Trichinella spiralis: the worm that would be virus

Trichinella spiralis is one of the world's largest intracellular parasites. Unlike most such organisms, it does not kill the host cell, but induces modifications in cell structure that enhance its own survival. In this article, Dickson Despommier describes the ways in which the parasite uses the cell for its own benefit, and discusses the extent to which this behaviour has contributed to the parasite's success.