President Obama waves as he boards Air Force One after the closing ceremony of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. World, meet Baracktrema obamai, a deadly turtle pathogen named in honor of our current president. Though most people (understandably) aren't big parasite fans, Platt has a deep respect for the resilient little creatures. [To save Darwin's finches from devastation, scientists breed hordes of blood-sucking maggots]Platt's research also revealed that the worm is a relative of members of the genus Unicaecum, another turtle parasite. Understanding Baracktrema obamai's relationship to Unicaecum can help scientists understand the evolutionary history of these parasitic diseases, Platt and his colleagues write.

Source: Washington Post September 09, 2016 15:50 UTC