6 ms·

A third of parasite species could vanish

36 points by Mz 9y ago

QAPereo 9y ago
That kind of mass die-off could spell ecological disaster." I think it more likely to signal said disaster, than be a cause. You can point to almost any massive loss of biodiversity and rightly say that it's a bad sign, and maybe bad in and of itself. That sort of ignores the problem, while diluting it.
anotheryou 9y ago
Why does weakening of a population automatically mean keeping numbers in check?
- Grangar 9y ago
  Same as when you remove their predators. Fewer of them die, therefore offsetting the balance.
tim333 9y ago
>a tapeworm species foreign to humans was found in a man’s brain in China, leading to seizures and inflammation of the brain. A few more of those things vanishing is fine by me. Maybe they could DNA sequence them first.
- Mz 9y ago
  Yeah. Additionally: The article presents this as some weird thing due to it being a species not normal for humans. My college biology professor said that where they end up in the body has to do with how you get exposed. If you are exposed through the usual route, they end up in the usual places. If you get exposed some other way, she told us it can be worse, they can end up in places like the brain. I don't know how to google a citation backing that up (I tried). But I remember my professor specifically mentioning they can end up in the brain.
  - ufo 9y ago
    Tapeworms are a two stage parasite. The adult phase lives in the intestine of predators (like us). The larval phase stays dormant inside cysts embedded inside the meat of herbivores. The adult tapeworm leeches nutrients from the intestine and lays tons of eggs, which go into the feces. These eggs then contaminate the environment and end up being eaten by herbivores. The eggs hatch inside their stomach and the larva embed themselves in the meat of the herbivore (and can even get in the brain). Finally, when the predator consumes uncooked meat contaminated with tapeworm larva, these larva further develop into adult tapeworms. Each species of tapeworm is tuned to a specific species of herbivore. Cow tapeworm eggs often go right past us because they expect a tougher stomach than ours but pig tapeworm eggs can get confused because our stomach is similar to a pig's. Their larva can then embed into our meat, which is terrible for us but a dead end for the tapeworm (because we have no natural predators ourselves) ----- To protect against intestinal tapeworms only eat well cooked meat. (For raw meats like sushi, deep freezing is also an option if done right) Preventing tapeworm cysts is more about sanitation. Have clean water for drinking and irrigation and ensure that fruits and veggies are well cleaned. Good personal hygiene helps, in case you are already infected with an adult tapeworm (and therefore at risk of autoinfection).
- ufo 9y ago
  Cisticercosis is one those poop-transmitted diseases. It can be prevented by giving everyone access to good sanitation and also ensuring that crops aren't irrigated with contaminated water.
copx 9y ago
I don't buy that parasites are needed to control the population of the species they target. The predator/prey relationship already ensures that. E.g. if the number of zebras increases the food supply for lions also increases which leads to more lions which leads to less zebras. I see no need for a zebra or lion parasite here to maintain balance. Back when I was at school we were taught that parasites - unlike all other organisms - have no essential ecological role and this article has not convinced me otherwise. It's like saying human society needs people on welfare, thieves, and robbers to function. Nah, neither we nor natural ecological systems need parasites.
- aphextron 9y ago
  I think it’s precisely this level of hubris toward biology and the natural world which has led humanity to the state we are in. You cannot possibly compare such a dynamic, complex system as the earth’s ecosystem to a simple, human scale analogy. Any loss of biodiversity is a tragedy. Once these genetics are lost, they are gone forever.
  - copx 9y ago
    >I think it’s precisely this level of hubris toward biology and the natural world which has led humanity to the state we are in. You mean this awesome state where most of our children don't die before reaching adulthood? You should really read a history book about how horrible life was before the dawn of modern industrial civilization. Our ancestors declared war on nature for a good reason and made our lives unimaginably better this way. > Any loss of biodiversity is a tragedy. I bet Africans disagree. Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all wars combined. Bill Gates and company are currently trying to wipe them out to save the lives of countless millions in Africa. I am pretty sure they won't miss the "biodiversity" which keeps killing them and the people they love. By the way, the US used to have regions plagued by mosquitos and malaria too. The parasites were systematically exterminated through chemical warfare (DDT). Do you think e.g. Florida would be a better place with malaria? With hundreds of thousands of people being killed by it every year? I don't. And I am not ashamed of this "level of hubris". > Once these genetics are lost, they are gone forever. Not all genes are worth preserving e.g. the ones for horrible heritable diseases. Also what you wrote is not really true, all life, all the biodiversity on earth evolved from the same archaic cells. So "gone forever" is too optimistic / pessimistic.
paraplegic 9y ago
Perhaps some PETA volunteers will allow themselves to be infected in order to save the parasites?
- skbohra123 9y ago
  are you nuts?
- jack9 9y ago
  It would come to that, if such an ecological catastrophe wasn't affecting lots of other fuzzier animals for promotion. Some fringers will probably do it "to raise awareness".
rwmj 9y ago
If anyone is in Tokyo and interested in all things parasite, I can recommend this museum: http://www.kiseichu.org/e-top http://www.kiseichu.org/e-top
thriftwy 9y ago
I'm not sure they're parasites but let's get rid of mosquitoes altogether. As far as I am concerned, they make huge territories in the north virtually unlivable (you could still live there but you no longer want to). That's even before malaria comes into account. This leads to a proposition to a Realm of Fungi. So you wanted to eat our crops, but I have an interesting replacement for ya...
- KGIII 9y ago
  You get used to them, or wear protection. Black flies are my least favorite. I think we may be too far north for malaria to be a real concern. I live just above the 45th, but I go north to play.
  - DKnoll 9y ago
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo
  - thriftwy 9y ago
    > You get used to them No you don't! You get used to limiting your exposure to the nature, which is hardly desirable. Considering that people actually get to enjoy nature in less wet / more sunny regions. Ditch black flies too, surely.
baxuz 9y ago
I'm ok with that. Put blood sucking mosquitoes on the list as well. Oh, and ticks.
thunder-ltu 9y ago
People too?

36 points by Mz 9y ago

That kind of mass die-off could spell ecological disaster." I think it more likely to signal said disaster, than be a cause. You can point to almost any massive loss of biodiversity and rightly say that it's a bad sign, and maybe bad in and of itself. That sort of ignores the problem, while diluting it.

anotheryou 9y ago

Why does weakening of a population automatically mean keeping numbers in check?

Grangar 9y ago
Same as when you remove their predators. Fewer of them die, therefore offsetting the balance.

tim333 9y ago

>a tapeworm species foreign to humans was found in a man’s brain in China, leading to seizures and inflammation of the brain. A few more of those things vanishing is fine by me. Maybe they could DNA sequence them first.

Mz 9y ago
Yeah. Additionally: The article presents this as some weird thing due to it being a species not normal for humans. My college biology professor said that where they end up in the body has to do with how you get exposed. If you are exposed through the usual route, they end up in the usual places. If you get exposed some other way, she told us it can be worse, they can end up in places like the brain. I don't know how to google a citation backing that up (I tried). But I remember my professor specifically mentioning they can end up in the brain.
- ufo 9y ago
  Tapeworms are a two stage parasite. The adult phase lives in the intestine of predators (like us). The larval phase stays dormant inside cysts embedded inside the meat of herbivores. The adult tapeworm leeches nutrients from the intestine and lays tons of eggs, which go into the feces. These eggs then contaminate the environment and end up being eaten by herbivores. The eggs hatch inside their stomach and the larva embed themselves in the meat of the herbivore (and can even get in the brain). Finally, when the predator consumes uncooked meat contaminated with tapeworm larva, these larva further develop into adult tapeworms. Each species of tapeworm is tuned to a specific species of herbivore. Cow tapeworm eggs often go right past us because they expect a tougher stomach than ours but pig tapeworm eggs can get confused because our stomach is similar to a pig's. Their larva can then embed into our meat, which is terrible for us but a dead end for the tapeworm (because we have no natural predators ourselves) ----- To protect against intestinal tapeworms only eat well cooked meat. (For raw meats like sushi, deep freezing is also an option if done right) Preventing tapeworm cysts is more about sanitation. Have clean water for drinking and irrigation and ensure that fruits and veggies are well cleaned. Good personal hygiene helps, in case you are already infected with an adult tapeworm (and therefore at risk of autoinfection).
ufo 9y ago
Cisticercosis is one those poop-transmitted diseases. It can be prevented by giving everyone access to good sanitation and also ensuring that crops aren't irrigated with contaminated water.

copx 9y ago

I don't buy that parasites are needed to control the population of the species they target. The predator/prey relationship already ensures that. E.g. if the number of zebras increases the food supply for lions also increases which leads to more lions which leads to less zebras. I see no need for a zebra or lion parasite here to maintain balance. Back when I was at school we were taught that parasites - unlike all other organisms - have no essential ecological role and this article has not convinced me otherwise. It's like saying human society needs people on welfare, thieves, and robbers to function. Nah, neither we nor natural ecological systems need parasites.

aphextron 9y ago
I think it’s precisely this level of hubris toward biology and the natural world which has led humanity to the state we are in. You cannot possibly compare such a dynamic, complex system as the earth’s ecosystem to a simple, human scale analogy. Any loss of biodiversity is a tragedy. Once these genetics are lost, they are gone forever.
- copx 9y ago
  >I think it’s precisely this level of hubris toward biology and the natural world which has led humanity to the state we are in. You mean this awesome state where most of our children don't die before reaching adulthood? You should really read a history book about how horrible life was before the dawn of modern industrial civilization. Our ancestors declared war on nature for a good reason and made our lives unimaginably better this way. > Any loss of biodiversity is a tragedy. I bet Africans disagree. Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all wars combined. Bill Gates and company are currently trying to wipe them out to save the lives of countless millions in Africa. I am pretty sure they won't miss the "biodiversity" which keeps killing them and the people they love. By the way, the US used to have regions plagued by mosquitos and malaria too. The parasites were systematically exterminated through chemical warfare (DDT). Do you think e.g. Florida would be a better place with malaria? With hundreds of thousands of people being killed by it every year? I don't. And I am not ashamed of this "level of hubris". > Once these genetics are lost, they are gone forever. Not all genes are worth preserving e.g. the ones for horrible heritable diseases. Also what you wrote is not really true, all life, all the biodiversity on earth evolved from the same archaic cells. So "gone forever" is too optimistic / pessimistic.

paraplegic 9y ago

Perhaps some PETA volunteers will allow themselves to be infected in order to save the parasites?

skbohra123 9y ago
are you nuts?
jack9 9y ago
It would come to that, if such an ecological catastrophe wasn't affecting lots of other fuzzier animals for promotion. Some fringers will probably do it "to raise awareness".

rwmj 9y ago

If anyone is in Tokyo and interested in all things parasite, I can recommend this museum: http://www.kiseichu.org/e-top http://www.kiseichu.org/e-top

thriftwy 9y ago

I'm not sure they're parasites but let's get rid of mosquitoes altogether. As far as I am concerned, they make huge territories in the north virtually unlivable (you could still live there but you no longer want to). That's even before malaria comes into account. This leads to a proposition to a Realm of Fungi. So you wanted to eat our crops, but I have an interesting replacement for ya...

KGIII 9y ago
You get used to them, or wear protection. Black flies are my least favorite. I think we may be too far north for malaria to be a real concern. I live just above the 45th, but I go north to play.
- DKnoll 9y ago
  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo
- thriftwy 9y ago
  > You get used to them No you don't! You get used to limiting your exposure to the nature, which is hardly desirable. Considering that people actually get to enjoy nature in less wet / more sunny regions. Ditch black flies too, surely.

baxuz 9y ago

I'm ok with that. Put blood sucking mosquitoes on the list as well. Oh, and ticks.

thunder-ltu 9y ago

People too?