The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma congolense, is one of the most economically important pathogens of livestock in Africa and, through its impact on cattle health and productivity, has a significant effect on human health and well being. Despite the importance of this parasite our knowledge of some of the fundamental biological processes is limited. For example, it is unknown whether mating ta...

BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax transmission in Thailand has been substantially reduced over the past 10 years, yet it remains highly endemic along international borders. Understanding the genetic relationship of residual parasite populations can help track the origins of the parasites that are reintroduced into malaria-free regions within the country. METHODOLOGY/RESULTS A total of 127 P. vivax ...

Mixed-genotype infections have attracted considerable attention as drivers of pathogen evolution. However, experimental approaches often overlook essential features of natural host-parasite interactions, such as host heterogeneity, or the effects of between-host selection during transmission. Here, following inoculation of a mixed infection, we analyse the success of different strains of a tryp...

An infection and treatment protocol is used to vaccinate cattle against Theileria parva infection. Due to incomplete cross-protection between different parasite isolates, a mixture of three isolates, termed the Muguga cocktail, is used for vaccination. While vaccination of cattle in some regions provides high levels of protection, some animals are not protected against challenge with buffalo-de...

background: toxoplasmosis, a worldwide zoonotic disease, is caused by toxo­plasma gondii . the distribution of genetic diversity of t. gondii in wild animals is of great importance to understand the transmission of the parasite in the environ­ment. however, little is known about t. gondii prevalence in wild animals and birds in china. methods: we conducted the genetic characterization of t. gon...

BACKGROUND P. vivax is an important public health burden in Ethiopia, accounting for almost half of all malaria cases. Owing to heterogeneous transmission across the country, a stronger evidence base on local transmission dynamics is needed to optimise allocation of resources and improve malaria interventions. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In a pilot evaluation of local level P. vivax mo...

The tick-borne protozoan parasite Theileria annulata causes tropical theileriosis, a severe disease of cattle that occurs across the Mediterranean littoral, the Middle East and Southern Asia. In the Mediterranean region, the disease has long been perceived as being a constraint to livestock production in North Africa and Turkey but was believed to have minimal impact in Southern European countr...

Southeast Brazil is a neotropical region composed of a mosaic of different tropical habitats and mountain chains, which allowed for the formation of bird-rich communities with distinct ecological niches. Although this region has the potential to harbor a remarkable variety of avian parasites, there is a lack of information about the diversity of malarial parasites. We used molecular approaches ...

Variation among parasite strains can affect the progression of disease or the effectiveness of treatment. What maintains parasite diversity? Here I argue that competition among parasites within the host is a major cause of variation among parasites. The competitive environment within the host can vary depending on the parasite genotypes present. For example, parasite strategies that target spec...