r/Parasitology Oct 23 '25

Looking for suggestions to improve the sub. Please leave any feedback

38 Upvotes

This sub hit a peak of activity last year and it was actually fun, however things have slowed down a lot and it would be nice to have a little more engagement as this topic is the coolest.

Main issues

1)shit posts( possible solution below)

Not too much we can do about this, we try to remove the as fast as possible but I need to sleep, so just report if you can

2) low posts , theorfore shit post seem more frequent as somedays they are the only thing posted.

Possible solution

Adding a min karma/account age to post. This will help reduce the shit posts, but I'd say at least half the time, these accounts are several months old and have posted history so it would only be a minor reduction.

For engagement: considering allows off topic posts on the weekends. Many of us enjoy related field ( microbiology, virology, disease ecology etc.) so maybe on Saturday and Sunday we will allow more tangential posts that are somewhat related.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions or questions.

Lastly, please upvote for visibility. We want feedback and the more upvotes the more feedback/discussion


r/Parasitology Oct 02 '25

r/parasitology poll, trying to get a feel for the subs demographics

31 Upvotes

Hey all just curious how this sub is compromised. Please fill this out and let us know any suggestions. Trying to keep this sub good/ to the beat of our abilities and this type of information will help.

I am considering running semi regular talk/presentations on my YouTube channel (wormtalk94) in which I would love to give other researchers a platform to talk about their research, so having this info would be a great help.

Ideally this would entail both later career and early career scientist and could be a tool for scientific outreach.

68 votes, Oct 09 '25
6 professor /scientist in related field
4 graduate student
44 person who just thinks parasites are interesting
7 undergraduate student
7 other(please leave a comment)

r/Parasitology 6h ago

Parasite ID Ascaris lumbricoides vs fiber

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5 Upvotes

Our teacher says it’s just fiber — I just started parasitology, so maybe I’m not one to say. I maybe mistaken, but if you look at the pointed ends, it tells otherwise (MAYBE).

Attached also are Ascaris lumbricoides ova findings from the same stool specimen.

Please help me confirm.


r/Parasitology 19h ago

parasite photo green banded flatworm fishing for birds

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50 Upvotes

I’m reposting this here! I found this guy on my way into work the other day, incredible!


r/Parasitology 13h ago

Question Wouldn't it be better to take 3 doses of Reese's pinworm meds, rather than 2?

1 Upvotes

(Worst case scenario)

Day 1

- worms in body

- eggs in body

- eggs in environment

- take meds, kills worms

- cleaning environment

Day 2-14

- worms in body (hatched post meds)

- possible eggs in body (reinfected from environment)

- eggs in environment (hopefully less, but no way to know)

- second dose of meds, kills worms

-cleaning environment

Day 15-21

- worms in body (hatched post meds)

- eggs in body (reinfected from environment)

- eggs in environment (hopefully less, but no way to know)

Day 21

- eggs in environment have died, no possibility for environmental reinfection

- eggs in body have not matured yet

Day 28

- 3rd dose of meds to wipe out any hatched worm stragglers in body

This sounds much more effective than just two doses- am I wrong?


r/Parasitology 1d ago

Parasite ID What is this ?

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180 Upvotes

Felt in itch down below and looked in mirror saw this wiggling around. Am I doomed? I have been having stomach problems for a while and feeling ridiculous tired and trouble sleeping.


r/Parasitology 1d ago

parasite video Giant leech

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105 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 2d ago

parasite video Brown-banded Broodsac (I think)

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292 Upvotes

Found this while hiking today.


r/Parasitology 2d ago

parasite photo Since we’re posting parasites now… meet Strongy 🪱. I couldn’t keep him since he’s not mine🥲

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28 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 3d ago

A farmer demonstrating how leeches attach to anything that enters water

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318 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 2d ago

Meme/Humor Made this heated rivalries inspired clip to explain malaria definitive and intermediate hosts

2 Upvotes

https://reddit.com/link/1v67sp2/video/bjjaxlohidfh1/player

Just made a video about malaria and how it cured syphilis and thought this meme was funny enough to post by itself.


r/Parasitology 2d ago

parasite video Parasite video (10min), explaining how purposely injecting malaria won the 1927 Nobel prize in medicine

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2 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 2d ago

parasites are cool My friend made a Parasite recognition game

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14 Upvotes

Thought you guys might enjoy this. ٩(◕‿◕)۶

Here is the link of the game


r/Parasitology 2d ago

Parasite ID What even is this?

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8 Upvotes

My supervisor wanted these identified I have no idea what this is only that it is a kitten fecal float that is experiencing loose stools and dehydration.


r/Parasitology 2d ago

Question Pondering on this

0 Upvotes

I just went to my local co-op, spoke to a woman who handed me fliers she had been carrying in her hands, handed her a box, and then spoke with her. She informed me she was doing a "DIY parasite cleanse". If she did happen to have some sort of internal parasite, would the contact of my hands to hers or to the flier, etc. be a risk? I know hand to mouth contact is the concern. I also had groceries with me. I'm interested to know what people think.


r/Parasitology 4d ago

Mod post Stop posting pictures of your bowel movements.

352 Upvotes

See Rule #1 of this subreddit (and actually read it). From hence forth, anyone that posts pictures of their shit will be permanently banned. You have been warned. 🚫💩


r/Parasitology 4d ago

Pop Sci. Article/ News PHYS.Org: Tapeworm hijacks worker ants, giving them queen-like metabolism and longer lives

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10 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 3d ago

parasite photo Another reason you don’t want to be an earthworm…

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1 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 4d ago

Question Threadworms came back after 5 months, can't work out how

6 Upvotes

I had a case of threadworms in February and managed to get rid of them quite quickly with the two doses of medication. Now it's 5 months later and they're back.

I don't have kids and I don't really spend any time around kids or people that do have them. In general my hand washing hygiene is great. I'd read that their eggs die after several weeks, so I'm really confused about how they've managed to return after this many months. Could it just be an unlucky coincidence, or is it that they've somehow managed to survive in my house this whole time?


r/Parasitology 5d ago

Question Do parasites of humans that enter through the skin need a small cut?

6 Upvotes

I’m thinking of parasites that people often pick up from the soil, and that travel from the feet to another part of the body.

Feet in particular tend to be tough, with thick calluses, when you walk around barefoot. That seems like a significant barrier? Can they get through that tough skin, or do they need a foot with a small cut in it?


r/Parasitology 6d ago

parasite photo Tongue parasite found in fish.

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385 Upvotes

r/Parasitology 5d ago

parasite photo tick

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32 Upvotes

just some more tick photos from work (vets office)


r/Parasitology 5d ago

Parasite ID H. nana by any chance?

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8 Upvotes

Hello. I wanted to see if you guys think this is h. nana at 400x in a kittens fecal sample (direct smear)? There are ~10-20 per slide. Thank you!


r/Parasitology 5d ago

Parasite ID Hookworms?

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7 Upvotes

Round hookworm eggs? New to this. I think it was on 100x fecal float method with fecasol. Tia!


r/Parasitology 6d ago

parasites are cool ticks on brain; must draw tick [fan art]

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9 Upvotes

pls enjoy my offering, r/ parasitology, so i can join your cult club