Helminths News and Research

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Helminths are parasitic worms and a division of eukaryotic parasites that, unlike external parasites such as lice and fleas, live inside their host. They are worm-like organisms that live and feed off living hosts, receiving nourishment and protection while disrupting their hosts' nutrient absorption, causing weakness and disease. Those that live inside the digestive tract are called intestinal parasites. They can live inside humans as well as other animals. Approximately 3 billion people globally are infected with helminthes.

Gut feeling: How your microbiome could be shaping your mental health

Researchers in Biological Psychiatry delve into the complex relationship between the gut microbiome and mental health disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. The study explores how not just gut bacteria, but also lesser-known gut microorganisms such as viruses, fungi, and parasites, play a pivotal role in mood disorders.

5 Sep 2023

Researchers uncover novel targets for treatment of schistosomiasis

The worms that cause schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni) are unusual in several ways, especially the fact that male and female adults must stay paired together throughout their lives for reproduction to be successful.

21 Jul 2023

Preserving the past, protecting the future: targeted DNA enrichment detects zoonotic pathogens in museum specimens

Study describes a novel method to search for zoonotic pathogens from animal tissues archived in museums.

28 Jun 2023

University Hospital Bonn coordinates eWHORM project to combat worm infections in sub-Saharan Africa

African and European partners join forces to enable the World Health Organisation's (WHO) "Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases" (NTDs) and reduce the burden of disease associated with worm infections.

11 Apr 2023

Plastic waste's 'plastisphere' could harbor and spread eukaryotic pathogens

A recent study reviews the potential for helminth, fungal, and protozoan pathogens to associate with plastisphere.

3 Apr 2023

Study reviews mechanistic data on new methods of allergy prevention and treatment

In a recent article published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers reviewed the cause and the underlying pathophysiology of allergic diseases.

23 Jan 2023

In our rapidly changing world, parasites and vectors thrive

Recently, researchers reviewed the incidence and management of emerging parasites and vectors associated with human and veterinary organisms.

20 Nov 2022

The impact of lung remodeling from prior helminth infection on SARS-CoV-2 disease pathogenesis

A recent study reported that helminth exposure enhances viral clearance and survival of mice challenged with SARS-CoV-2.

15 Nov 2022

Updated Cochrane Review: No evidence to support the use of ivermectin for treating COVID-19 infection

There remains no evidence to support the use of ivermectin for treating or preventing COVID-19 infection, state the authors of an updated Cochrane Review, which now contains 11 trials across 3409 people.

24 Jun 2022

Study highlights the cascading ecosystem consequences of sublethal parasitic infections in wild animals

Deer, caribou, bison and other similar animals are often infected by a range of internal parasites, including worms called helminths. Although many of these infections are not lethal, they can still impact health or animal behavior.

9 May 2022

Researchers receive NIH grants to develop new treatments for neglected tropical diseases

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling more than $5.5 million to develop new treatments for two types of devastating parasitic infections common in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America: river blindness and intestinal worm infections.

22 Dec 2021

Research reveals how gut macrophages respond to prior infection by shielding enteric neurons

A simple stomach bug could do a lot of damage. There are 100 million neurons scattered along the gastrointestinal tract-;directly in the line of fire-;that can be stamped out by gut infections, potentially leading to long-term GI disease.

30 Oct 2021

Harnessing the genetics of hookworms to develop next generation of PPE for combat troops

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a grant to develop the next generation of personal protective equipment (PPE) for combat troops.

30 Oct 2021

Systematic review explores the effects of ivermectin in preventing and treating COVID-19

Ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasites such as scabies in humans and intestinal helminths in cattle, was screened in 2020 for activity against COVID-19. Laboratory tests suggested a weak effect on SARS-CoV-2 virus in a test tube but did not seem feasible in humans as the doses needed would be large.

28 Jul 2021

Deworming treatment during pregnancy reduces risk of neonatal mortality and low birthweight

More than 25% of the world's population (greater than 1.5 billion people) face the burden of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, a species of intestinal parasite whose eggs develop in the soil before finding a new host.

3 May 2021

Intestinal worm infection can cause severe sexually transmitted viral diseases

Infection with parasitic intestinal worms (helminths) can apparently cause sexually transmitted viral in-fections to be much more severe elsewhere in the body.

16 Apr 2021

New evidence supports ivermectin use in children weighing less than fifteen kilograms

Millions of children weighing less than 15kg are currently denied access to Ivermectin treatment due to insufficient safety data being available to support a change to the current label indication.

18 Mar 2021

Research shows intestinal parasite infestations reduce COVID-19 severity

Now, new research out of Mekelle, Ethiopia, examines the role of parasitic infestation on the prognosis of COVID-19. The research paper, which appears on the preprint server medRxiv, shows that intestinal parasitosis is protective against severe COVID-19.

4 Feb 2021

Study reveals key role of IL-33 signaling molecule in parasite infections, other health conditions

De'Broski Herbert has a philosophy that's guided his career researching helminths, or parasitic worms, and their interaction with their hosts' immune systems: "Follow the worm."

15 Nov 2020

Illustrations by Nigerian artist kickstart debate on neglected tropical disease

Illustrations by a local artist in Nigeria are helping health workers and policy makers understand what it's really like to live with a neglected tropical disease (NTD).

5 Nov 2020