Understanding parasite strategies for evasion, manipulation or exploitation of hosts is crucial for many fields, from ecology to medical sciences. Generally, research has focused on either the host response to parasitic infection, or the parasite virulence mechanisms. More recently, integrated studies of host-parasite interactions have allowed significant advances in theoretical and applied bio...

The apicomplexan parasite Theileria annulata transforms infected host cells, inducing uncontrolled proliferation and clonal expansion of the parasitized cell population. Shortly after sporozoite entry into the target cell, the surrounding host cell membrane is dissolved and an array of host cell microtubules (MTs) surrounds the parasite, which develops into the transforming schizont. The latter...

Many parasites exhibit antigenic variation within their hosts. We use mathematical models to investigate the dynamical interaction between an antigenically varying parasite and the host's immune system. The models incorporate antigenic variation in the parasite population and the generation of immune responses directed against (i) antigens specific to individual parasite variants and (ii) antig...

Gastrointestinal disease caused by the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the most important diseases of young ruminant livestock, particularly neonatal calves. Infected animals may suffer from profuse watery diarrhoea, dehydration and in severe cases death can occur. At present, effective therapeutic and preventative measures are not available and a better understanding of ...

Filarial parasites modulate effective immune response of their host by releasing a variety of immunomodulatory molecules, which help in the long persistence of the parasite within the host. The present study was aimed to characterize an immunomodulatory protein of Brugia malayi and its interaction with the host immune component at the structural and functional level. Our findings showed that Br...

Digenetic trematodes use molluscs, almost always a Gastropoda, in their evolutive cycle, as intermediary hosts. The genus Schistosoma, with three main species that infect humans S. mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium – shows a prevalence of 200 million patients in various countries worldwide, and 600 million people are still at risk of infection. S. mansoni is the most prevalent species, ...

The host-parasite relationships between Heterodera schachtii Schm. and the nematode-resistant diploid Beta vulgaris L. line '51501' were examined via serial sections of secondary rootlets. Second-stage larvae penetrated sugarbeet roots and migrated up to 1.95 mm before establishing permanent feeding sites. Most sedentary larvae were oriented parallel to the root axis or in various diagonal or f...

We examined the hypothesis that the interaction between concomitant infecting parasites modifies host susceptibility, parasite intensity and the pattern of parasite distribution within the host population. We used a 26 year time series of three common parasites in a natural population of rabbits: two gastrointestinal nematodes (Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and Graphidium strigosum) and the i...