Multiple types of parasitic worms can be passed from dogs to humans, including roundworms and hookworms. Practicing good hygiene is the best way to prevent worms from spreading. If you suspect your ...

Have you ever been out on a walk, and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish of poop under your foot? It’s not just gross. Beyond the mess and the smell, it’s potentially infectious.

River otters are unequivocally cute. But their eating habits are not so adorable. Most animals—humans included—separate the place where they defecate from the place where they eat. But river otters ...

Haupt is a health and wellness editor at TIME. Haupt is a health and wellness editor at TIME. There are more parasites than any other organism on Earth—which is one of the reasons Emmitt Jolly finds ...

Male fertility is on a decline worldwide—and cat poop might have something to do with it. New research suggests that Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite spread primarily through infected cat feces, ...

The fossilized feces contained four species of parasitic worms: the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), the tapeworm (Taenia sp.), and the Chinese liver fluke ...

A parasite that is most widely known for its existence in cat feces could be a delivery system for proteins that target neurological disorders, a new study has found. Researchers successfully targeted ...

Experts warn that sleeping with your cat may increase the risk of toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can infect humans without ...

DNA within dried feces dating from more than 1,000 years ago provides valuable insights into the pathogens that plagued ancient Mexican peoples, according to a study published October 22, 2025 in the ...

North American river otters eat, play and defecate in the same place. And their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment. Kristen Goodhue A North ...

Three North American river otters play in the snow on the docks of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Detected with SERC’s night-vision wildlife cameras. North American river otters have ...