Health threat and ecological function of parasites

doi:10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2025.04.003

Abstract

Abstract:

Along with the ubiquitous parasitic relationship, parasites are widely distributed across all ecological systems in the world. The parasitic behavior of parasites to the host may cause multiple parasitic diseases, posing persistent threats to human and animal health. Meanwhile, as key participants in functional networks of ecosystems, parasites play irreplaceable ecological roles in maintaining the earth’s ecosystem homeostasis through regulating host population dynamics, energy flow and biodiversity. This review analyzes the dual biological role of parasites from perspectives of pathogenic threats and ecological services, and discusses the potential application of interdisciplinary approaches in parasitology and parasitic diseases research under the collaborative framework of “One Health” and “Ecohealth”.

Key words: Parasite, Parasitic disease, One Health, EcoHealth, Zoonosis

CLC Number:

WANG Xu, YIN Jianhai, HAN Shuai, YANG Yang, LI Mengqing, SHEN Yujuan, CAO Jianping. Health threat and ecological function of parasites[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES, 2025, 43(4): 463-468.

References 63

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