parasites news stories on Newser

Body Hair Is Bedbug Warning System

Rob Quinn — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:35:05 CST

Scientists who wondered why human skin still boasts as many follicles as that of great apes—ours, of course, grow hair much, much finer—believe our species' continued hairiness serves as an alarm system that protects us from bedbugs and other biting insects, the Economist finds. The researchers, who shaved...

Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Parasitic Worms

Mark Russell — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:52:37 CDT

The fight against multiple sclerosis has found an unexpected ally—parasitic worms. Researchers in the United States and Denmark are looking into the eggs of pig whipworms, which can reduce the size of the MS brain lesions and the effects of the disease, while doctors in the UK are studying...

Experts Swarm Bedbug Summit

Rob Quinn — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:49:26 CDT

These are boom times in the bedbug control business and dozens of scientists, exterminators, and inventors have flocked to a summit this week on dealing with the resurgent pest. At the first-ever North American Bedbug Summit, being held in a suburban Chicago hotel, dozens of vendors displayed ways to trap,...

Cities With Worst Bedbug Infestations

Nick McMaster — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:26:39 CDT

The bedbug problem continues to spread across the US, with 95% of pest companies reporting encounters. But which cities are the hardest hit? The Daily Beast consulted exterminator Orkin for information—and found that it's not a good time to be in Ohio. The biggest infestations are in:

This Leech Wants to Live in Your Nose

Rob Quinn — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:50:00 CDT

If the piranhas aren't enough to deter you from swimming in the Amazon region, this thing probably will be. A new species of leech has been discovered in Peru—and it's especially fond of dwelling inside the human nose, the BBC reports. The creature, discovered after a doctor pulled one...

'Better' Pork Carries Big Health Risks

Katherine Thompson — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:33:39 CDT

Free-range pork sounds better for everyone involved, especially the pig. But exposure to the outdoors means exposure to dangerous pathogens, from salmonella to toxoplasmosis to the deadly parasite trichinosis, writes James McWilliams for the New York Times . "Free range is like piggy day care, a thoughtfully arranged system designed to...

Pay for Soup, Enjoy Insects, Mold Free

Katherine Thompson — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:33:29 CST

If you're eating, stop reading now: The FDA's rules on foreign matter in food products are a veritable entomology lesson. Maggots, fly eggs, rodent droppings, grit, mold, burlap, cigarette butts, and parasites are all OK with the agency in limited quantities, writes EJ Levy in the New York Tim es...

Scientists Building Better Bug Spray

Nick McMaster — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:20:39 CDT

Researchers have found bug repellents that keep mosquitoes from biting for up to 73 days, WebMD reports. Compounds found in pepper kept bugs away nearly three times as long as industry leader DEET, which manages just 17.5 days under the same conditions—though a normal human would sweat or...

New Approach Targets Tough Parasitic Illness

Matt Cantor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:15:50 CST

A new way to test for Chagas disease offers hope for combating the insect-borne ailment, which can otherwise go unnoticed for years, Reuters reports. The new method involves screening children in small areas where exterminators find the most disease-carrying bugs instead of having to test bigger populations. The disease infects...