Global Parasitologists Coalition

Schistosomes have a 2-host lifecycle: cercariae leave a snail host and penetrate definitive hosts including mammals and birds. Some avian schistosomes can also cause swimmer's itch when they accidentally penetrate into human skin and can not develop further! Greeting Cards Team: Dr. Chenhua Li (Lead, Ideas), Dr. Þórey Jónsdóttir (Illustrator, Ideas), Dr. Stephen Pollo (Writer, Researcher), Yuanzhe Wang (Digital Consultant).

Kia ora e te whānau! Ever seen a seabird with strange thread-like anklets? They might look like seaweed or trash… but they’re actually fish parasites—and they’re causing serious trouble for our manu. In this video, Dr. Jerusha Bennett at the University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand) shares the story of Copiatestes, a trematode parasite with a complex life cycle that unexpectedly intersects with the lives of seabirds. From snails to krill to fish, Copiatestes follows a precise path—until...

Ticks, like the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis , have a complex multi-host lifecycle. They must feed on blood at each stage of their...