Italy observed the largest outbreak of locally acquired dengue ever recorded in mainland Europe during 2024 with almost 300 cases. Researchers have now analysed the outbreak to better understand how dengue virus might spread in European settings.

In Asakura, the river follows the past. Long before modern science, villagers reshaped the land. Researchers are now learning how those systems still work, collaborating with local communities to manage rivers and prevent disasters while preserving biodiversity.

New research reveals the unusual shape, size and pattern of the dermal denticles that cover basking sharks – thought to be unique to this species. Researchers propose that the shape and arrangement of the skin’s scales protects the skin while also allowing for the stretchiness required to open and close their colossal mouths during ram filter feeding.

Kyoto, Japan -- In the late 1990s in the Ajimu region of Japan's Oita prefecture, researchers discovered three fossilized vertebrae belonging to the Cryptobranchidae family of giant salamander. These were embedded in the Tsubusugawa Formation, Pliocene-era strata of lake deposits dating back approximately 3.5 million years. The strata have also yielded fossils of animals that no longer roam Japan, such as elephants and crocodiles, revealing a glimpse of an era much warmer and humid than Japan's current climate.

Researchers originally assigned the three Ajimu specimens to the genus Andrias, which includes the world's largest living amphibians, but at the time, a lack of comparative specimens and research prevented their precise taxonomic identification. Now, more than two decades later, a new research team at Kyoto University has succeeded in shedding more light on these mysterious fossils.

After comparing the Ajimu specimens to the skeletons of extant Cryptobranchidae species, the team found that the three fossils belonged to an anterior trunk vertebra, a mid-trunk vertebra, and a sacro-caudal vertebra. Further comparisons revealed that the mid-trunk vertebra possessed unique morphological characteristics not seen in other Cryptobranchidae species. This led the researchers to conclude that the Ajimu specimens represent a new species and genus.

Dr. Guilherme Verocai, an associate professor and director of the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, offers guidance for how owners can identify, prevent and manage the parasite.

More than half of sampled free-roaming cats in NYC are infected with zoonotic parasites, with young male cats acting as 'super-shedders' of roundworm (Toxocara) eggs, highlighting public health risks

Gray wolves in California predominantly eat cattle, followed by mule deer and small mammals, suggesting coexistence of wolves and humans may pose considerable challenges