Acanthocephalans, or spiny-headed worms, are endoparasites found in almost all marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems. They infect a huge range of definitive and intermediate hosts during their life cycles, including both vertebrates and arthropods. This volume, first published in 2006, examines the distribution and abundance of the Acanthocephala, and uses this ecological information to reveal the group's enormous survival success. It discusses how the acanthocephalans have evolved differently to all other groups of parasites, and represent a distinct and alternative pathway of parasite evolution and host parasite-interactions. Written for graduate students and researchers in parasitology, ecology and zoology or anyone interested in reading about parasite ecology and evolution.

We first discussed the possibility of organizing a symposium on helminth communities in June, 1986. At that time, we were engaged in writing a joint paper on potential structuring mechanisms in helminth communities; we disagreed on a number of issues. We felt the reason for such debate was because the discipline was in a great state of flux, with many new concepts and approaches being introduced with increasing frequency. After consider able discussion about the need, scope and the inevitable limitations of such a symposium, we decided that the time was ripe to bring other ecologists, engaged in similar research, face-to-face. There were many individuals from whom to choose; we selected those who were actively publishing on helminth communities or those who had expertise in areas which we felt were particularly appropriate. We compiled a list of potential participants, contacted them and received unanimous support to organize such a symposium. Our intent was to cover several broad areas, fully recognizing that breadth negates depth (at least with a publisher's limitation on the number of pages). We felt it important to consider patterns amongst different kinds of hosts because this is where we had disagreed among ourselves."

This volume was first published in 1985. A knowledge of this phylum of parasitic worms is essential for helminthologists and instructive for all research workers investigating the principles of parasitism. Each of the chapters is written by a specialist on the biology of the Acanthocephala. Systematics, functional morphology, feeding, nutrition, metabolism, reproduction, embryology, development, epizootiology, life-history patterns and population ecology are reviewed and analysed in detail; problems for further investigation are identified. Special features of the book include a taxonomic revision and list of valid species, anatomical illustrations and extensive tables covering morphological terms, host-parasite associations, life-history parameters and reproductive biology. The three indices (parasite, author and subject) and the comprehensive list of over a thousand references help the reader to use this major source of reference on a fascinating group of parasites.

One of the most studied fields within the discipline of parasitology is immunoparasitology. The main emphasis is understanding the interaction between the host immune system and the invading parasite in order that information can be gained to aid parasite control and hence improve human health. The articles contained within this volume were produced by speakers (and their colleagues) at the 2004 British Society for Parasitology Autumn Symposium on "Subversion of immune cell signalling by parasites." Together they provide an introduction to the topic as well as detailed insights into the immune subversion mechanisms employed by eukaryotic parasites.

Blood-sucking insects transmit many of the most debilitating diseases to man including malaria, sleeping sickness, filariasis, dengue, typhus and plague. Additionally these insects cause major economic losses in agriculture by direct damage to livestock. This new edition of The Biology of Blood-Sucking in Insects has been fully updated since it was first published in 1991. It provides a unique, topic-led commentary on the biological aspects that are common to blood-sucking insects. This account focuses on the biological adaptations that clearly suit the blood-sucking habit and further discusses host-insect interactions and the transmission of parasites by blood-sucking insects. It also outlines the medical, social and economic impact of blood-sucking insects. The final chapter is designed as a useful quick-reference section. Written in a clear, concise fashion and well illustrated throughout, the text will be of direct interest to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of medical and veterinary entomology and parasitology.

This volume is a republication in one volume of the 10 part "CIH Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates," first published between 1974 and 1983. For many years the "Keys" have provided a working tool to those within the field and laboratory needing to know "what is this worm?" Now due to popular demand and to coincide with the long awaited publication of the supplement volume, the "Keys" will be presented as one volume, refreshed and reformatted with the additional convenience of reordering in to superfamily. As an indispensable guide the "Keys" shall continue to be an essential resource to those working within medical, veterinary and biological departments worldwide for many more years to come.

Reflecting the enormous advances made in the field over the past ten years, this text synthesizes the latest developments in the ecology and evolution of animal parasites against a backdrop of parallel advances in parasite systematics, biodiversity and life cycles. This second edition has been thoroughly revised to meet the needs of a new generation of parasitology students. Balancing traditional approaches in parasitology with modern studies in parasite ecology and evolution, the authors present basic ecological principles as a unifying framework to help students understand the complex phenomenon of parasitism. Richly illustrated with over 250 figures, the text is accompanied by case study boxes designed to help students appreciate the complexity and diversity of parasites and the scientists who study them. This unique approach, presented clearly and with a minimum of jargon and mathematical detail, encourages students from diverse backgrounds to think generally and conceptually about parasites and parasitism.

This introductory undergraduate textbook provides a concise, clear and affordable overview of parasite biology for students and nonspecialists, preparing them for more technical and detailed literature. Using examples from all groups of animal parasites, the text considers the various stages of a parasite's life cycle from finding hosts to surviving within the host. The author discusses the significance of damage caused by parasites and approaches to control, giving the book a well-rounded scope for those new to the subject or desiring a review of key points. A key feature of the book is its comparative rather than systematic approach. Suitable for all introductory parasitology courses in biology, zoology and human and veterinary medicine.

This introductory undergraduate textbook provides a concise, clear and affordable overview of parasite biology for students and nonspecialists, preparing them for more technical and detailed literature. Using examples from all groups of animal parasites, the text considers the various stages of a parasite's life cycle from finding hosts to surviving within the host. The author discusses the significance of damage caused by parasites and approaches to control, giving the book a well-rounded scope for those new to the subject or desiring a review of key points. A key feature of the book is its comparative rather than systematic approach. Suitable for all introductory parasitology courses in biology, zoology and human and veterinary medicine.

Parasites cause many important diseases in humans and domestic animals, malaria being an example. Parasites have evolved to exploit hosts' bodies whereas hosts have evolved immune systems to control infections. Host-parasite interactions therefore provide fascinating examples of evolutionary 'arms-races' in which the immune system plays a key role. Modern research in immunoparasitology is directed towards understanding and exploiting the capacity to develop effective anti-parasite immunity. By concentrating on selected infections where research has made significant progress, Immunity to Parasites provides a clear account of how host immune responses operate and how parasites can evade immunity. The experimental basis of this research is emphasised throughout. This completely updated second edition includes an expanded section on anti-parasite vaccines. The text is aimed at undergraduates and postgraduates with interests in either parasitology or immunology and provides introductory sections on these topics to lead the reader into the later chapters.

The third edition of this basic textbook in parasitology has been entirely rewritten, incorporating the spectacular advances made in biological sciences within recent years. The author presents students and research workers with a broad multi-disciplined approach to the morphology, ultrastructure, speciation, life cycles, biochemistry, in vitro culture and immunology of parasites. Special attention is paid to those species used as models for teaching and research as well as the major human and animal parasites. The author introduces the basics of the subject for new students as well as bringing in more advanced topics of interest to senior students and researchers. The text is illustrated with a large number of figures, tables and up-to-date reference lists. The book will appeal to all students with an interest in parasitology as well as being of interest to research workers in the field.

In "Parasitism, " Claude Combes explores the fascinating adaptations parasites have developed through their intimate interactions with their hosts. He begins with the biology of parasites--their life cycles, habitats, and different types of associations with their hosts. Next he discusses genetic interactions between hosts and parasites, and he ends with a section on the community ecology of parasites and their role in the evolution of their hosts. Throughout the book Combes enlivens his discussion with a wealth of concrete examples of host-parasite interactions.

"I have often been asked what are the interesting questions to study in host-parasitoid biology, and this volume suggests a large number in a variety of different fields. In so doing, it will interest a wider audience than simply scientists working specifically in host-parasitoid biology. For both, however, the book will stimulate new research ideas. By looking forward, as well as reviewing the past, Parasitoid Population Biology makes for a novel, interesting, and timely addition to the field."--Howard Wilson, Biology Department, Imperial College

"The underlying rationale for "Parasitoid Population Biology"--the need to question our current understanding of parasitoid population biology--is a laudable one. The editors and contributors are recognized experts at the international level, and are at the cutting edge of parasitoid population biology research. As such, they are well placed to assess the current state of the subject. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and I expect to consult it frequently in my own research and teaching."--Mark Jervis, Cardiff University

"Hochberg and Ives have brought together a group of leading researchers to remind populations biologists of every stripe of the unparalleled opportunity that parasitoids offer for studying the integration of ecology and evolution. In no other animal group is resource acquisition (i.e., foraging for hosts) so tightly linked to reproduction (i.e., oviposition into those hosts). As the chapters of this book convincingly demonstrate, this linkage between foraging and reproducing in parasitoids leads to tractable theories that connect life history variations to population regulation and community structure in both spaceand time. Although parasitoids are not without difficulties as experimental subjects, several authors show the wealth of empirical information already available as well as point to forthcoming innovations that will make parasitoid study even more important in the near future. This book tells us where we stand vis a vis parasitoids, but more importantly, it shows us where we can go."--Arthur E. Weis, University of California, Irvine

Birds are the most diverse group of land vertebrates and have evolved to exploit almost every terrestrial niche on earth. They also serve as a natural reservoir for an array of different pathogens that pose serious health risks to human and domestic animal populations, including West Nile virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, Newcastle Disease virus, and numerous enteric pathogens. Avian diseases are also critically important to the conservation of endemic bird species in many places around the world. This accessible textbook focuses on the dynamics of infectious diseases for wild avian hosts across every level of ecological hierarchy, from the way pathogens interact with the physiology and behavior of individual hosts, the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of the host-parasite interactions occurring within populations, up to the complex biotic and abiotic interactions occurring within biological communities and ecosystems. Parasite-bird interactions are also increasingly occurring in rapidly changing global environments - thus, their ecology is also changing - and this shapes the complex ways by which parasites influence the inter-connected health of birds, humans, and shared ecosystems. Given the key role of birds in ecological communities more broadly, and as the primary host to so many zoonotic pathogens, an understanding of the ecological and evolutionary principles underlying the maintenance, amplification, transmission, and dispersal of these infectious agents is crucial to understanding how to mitigate the negative global impacts of the ever-increasing number of emerging infectious diseases. Although the topics and principles discussed in this book relate to birds, they have a far wider relevance and can also be applied to non-avian, wildlife host-pathogen systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that understanding of disease ecology in wild animal populations is paramount to global health. Infectious Disease Ecology of Wild Birds is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in avian disease ecology, ecoimmunology, ecology, and conservation. It will also appeal to the many professional parasitologists, ecoimmunologists, ornithologists, behavioural ecologists, conservation biologists, and wildlife biologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

Parasites and infectious diseases are everywhere and represent some of the most potent forces shaping the natural world. They affect almost every aspect imaginable in the life of their hosts, even as far as the structure of entire ecosystems. Hosts, in turn, have evolved complex defences, with immune systems being among the most sophisticated processes known in nature. In response, parasites have again found ways to manipulate and exploit their hosts. Ever since life began, hosts and parasites have taken part in this relentless co-evolutionary struggle with far-reaching consequences for us all. Today, concepts borrowed from evolution, ecology, parasitology, and immunology have formed a new synthesis for the study of host-parasite interactions. Evolutionary parasitology builds on these established fields of scientific enquiry but also includes some of the most successful inter-disciplinary areas of modern biology such as evolutionary epidemiology and ecological immunology. The first edition of this innovative text quickly became the standard reference text for this new discipline. Since then, the field has progressed rapidly and an update is now required. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to provide a state-of-the-art overview, from the molecular bases to adaptive strategies and their ecological and evolutionary consequences. It includes completely new material on topics such as microbiota, evolutionary genomics, phylodynamics, within-host evolution, epidemiology, disease spaces, and emergent diseases. Evolutionary Parasitology is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate level students, and interdisciplinary researchers from a variety of fields including immunology, genetics, sexual selection, population ecology, behavioural ecology, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology. Those studying and working in adjacent fields such as conservation biology, virology, medicine, and public health will also find it an invaluable resource for connecting to the bases of their science.

"The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Turtles of the World" is an invaluable resource for researchers in protozoology, coccidia, and parasitology, veterinary sciences, animal sciences, zoology, and biology. This first-of-its-kind work offers a taxonomic guide to apicomplexan parasites of turtles that enables easy parasite identification, with a summary of virtually everything known about the biology of each known parasite species. It is an important documentation of this specific area, useful to a broad base of readers, including researchers in biology, parasitology, animal husbandry, diseases of wild and domestic animals, veterinary medicine, and faculty members in universities with graduate programs in these areas.

There are about 330 turtle species on Earth; many are endangered, a growing number of species are kept as pets, and some are still used as food by humans. Turtles, like other vertebrate animals have many different kinds of parasites (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, worms, arthropods, and others). Coccidiosis in turtles has prevented large-scale turtle breeding, and represents a serious problem in need of control. This succinct and highly focused book will aid in that effort.
Offers line drawings and photomicrographs of each parasite from each hosts speciesProvides methods of identification and treatmentPresents a complete historical rendition of all known publications on coccidia (and their closest relatives) from all turtle species on Earth, and evaluates the scientific and scholarly merit of eachProvides a complete species analysis of the known biology of every coccidian described from turtles Reviews the most current taxonomy of turtles and their phylogenetic relationships needed to help assess host-specificity and evaluate what little cross-transmission work is available

"Approaches to Research on the Systematics of Fish-Borne Trematodes" is a concise guide for systematic studies of the prevalence of fish-borne trematodes both in the endemic areas and experimental laboratories. It includes methods to identify species of fish-borne trematodes to enhance the precision of research studies based on the metacercarial stage.

Misidentification of trematode species is a common occurrence when researchers are new to the field and have no guidance. Consequentially, sometimes publications report inaccurate prevalence rates of these parasites. This compact guide gives clear direction on: Collection of parasites in the final hostsCollection of cercaria from snail first intermediate hostsCollection of metacercaria from fish hostsMolecular identification of parasitesSystematics of fish-borne trematodes
Provides research guidelines and protocols for studying systematics of fish-borne trematodes using both morphological and molecular dataPresents keys to enable identification of metacercariae of fish-borne trematodes in the Greater Mekong subregion

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, Coccidia order, being an obligate intracellular protozoan that affects humans and diverse vertebrate hosts. In this book, the authors discuss its prevalence in humans and animals, genetic structure and role in disease distribution. Topics include the congenital transmission of toxoplasma gondii in ovine; the role of chickens in the transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans; updates on the serological and molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis; epidemiology and control of toxoplasmosis in dogs, cats, bovine, and in public health.

Most human diseases come from nature, from pathogens that live and breed in non-human animals and are "accidentally" transmitted to us. Human illness is only the culmination of a complex series of interactions among species in their natural habitats. To avoid exposure to these pathogens, we must understand which species are involved, what regulates their abundance, and how they interact.
Lyme disease affects the lives of millions of people in the US, Europe, and Asia. It is the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in the United States; About 20,000 cases have been reported each year over the past five years, and tens of thousands more go unrecognized and unreported. Despite the epidemiological importance of understanding variable LD risk, such pursuit has been slow, indirect, and only partially successful, due in part to an overemphasis on identifying the small subset of 'key players' that contribute to Lyme disease risk, as well as a general misunderstanding of effective treatment options.
This controversial book is a comprehensive, synthetic review of research on the ecology of Lyme disease in North America. It describes how humans get sick, why some years and places are so risky and others not. It challenges dogma - for instance, that risk is closely tied to the abundance of deer - and replaces it with a new understanding that embraces the complexity of species and their interactions. It describes why the place where Lyme disease emerged - coastal New England - set researchers on mistaken pathways. It shows how tiny acorns have enormous impacts on our probability of getting sick, why biodiversity is good for our health, why living next to a small woodlot is dangerous, and why Lyme disease is an excellent model system for understanding many other human and animal diseases. Intended for an audience of professional and student ecologists, epidemiologists, and other health scientists, it is written in an informal style accessible also to non-scientists interested in human health and conservation.

Biogeography has renewed its concepts and methods following important recent advances in phylogenetics, macroecology, and geographic information systems. In parallel, the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions has attracted the interests of numerous studies dealing with life-history traits evolution, community ecology, and evolutionary epidemiology. The Biogeography of Host-Parasite Interactions is the first book to integrate these two fields, using examples from a variety of host-parasite associations in various regions, and across both ecological and evolutionary timescales. Besides a strong theoretical component, there is a bias towards applications, specifically in the fields of historical biogeography, palaeontology, phylogeography, landscape epidemiology, invasion biology, conservation biology, human evolution, and health ecology. A particular emphasis concerns emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases linked to global changes.

Is it possible to omit parasites when studying free-living organisms? The answer is clearly no! Parasites have evolved independently in numerous animal lineages, and now make up a considerable proportion of the biodiversity of life. Ecologists, epidemiologists, conservationists and evolutionary biologists are increasingly aware of the universal significance of parasites to the study of ecology and evolution where they have become a powerful model system. This book provides a summary of the issues involved as well as an overview of the possibilities offered by this research topic including the practical applications for disease prevention. It uses well-documented case-studies across a range of scales to illustrate the main trends and prospects in this area, outlining areas for future research.
Ecology and Evolution of Parasitism is the first book to provide a broad synthesis of both the roles and consequences of pathogens on the ecology and evolution of free living systems. It focuses on hosts rather than the parasites themselves, integrating those aspects related to the ecology and the evolution of free-living species (sexual selection, behaviour, life history traits, regulation of populations etc.). The book includes examples across a range of scales from individuals to populations, communities and ecosystems.