A Study of Food Webs – How Do Parasites Affect Complex Feeding Interactions?

This representation of an aquatic food web shows the connections between organisms. Here, red indicates free-living groups and blue indicates parasites. Image courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Dunne et al.

New research indicates that including metazoan parasites in food webs results in structural changes, but most are not unique to this group of organisms.

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Food Bacterial Contamination from Kitchen Surfaces

Food can get contaminated by bacteria. Photo by Cesarharada.

Food cross-contamination causes many people to get sick or die from food poisoning yearly. A new study raises questions about wet and dry kitchen surfaces.

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Can a Mosquito Kill a Killer Whale? Yes, Says New Case Report

Little mosquitoes cause a big problem for orcas. Image by the US Department of Agriculture

Mosquitoes are tiny, but they’re a big problem for captive marine mammals – these little bugs have been the cause of death for at least two orcas.

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Sarcocystis neurona: A Parasitic Threat to Kentucky Derby Hopefuls

Image courtesy of 2012 Kentucky Derby Winner "I'll Have Another." Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office CC BY-SA 2.0

Will an obscure parasite affect any of this year’s Kentucky Derby racehorses? Infected possums pose a risk to all horses, but particularly those that race.

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Measles Outbreak in U.K. Linked to Poor MMR Vaccine Uptake After Autism Scare

The measles virus transmits rapidly through high-population areas. Image courtesy of the U.S. CDC

There’s a major outbreak of measles in the UK – is it due to reduced vaccination levels resulting from the 1998 paper that linked vaccines and autism?