It is thought that parasites make up more than 80 percent of the life forms on the planet. More organisms are identified every day. Animal health professionals will appreciate the information in these two articles as review or clarification.
Source: Firstline, June 8, 2016.
Parasites have not previously been included on the food chain, but in reality every ecosystem is loaded with these tiny unseen predators. Their main purpose in life is to feed on the host, reproduce, infect and then die. It’s as simple as that. Although most parasites aren’t known to kill directly, they all can cause severe issues if overproduced, especially in the sick, elderly and young. But the few that are deadly can strike quickly and without much warning (e.g. severe cases of toxoplasmosis can result in neurologic issues, especially in babies and immunocompromised people). So, again, who really is at the top of the food chain?
Also see: 5 strange facts about parasites, Firstline, March 28, 2016.
Click through the pages that follow for five strange-but-true facts about these parasites and arm your clients with knowledge.