689
Deer keds—biting flies found across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas—use their eyes and flight to locate a host, typically deer, but occasionally humans or other mammals. Once they land, however, they shed their wings ...
Plants & Animals
May 31, 2026
0
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