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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Science
Vishwam Sankaran

Tapeworm discovered that makes its host live 10 times longer and prompts them to receive ‘royal treatment’

A tapeworm has been found to reshape ageing and behaviour in worker ants, making the infected live nearly 10 times longer and to adopt queen-like features, a discovery that reveals how parasites may affect longevity.

The worm, Anomotaenia brevis, develops fully in woodpeckers, but ants serve as intermediate hosts.

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