Meredydd Jones, 86, a sheep farmer from Powys, Wales, was diagnosed with hydatid disease caused by a tapeworm, experiencing severe pain before two operations in 2018-2019. Public Health Wales highlights the disease as a significant concern, especially in mid Wales due to sheep farming and ongoing research aims to track dog movements.
A study in BMC Genomics reveals a tapeworm infection dramatically extends the lifespan of worker ants (Temnothorax nylanderi), making them live longer and exhibit queen-like metabolic profiles. Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz found the parasite indirectly alters the ants' biological control systems, dampening brain activity while boosting stress resistance, which benefits the tapeworm's life cycle and offers a new model for aging research.
A study reveals how the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis extends the lifespan of Temnothorax nylanderi worker ants. The parasite alters the ant's gene expression, making its fat body resemble that of a long-lived queen, while dampening brain activity to reduce work and increase survival for the parasite's life cycle.
A study reveals how the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis extends the lifespan of Temnothorax nylanderi worker ants in Germany. The parasite alters ant gene expression, making their fat bodies queen-like for longevity, while dampening brain activity for a quieter, lazier existence, aiding its own life cycle.
Surgeons found a live 10-inch tapeworm in a 71-year-old man's abdomen during surgery for a painless inguinal hernia. The man reported a similar incident four years prior. The worm was identified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, causing sparganosis, a rare human infection.
Lowri Denman, 42, from Cardiff, discovered a meter-long tapeworm, leading to a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis with 38 parasites in her brain. The infection, contracted during a trip to India, caused severe headaches, seizures, and psychosis. After years of treatment and recovery, Denman aims to raise awareness of the rare condition.
A 60-year-old man in Spain experienced a persistent headache and behavioral changes, initially suspected to be cancer. Extensive tests ruled out malignancy, and an MRI revealed encapsulated tapeworm larvae (neurocysticercosis) in his brain, likely contracted through cryptic transmission from coworkers during his construction career.
University of Washington researchers have detected Echinococcus multilocularis, a disease-causing tapeworm, in West Coast wildlife for the first time. The parasite, previously found in Canada and the Midwest, can cause fatal, cancer-like cysts in humans and animals.
A young girl in Taiwan was found to have a broad tapeworm after eating raw salmon sashimi. Doctors removed the live parasite from her anus. She has since recovered after medication.
