Parasitology studies organisms that live on or within a host at the host's expense. From the Plasmodium species causing malaria to soil-transmitted helminths infecting over a billion people, parasitic diseases remain among the greatest global health challenges. Understanding the quantitative dynamics of parasite transmission, burden distribution, and evolution is essential for designing effective control strategies.
These simulations let you explore the fundamental models of parasitology. Track Plasmodium through its erythrocytic cycle, apply the Anderson-May framework to model parasite transmission in populations, examine the characteristically overdispersed distribution of helminth burdens, calculate mosquito vectorial capacity, and observe how drug resistance emerges and spreads under selective pressure from antiparasitic treatment.