Posted on 07/27/2022 7:29:53 PM PDT by LibWhacker
From cattle to uncontrolled wildlife, pesky but pervasive large parasites like tapeworms have a far greater impact on the total body health of their mammal hosts than previously known, new University of Alberta research suggests.
"Parasites don't have to kill the animal to control a population," says Kyle Shanebeck, a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Science's Department of Biological Sciences who led the study.
Shanebeck explained that all wildlife have at least one and often multiple parasites. The less fatal a parasite, the more prevalent it is within a population, with potentially stronger negative effects.
"They can affect the animal's ability to absorb nutrients, which can affect digestive health and behavior, making them more aggressive and even changing where they forage," he said. "These parasites also suppress immune action or weaken it, as the body spends energy to mount an immune response to fight them which can make a secondary infection worse."
For the study, Shanebeck's team organized the different parasite effects on the host according to their impact on an animal's energetic condition. A meta-analysis of parasites in wild, laboratory and domestic mammal hosts produced 142 peer-reviewed studies documenting 599 infection-condition effects. "We found consistently strong negative effects of infection on host energetic conditions across taxonomic groups."
Large parasites—like tapeworms, flatworms and flukes—eat carbohydrates, making them less available to the animal. Shanebeck likens it to a power grid, where energy is redirected when faced with a supply challenge, depleting reserves. "Rolling blackouts" occur as the body starts making decisions between survival and reproduction.
For example, parasitic worms in cattle won't kill the animal but the resulting immune stress and other conditions like diarrhea may affect milk production, exacting a financial toll on farming operations. In less controlled wildlife settings, the overall health effects of parasites are harder to measure, which may be one reason these effects are assumed to be negligible.
Traditionally, assessing population health in wildlife typically focuses on pathogenic diseases—the often fatal illnesses that can spread between species—and potentially from animals to humans.
Very similar, and for similar reasons, parasites that feed on our society may take a heavier toll than thought. A stretch? Hmm, I don’t think so.
Dog whistle for “Democrat”.
Our parasites will read this article and want us to fund a program to worm every bear and bambi in the woods.
“Dog whistle for “Democrat”.”
My first thought.
“Very similar, and for similar reasons, parasites that feed on our society may take a heavier toll than thought. A stretch? Hmm, I don’t think so.”
Good observation. My first thought was that government is quite a parasite.
Parasites...Ivermectin, Wonder drug!
Now, if we could do something about the Democrats...
Burned toast and a rotten egg; I’ve got a tapeworm and that’s all he deserves.
Applies to humans as well.
I had a parasite (fungus) for over 30 years and my health at its apex was spiraling. I’d be dead now if I hadn’t corrected it.
Took 2 years entirely on my own to correct a medical condition without a medical name.
THAT’s ‘modern medicine’. /s
I’m thinking we just intercept the next booster batches.
Thousands of ticks and fleas on the moose population in Maine take some 15% to 25% of their blood. I asked the biologist/moose tour guide why they didn’t just apply tick collars when the moose was tranquilizer and being measured and weighed and getting their satellite tracking collars.
She looked at me like I was a heathen pariah for daring to find a solution, rather than scream and cry about (yet another) man-caused problem in her beautiful perfect wild environment of “no chemical products” and “the balance of nature”!
Deep State makes them all look like pikers.
Law of the Jungle...........................
Oh, I thought we were talking about dems. 😂✌
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