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| Subject: | | Re: zombie ants and mastermind fungus |
| From: | |
vegetablepuddn
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posted
Wed, Aug 26 2009, 10:42am
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Cool article.
This reminds me of the an article i read last year, about parasites that control ants brains, and lead them towards a certain type of plants or shrub. Once there in mass numbers, they are eaten by grazing cows, at which point the parasites enter the cows stomach and live there.
Also there are "hair" worms that live inside grasshoppers, growing to two to three times the size of the grasshopper. Then when they are ready they seize control of the grashopper's brain and make it jump into water. The grasshopper drowns, but the hair worm emerges and once in the water, mates with another.
Really strange stuff. I wonder if anything like this has ever been recorded in humans. Like if someone had a parasite in their body for many years, and it grew and grew.
Though i have also learned about these parasites that are common in africa. Worms that can only be removed from the body just above the ankle, and have to be pulled out very tediously one by one. Apparently it is very painful and feels like being badly burned. The show said the most taken out of a person was 88!!! |
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| Subject: | | Re: zombie ants and mastermind fungus |
| From: | |
mysticete
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posted
Wed, Aug 26 2009, 11:15pm
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There is a protist parasite (can't remember the name), which is linked with increased violence in humans. The parasite is spread through blood, and I believe occurs in Central America?
Carl Zimmer talks about it in his book Parasite Rex (a fun if rather disgusting read). |
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