Open research questions in Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

What the literature leaves open

• Further study of the parasites of the leopard darter fish is needed. Molecular analysis of the parasite could provide additional information. The study of the parasites of other host species could contribute to the understanding of the diversity of parasites.

  Aethycteron malleusodes n. sp. (Monopisthocotylea: Dactylogyridae) from the threatened leopard darter, Percina pantherina (Moore & Reeves) (Perciformes: Percidae), in the Cossatot River, Arkansas, USA · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of genetic data for the type species Hysterothylacium brachyurum. The limited understanding of the taxonomic complexity of the genus Hysterothylacium.

  Larvae of Hysterothylacium sp. (Ascaridida: Raphidascarididae) affecting the condition factor of Piabina argentea (Characiformes: Stevardiidae) in the Pardo River Basin, Brazil: an integrative approach · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need for further monitoring and the development of targeted preventive measures against taeniid infections in domestic and wild animal populations. The study aims to address the gap in knowledge on the occurrence, host range, and seasonal patterns of T. pisiformis infection among domestic and wild mammals in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.

  Taenia pisiformis Bloch, 1780 (Cestoda) as an endoparasite of mammals · 2026 · DOI

• The study addresses the lack of data on the distribution of Nippotaenia mogurndae in European part of Russia. The authors identify a gap in the understanding of the stability of the parasitic subsystem in water bodies under significant anthropogenic stress.

  New data on Nippotaenia mogurndae distributed together with its fish host in European part of Russia · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of research on the parasitological fauna of golden jackals in Poland. The study addresses the gap in knowledge about the zoonotic potential of the parasites carried by golden jackals.

  Golden jackals as hosts of zoonotic parasites: preliminary findings from southern Poland · 2026 · DOI

• There are no detailed records of Oochoristica infecting desert lizards in the Palearctic Region of China. The study aims to fill this gap by describing a new species of Oochoristica.

  Molecular characterisation and phylogenetic placement of a new cestode, Oochoristica turpanoeremiadis sp. nov. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae), parasitising Eremias roborowskii from Turpan Basin in China · 2026 · DOI

• The parasitological study of reptiles, particularly lizards, remains relatively understudied in Africa. There is a need for further research on the parasite-host relationship in different ecosystems.

  Helminth fauna and infection intensity of the rainbow lizard (Agama agama) in Northwest University Campuses, Kano, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

• It highlights the need for further research on the effects of human activities on parasite communities and ecosystem functioning.

  Shifting waters: how habitat alteration affects host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems · 2026 · DOI

• The research highlights the need for further studies on the genetic diversity and epidemiology of monogenean infections. The study notes the challenge of reproducing the infection in experimental conditions.

  Morphomolecular characterization and statistical assessment of environmental associations with Diplectanum infestation in cultured European sea bass and bath treatment efficacy · 2026 · DOI

• She notes that female writers, such as Angelica Palli, have been neglected. The author reflects on the need for more research on the relevance of neogreco to contemporary society.

  Intervista a Caterina Carpinato · 2026 · DOI

• The spatiotemporal patterns of infestation and effects on hosts have been studied for only a small percentage of species. The impact of parasites on the performance of wild hosts, including locomotory performance, is often overlooked and understudied.

  The cymothoid isopod Anilocra chromis is negatively associated with multiple metrics of host condition in the Caribbean damselfish Chromis multilineata · 2026 · DOI

• The mechanisms driving the trends of increased parasitism associated with freshwater nutrient loading are not well understood. The natural complexity of these systems and the observational nature of much of the work examining relationships between basal nutrients and the abundance of trophically transmitted parasites in definitive hosts limits our understanding.

  Host tissue stoichiometry links nutrient availability to parasite abundance in a piscivorous fish · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the effects of brood parasitism on host nestlings. The study aims to address the gap in knowledge by investigating the impact of a cowbird on red-winged blackbird nestlings.

  Winners and losers in the host family over brood parasitism · 2026 · DOI

• The study highlights the challenge of investigating the helminth communities in the Gulf of Thailand due to the lack of research in the area. The paper notes the difficulty of identifying and characterizing digenean trematodes due to the limited molecular data available. The study also mentions the challenge of conserving the marine fish diversity in the Gulf of Thailand due to overfishing.

  Molecular characterization of three digeneans parasitizing marine fish in the Gulf of Thailand · 2025 · DOI

• Gyrodactylus pseudorasborae Ondračková, Seifertová & Tkachenko, 2023 widely distributed in Europe and China, although its mitochondrial genome remains unclear.

  The complete mitochondrial genome of Gyrodactylus pseudorasborae (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) with a phylogeny of Gyrodactylidae parasites · 2025 · DOI

• Considering that meat of unknown origin or meat that is insufficiently heat-treated may contribute to human infection, prevalence rates as high as 40–50% in wild boar highlight the critical need for complex research.

  A Comprehensive Review of Alaria alata (Goeze 1782) (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda) in Different Animal Hosts · 2025 · DOI

• The conservation status of the host species limited the collection of new specimens.

  Aethycteron malleusodes n. sp. (Monopisthocotylea: Dactylogyridae) from the threatened leopard darter, Percina pantherina (Moore & Reeves) (Perciformes: Percidae), in the Cossatot River, Arkansas, USA · 2026 · DOI

• The sample size was limited to 68 fish. The study did not investigate other potential factors influencing infection patterns.

  Larvae of Hysterothylacium sp. (Ascaridida: Raphidascarididae) affecting the condition factor of Piabina argentea (Characiformes: Stevardiidae) in the Pardo River Basin, Brazil: an integrative approach · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the mechanisms driving the relationship between tissue nutrient ratios and parasite abundance. Examine the effects of fertilization on parasite abundance in different host species. Study the seasonality of the Crepidostomum spp. life cycle at the study location.

  Host tissue stoichiometry links nutrient availability to parasite abundance in a piscivorous fish · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the effect of multiple cowbird chicks on the host brood. Examine the impact of brood parasitism on host nestling survival and growth in different environments. Study the behavior and ecology of cowbirds in relation to their host species.

  Winners and losers in the host family over brood parasitism · 2026 · DOI

• Although, molecular analyses based on partial 28 S rRNA and ITS2 rRNA sequences were inconclusive for species-level identification, partial mitochondrial ND3 sequences supported the assignment, showing the highest nucleotide similarity with reference sequences of O.

  First record of Oschmarinella macrorchis (Brachycladiidae: Digenea) in the Atlantic Ocean parasitizing the liver of Sowerby’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens) · 2026 · DOI

• The study had limited data available for dracunculoids and species of Micropleura, - The phylogenetic reconstruction was based solely on 18S sequences, - The study only analyzed a small number…

  Additional morphological data and first genetic characterization on females of Micropleura vazi Travassos, 1933, parasitic in Caiman yacare from Brazil, with comments on the phylogeny of Dracunculoidea (Nematoda) · 2026 · DOI

• Further genetic characterization of Micropleura species is needed, - More comprehensive morphological assessments of Micropleura species are required, - Phylogenetic analysis of additional dracunculoid species…

  Additional morphological data and first genetic characterization on females of Micropleura vazi Travassos, 1933, parasitic in Caiman yacare from Brazil, with comments on the phylogeny of Dracunculoidea (Nematoda) · 2026 · DOI

• The study only examined the effects of Anilocra infestation on a specific species of damselfish, - The study was conducted in a specific geographic location, - The sample size was limited to 89…

  The cymothoid isopod Anilocra chromis is negatively associated with multiple metrics of host condition in the Caribbean damselfish Chromis multilineata · 2026 · DOI

• Our review underscores significant gaps in current knowledge, advocating for increased endogenous research and genuine international cooperation, systematic sampling of understudied host groups, and integration of One Health approaches to enhance understanding of host-parasite dynamics, biodiversity conservation, and potential zoonotic risks in Mesoamerica.

  Into the unknown: a literature review of helminths of amphibians and reptiles in Mesoamerica · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

• CHRONIC EOSINOPHILIA DUE TO VISCERAL LARVA MIGRANS · PEDIATRICS · 1952 · 377 citations
• Observations on the Aetiology of Idiopathic Steatorrhoea · BMJ · 1954 · 188 citations
• Network structure and parasite transmission in a group living lizard, the gidgee skink, Egernia stokesii · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · 2009 · 159 citations
• Effect of gyrodactylid ectoparasites on host behaviour and social network structure in guppies Poecilia reticulata · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · 2011 · 97 citations
• The effects of host‐feeding behaviour on the dynamics of parasitoid‐host interactions, and the implications for biological control · Population Ecology · 1989 · 81 citations
• Predatory Personalities as Behavioral Mimics and Parasites · Perspectives on Psychological Science · 2014 · 73 citations
• Adverse-Event Profile of Crataegus Spp. · Drug Safety · 2006 · 72 citations
• Parasite spillover: indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons · Ecology and Evolution · 2017 · 71 citations
• Parasitoids as model organisms for ecologists · Population Ecology · 1999 · 70 citations
• Virulence factors of Treponema denticola · Periodontology 2000 · 2010 · 68 citations

Most recent work

• Conservative evolution of genetic and genomic features in Caenorhabditis becei, an experimentally tractable gonochoristic worm · bioRxiv · 2026
• Integrated characterization of monogenean infestation in Tilapia zillii: cox1 barcoding, cytokine transcription, oxidative biomarkers, and histopathological insights · Aquaculture International · 2026
• Hiding in Plain Sight: Evidence of Echeneidae Cloacal and Gill Diving Behavior in Manta Ray Hosts · Ecology and Evolution · 2026
• Dynamic mean and variance of microparasite load give key insights into population dynamics and underlying mechanisms · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · 2026
• New species and phylogenetic insights into Cosmetocleithrum (Dactylogyridae) from thorny catfishes (Doradidae), based on morphology and molecular data · Parasitology International · 2026
• A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Host Personality Traits and Parasitic Infection · Biology · 2026
• Assessing the taxonomic status of an opecoelid trematode from the evileye blaasop, Amblyrhynchote honckenii (Bloch), in South Africa · Parasitology Research · 2026
• Shifting waters: how habitat alteration affects host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems · Parasitology Research · 2026
• Constitutive and inducible fibrosis explain immune variation among threespine stickleback populations · bioRxiv · 2026
• The genetics and mechanisms of parasitoid host specificity · Current Opinion in Insect Science · 2026

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