International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Comparative proteomics reveals a conserved core of tegumental proteins in parasitic flatworms.","authors":"Inés Guarnaschelli, Analía Lima, Rafael Velazco, Monika Bergmann, Matías Preza, Javier Calvelo, Marcela Cucher, Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit, Klaus Brehm, Andrés Iriarte, Uriel Koziol","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104963","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104963","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasitic flatworms, including cestodes and trematodes, are covered by a specialized syncytial tegument that mediates nutrient uptake and host-parasite interactions. While the tegument of trematodes has been extensively characterized, its molecular composition in cestodes remains largely unknown. In this work, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of the tegument of three cestode species, including larval and adult stages: Hymenolepis microstoma, Mesocestoides corti (syn. M. vogae) and the human pathogen Echinococcus multilocularis. Using stringent enrichment criteria relative to whole-worm extracts, we identified hundreds of tegument-enriched proteins in each species. Comparative analyses revealed a conserved core of tegumental proteins shared among all three species, including members of the Tegument Allergen-Like (TAL) family, vesicular trafficking components and calcium-sensing proteins, and identified candidates for nutrient uptake activities such as glucose and nucleoside transporters. Further comparative analyses revealed a set of shared tegumental proteins with the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, including conserved proteins that are specific to parasitic flatworms, supporting the existence of a conserved ancestral tegumental proteome. Finally, we confirmed tegumental expression of several genes in H. microstoma and E. multilocularis, and demonstrated regionally restricted gene expression among tegumental cytons, suggesting functional specialization within the syncytial tegument. Altogether, these results reveal an evolutionarily conserved composition of the tegument of parasitic flatworms, providing a foundation for future work targeting this critical host-parasite interface.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104963"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148880366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lineage differentiation in the cosmopolitan molluscan protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni based on metabolic, molecular and morphological traits.","authors":"Yuqi Liu, Kiyotaka Takishita, Sergio Fernández Boo, Yuho Watanabe, Tomoyoshi Yoshinaga, Naoki Itoh","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104965","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104965","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni actively proliferates within marine molluscan hosts and causes serious negative effects on mollusk production worldwide. Recent research revealed that one Japanese isolate requires exogenous glycine betaine (GB) for vegetative proliferation, whereas isolates from some congeneric species do not, suggesting that this requirement is a derived characteristic of this genus. In the present study, we established various isolates from Japan, Europe, and Oceania, and showed that P. olseni isolates from Japan and Europe commonly require exogenous GB, whereas Oceanian isolates do not. This suggests that Oceanian isolates may retain ancestral-like characteristics compared to Japanese and European isolates. Analyses of the non-transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA further support the above interpretation that the Oceanian isolates represent a more basal split, and additionally suggest that the Japanese and European isolates belong to lineages that have undergone relatively recent geographic expansion. Morphological comparisons among isolates showed that the Oceanian isolates possessed larger schizonts and trophozoites, producing fewer daughter cells, but formed larger hypnospores capable of producing a greater number of zoospores, although the association between GB requirements and morphological differences remains unknown. The present study demonstrates the existence of distinct lineages of this parasite and provides novel insights into the evolution, geographical dispersion, and shifts in life-history strategies of P. olseni.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104965"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148874082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Latitude and parasite interactions drive global patterns of avian haemosporidian infection.","authors":"Victor Aguiar de Souza Penha, Alan Fecchio","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104964","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104964","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infectious diseases are a powerful ecological force, yet the predictors shaping variation in parasite prevalence across wildlife remain incompletely understood. Birds provide an exceptional system to address this challenge, as their global diversity, ecological breadth, and role as pathogen reservoirs make them excellent models for studying infection dynamics. Among avian parasites, haemosporidians (Plasmodium,Haemoproteus, andHaemoproteus subgenus Parahaemoproteus) are nearly ubiquitous, affecting host physiology and survival while offering a model for testing how ecological and evolutionary factors modulate infection risk. Using a georeferenced global dataset of haemosporidian infection, we evaluated how latitude, bird host abundance, bird habitat specialization, bird species age, and parasite co-occurrence influence infection prevalence across avian communities. Bayesian phylogenetic logistic models revealed that these predictors capture key variation in infection patterns.Latitude emerged as the strongest predictor among ecological and evolutionary variables considered, showing contrasting associations across parasite groups: prevalence decreased with latitude for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus, but increased for Parahaemoproteus. Associations among parasite groups also emerged as important predictors of prevalence. Plasmodium prevalence was negatively associated with the prevalence of both Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus, while Parahaemoproteus prevalence was negatively associated with Plasmodium prevalence. In contrast, Haemoproteus prevalence was not significantly associated with the occurrence of either Plasmodium or Parahaemoproteus. Abundance and habitat breadth of avian hosts were not meaningfully associated with prevalence in any of the three parasite groups. Similarly, bird species age showed no supported association with parasite prevalence, suggesting that contemporary ecological and geographic factors and interactions among parasite groups are more important than host evolutionary age in explaining global variation in avian haemosporidian prevalence. Collectively, these results demonstrate that incorporating cross-parasite associations within a phylogenetic framework provides new insights into the mechanisms structuring global spatial patterns of haemosporidian prevalence.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104964"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148863802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depth-structured patterns of monogenean parasites in Eastern Pacific fish: a historical dataset (1967-1980).","authors":"Kyle M Shanebeck","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monogenean parasites are among the most common ectoparasites of marine fishes and can influence host health, fitness, and population dynamics. Despite their ecological importance, historical data on monogenean prevalence and diversity in marine fish are scarce. Here, we report data from a historical survey of 1,518 fish, representing 242 species across 87 families, collected from the Central California coast to the Gulf of California between 1967 and 1980. Monogeneans were identified from gills, skin, and body openings, and prevalence and mean abundance were analyzed across five depth zones: sub-littoral, epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, and bathyal. Infections were concentrated in sub-littoral and epipelagic fishes, with prevalence and diversity declining in deeper habitats, likely reflecting host density, environmental conditions, and parasite life history. A total of 42 monogenean species from 14 families were recorded, including several undescribed taxa. This historical dataset provides a rare baseline for Pacific marine fishes and offers a valuable reference for assessing long-term changes in parasite populations and host-parasite dynamics under environmental change.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104946"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148840015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabarcoding reveals rodents as exclusive hosts of Hepatozoon hemoparasites among synanthropic small- to medium-sized mammals in suburban New Jersey, USA.","authors":"Heidi E Herb, Nicole E Wagner, Francisco C Ferreira, Julia González, Dina M Fonseca","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104945","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alveolate protozoan parasites in the genus Hepatozoon infect a wide range of wild animals and pose a significant health threat to companion animals, mainly dogs and cats. Aiming to create a baseline description of Hepatozoon sp. in wild animals in the northeastern USA, we used 18S rDNA metabarcoding to screen blood from 243 small- and medium-sized wild mammals from 11 species sampled in New Brunswick, NJ, USA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first use of metabarcoding to examine community-level Hepatozoon prevalence and diversity in North American wildlife. We analyzed amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) using phylogenetic and haplotype network approaches. We detected Hepatozoon DNA in 17.3% of individual mammals but only rodents were positive, with no positive carnivores, lagomorphs, marsupials, or shrews. Thin blood smears from three gray squirrels showed leukocyte parasitemia ranging from 1.5 to 6.9%. We identified 130 distinct ASVs, most of which had a top pairwise identity to Hepatozoon griseisciuri A or B or Hepatozoon sp. DB2220. In the phylogenetic analysis, all ASVs grouped with sequences from rodents and reptiles, separate from the clade containing sequences of parasites known to infect dogs and cats. Contrary to other studies, we found no evidence of Hepatozoon sp. in carnivores such as raccoons and did not detect Hepatozoon species known to infect domestic animals, suggesting the synanthropic mammals examined are not current reservoir hosts for these parasites in the study region.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104945"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148792593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Widespread PCR-generated chimeras confound Plasmodium species identification and zoonotic malaria surveillance.","authors":"Paul M Sharp, Richard L Culleton, Beatrice H Hahn","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104943","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely used to amplify malaria parasite DNA to diagnose Plasmodium infections, but can generate artefactual chimeric sequences through template switching. Here, we examine the occurrence and consequences of PCR-generated chimeras in studies of malaria parasites from humans, macaques and mosquitoes, and highlight two major sources of errors. First, in samples containing mixed-species infections, PCR can produce interspecific chimeras. This problem is particularly acute among closely related species of Plasmodium that infect macaques in southeast Asia, several of which have been transmitted to humans. Reanalysis of published mitochondrial DNA sequences from Thailand and Malaysia revealed numerous chimeric sequences involving P. knowlesi, P. inui, and P. cynomolgi, as well as P. vivax and other related species. Second, amplification of multicopy genes can also generate intra-genomic chimeras. The most widely used PCR template for malaria parasite identification has been the small subunit (18S) ribosomal RNA gene, but Plasmodium genomes contain two divergent forms of the rRNA unit, the A-type and the S-type. We show that several studies have generated intertype rRNA chimeras, which can occur even in the absence of multi-species infection. This has led to difficulties in identifying the relevant species, given an inflated view of sequence diversity, and has confused conclusions regarding zoonotic transmissions. These findings highlight the need for more rigorous approaches to PCR amplification to avoid the generation of chimeras, and for the validation of potentially chimeric sequences before phylogenetic or epidemiological interpretation.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104943"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148759595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seeing the branches for the leaves: insight into parasite biodiversity from the discovery rates of genera rather than species.","authors":"Robert Poulin, Bronwen Presswell, Chen-Hua Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104944","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104944","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The cumulative number of parasite species known to science keeps increasing steadily year after year, suggesting we are far from the end of our inventory of extant parasite biodiversity. However, what about higher taxa such as genera or families: are their known numbers also still rising? Finding new genera or families represents the discovery of clades with greater evolutionary uniqueness than the discovery of new species belonging to already known lineages. We surveyed the taxonomic literature between 2010 and 2025 to quantify patterns in the discovery of new helminth genera and families. Few new families were proposed during the study period, however 271 new genera were established, with 80% of them being 'true' new genera, i.e. previously unknown lineages based entirely on the discovery of new specimens. Whereas we might expect that the more genera one has already found, the harder it could be to find new ones, we instead found a positive relationship between the number of new genera found per higher taxon and the currently known species richness of that taxon. This supports a sampling hypothesis whereby species-rich taxa like Trematoda are also the ones likely to yield more new genera. Indeed, the cumulative number of new trematode genera found in the 2010-2025 period has increased linearly, suggesting many more genera await discovery in this taxon as well as in Nematoda, Monopisthocotylea and Polyopisthocotylea. In contrast, an asymptote has been reached in Acanthocephala and Cestoda, indicating the final list of genera is at hand in those taxa. Our findings suggest that the quest to document parasite biodiversity is far from complete as we still lack knowledge of many phylogenetically distinct helminths characterised by morphologies that do not fit within currently known genera.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104944"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148712279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of Echinococcus multilocularis complete mitogenomes: evidence for the historical spread from Central Asia to the Northern Hemisphere","authors":"Baoping Guo,&nbsp;Cairen,&nbsp;Rongsheng Mi,&nbsp;Jianyong Wu,&nbsp;Mehdi Borhani,&nbsp;Malike Aizezi,&nbsp;Long Cheng,&nbsp;Xiangqian Wang,&nbsp;Liang Li,&nbsp;Jenny Knapp,&nbsp;Gang Guo,&nbsp;Guodong Lü,&nbsp;Kalibixiati Aimulajiang,&nbsp;Wenqiang Tang,&nbsp;Xinmiao Huang,&nbsp;Hao Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em> is a parasitic tapeworm responsible for alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a life-threatening zoonotic disease. Understanding its genetic diversity and historical spread is critical for developing effective control measures. Previous studies have suggested Central Asia as a potential origin of the parasite, but comprehensive global analyses encompassing multiple regions and time periods have been limited. This study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity, population structure, and phylogeography of <em>E. multilocularis</em> by sequencing the complete mitogenome from 384 isolates from major endemic regions across the Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 201 new <em>E. multilocularis</em> mitogenomes and combined these with 183 previously published sequences. Phylogenetic, haplotype network, pairwise fixation index (Fst), and principal-component analysis (PCA) were performed to explore genetic diversity, population structure, and the historical spread of the parasite. Bayesian phylogeographic reconstruction was used to infer diffusion routes across the Northern Hemisphere. Our analysis identified five major clades, with high genetic diversity observed in samples from China-Xinjiang and China-Midwest. The parasite exhibited significant genetic differentiation between continents, with most clades tracing their origins to Central Asia. Phylogeographic analysis suggested that <em>E. multilocularis</em> spread from Central Asia to Europe, Japan, and North America, primarily through wildlife migration and human activities. This study supports the hypothesis that Central Asia is the evolutionary origin of <em>E. multilocularis</em> and provides insights into its historical and contemporary dispersal patterns. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and controlling the spread of human AE, particularly in regions, with high genetic diversity, to prevent further spread.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 8","pages":"Article 104773"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146018432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First continuous in vitro culture of Plasmodium coatneyi reveals insights into barriers to human infection","authors":"Rossarin Suwanarusk,&nbsp;Adeline C.Y. Chua,&nbsp;Chukwuma S. Ezenwanne,&nbsp;Georges Snounou,&nbsp;Benoît Malleret,&nbsp;Varakorn Kosaisavee,&nbsp;Eric D. Lombardini,&nbsp;Rawiwan Imerbsin,&nbsp;Piyanate Sunyakumthorn,&nbsp;Yuko Katakai,&nbsp;Miako Sakaguchi,&nbsp;Dennis E. Kyle,&nbsp;Satoru Kawai,&nbsp;Takeshi Annoura,&nbsp;Laurent Rénia,&nbsp;Pablo Bifani,&nbsp;Osamu Kaneko,&nbsp;Bruce Russell","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Plasmodium coatneyi</em> is an important model for severe malaria due to its <em>P. falciparum</em>-like sequestration, yet research has been limited by the lack of <em>in vitro</em> culture systems. Recently, molecular evidence of human <em>P. coatneyi</em> infections (3.5%, 3/85 of identified simian malarias in Malaysian archival samples), suggested a zoonotic potential. We report the first continuous <em>in vitro</em> culture of <em>P. coatneyi</em> and characterize its zoonotic potential using a dual-colour flow cytometry assay. Using CellTracker Deep Red-labelled target cells, we quantified invasion across primate species, revealing potential sample-specific plasticity. Robust continuous culture was established in <em>Macaca fascicularis</em> erythrocytes for over 40 days, with parasitaemia reaching 3% following cryopreservation recovery. While <em>P. coatneyi</em> successfully invaded human erythrocytes, asexual development was arrested post-invasion, with parasitaemia falling below detection limits by day 9. Analysis by microscopy confirmed a failure to complete the 48-h developmental cycle in human cells, identifying a putative biological barrier to sustained zoonotic transmission. Ultimately, the cultivation protocol provides a sustainable <em>in vitro</em> platform for functional investigations, particularly severe malaria pathogenesis, and for monitoring host promiscuity in zoonotic malaria parasites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 8","pages":"Article 104892"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148054215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host whole genome sequence data represent an untapped resource for characterising affiliated parasite diversity","authors":"Sarah Nichols,&nbsp;Andrea Estandía,&nbsp;Catherine M. Young,&nbsp;Lucy S. Knowles,&nbsp;Vaidas Palinauskas,&nbsp;Beth Okamura,&nbsp;Sonya M. Clegg","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104768","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104768","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasites are ubiquitous and exert varied ecological and evolutionary pressures on their hosts. Yet, characterising parasite diversity and distributions can be challenging and costly. Leveraging existing data to identify parasites is thus an attractive alternative. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) can generate whole genome sequence (WGS) data which are increasingly freely available in public repositories and represent an untapped resource for characterising parasites affiliated with hosts. In this study, we examine WGS data generated for the silvereye (<em>Zosterops lateralis</em>), to identify endogenous eukaryotic parasites that were inadvertently captured during host sequencing. We compared detection of parasite genera by this approach with detection via 18S metabarcoding. Mining WGS data for parasite DNA revealed the broadest range of genera. Results were verified by traditional microscopy of blood slides and conducting a targeted multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for haemosporidian parasites. Detection of haemosporidians was largely consistent across microscopy, multiplex PCR and WGS data while 18S metabarcoding entirely failed to detect this group of parasites. Our results demonstrate that existing WGS datasets can be used to estimate endoparasite diversity and provide greater insights on diversity than metabarcoding whilst also avoiding the costs and challenges of direct sampling. We provide a framework outlining opportunities and constraints to consider when mining WGS data to identify parasite sequences. The framework particularly stresses the influences of sequencing depth, database completeness, and methodological biases. Our findings demonstrate how repurposing existing WGS data can provide a cost-effective and informative means of unravelling complex host-parasite interactions in future disease ecology studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 8","pages":"Article 104768"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145932802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}