Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Protists01:27

Overview of Protists

Protists are diverse eukaryotic microorganisms that lack the specialized tissues of plants and animals and the chitinous cell walls of fungi. Their early divergence within Eukarya resulted in structural, functional, and ecological diversity. They are classified into supergroups such as Archaeplastida, Excavata, Amoebozoa, Rhizaria, Alveolata, and Stramenopiles, determined through genetic analysis and structural similarities.Structural and Functional AdaptationsProtists have various adaptations...
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism01:22

Microbial Interactions: Parasitism

Parasitism is a form of microbial interaction in which parasitic microbes exploit a host organism for nutrients and shelter, often at the host's expense. Unlike mutualistic relationships, where both organisms benefit, parasitism benefits only the parasite and harms the host.Classification of ParasitesMicrobial parasites are broadly classified based on their location relative to the host.Ectoparasites remain on the host’s surface, such as the skin or outer tissues, drawing nutrients...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Good parasites make bad hosts: why is hyperparasitism uncommon among metazoan parasites.

International journal for parasitology·2026
Same author

Shifting waters: how habitat alteration affects host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems.

Parasitology research·2026
Same author

Impacts of artificial light at night on interactions between four trematode parasites and their marine invertebrate hosts: species-specific effects?

The Science of the total environment·2026
Same author

Comparison of Detection Rates of Toxoplasma gondii among Five Host Tissues and Two Primer Sets in Three Bird Species.

Journal of wildlife diseases·2026
Same author

Drivers of Microbiome Composition Among Helminth Parasites Sharing the Same Insectivorous Bat Host.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same author

Impacts of conventionally-treated and additionally ozonated wastewater on mortality, biochemical markers, and locomotor activity of two aquatic insect species: Leuctra geniculata (Plecoptera) and Hydropsyche incognita (Trichoptera).

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies
07:59

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Published on: May 31, 2024

Can parasites really reveal environmental impact?

Victor M Vidal-Martínez1, Daniel Pech, Bernd Sures

  • 1Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN) Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, México. vvidal@mda.cinvestav.mx

Trends in Parasitology
|December 1, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Parasites effectively indicate environmental impact, showing significant interactions with pollutants and stressors. This review highlights their value as bioindicators for monitoring environmental health.

More Related Videos

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples
04:57

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples

Published on: April 25, 2025

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions
03:46

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions

Published on: December 15, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies
07:59

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Published on: May 31, 2024

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples
04:57

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples

Published on: April 25, 2025

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions
03:46

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions

Published on: December 15, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Parasites play a crucial role in ecosystem dynamics.
  • Environmental changes can significantly alter host-parasite interactions.
  • Bioindicators are essential for assessing environmental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of parasites as bioindicators of environmental impact.
  • To synthesize evidence on the relationship between parasite levels and environmental stressors.
  • To provide recommendations for future research in environmental monitoring.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature review of studies published in the past decade.
  • Factorial meta-analysis to assess the effects of pollutants and environmental stressors on parasite levels.
  • Analysis of study designs, including field surveys and experimental exposures.

Main Results:

  • Parasite levels demonstrated significant interactions with the presence and concentration of various pollutants.
  • Environmental stressors were found to significantly affect parasite abundance and diversity.
  • These findings were consistent across different study methodologies, including field and experimental approaches.

Conclusions:

  • Parasites are valuable and reliable bioindicators of environmental impact.
  • Understanding host-parasite interactions is key to assessing anthropogenic effects.
  • Standardized study designs can enhance the efficiency of environmental monitoring programs using parasites.