The Secret Lives of Parasites

Their reputation is as bad as it gets. Disgusting, creepy, they can cause real harm and live at the expense of others. But what if some parasites are much better than their reputation suggests?

Research is now being carried out all over the world which shows that parasites can actually help both humans and nature. Professor Hübener from the German Centre for Infection Research is investigating how infection with certain parasites can protect against other diseases. In China, biological pest control, such as using parasitic wasps, has long been used to protect food production. And when it comes to monitoring biodiversity in hard-to-reach habitats, a parasite is a real secret weapon – the blood meals of leeches enable researchers to investigate which species are actually present in a particular area.