33.33 per cent parasites species to disappear in next 50 years

New Delhi : If researchers are to be believed then Earth must get itself ready to face major disaster as one-third of the total parasites are likely to disappear by 2070. 

With climate change playing a major part, a new global analysis report claims that 33.33 percent of parasites will extinct in next 50 years.

Parasites including tapeworms, roundworms, ticks, lice and fleas may harm humans but they also play a vital role in maintaining balance in ecosystem. They help control wildlife populations and maintain the flow of energy through food chains.  The decline in parasite population could dramatically upset the balance of natural ecosystems.

“Having parasites is a good indicator that the ecosystem has been stable,” said Anna J. Phillips, a research zoologist and curator at Smithsonian Institute. “It means the system has a diversity of animals in it and that conditions have been consistent long enough for these complex associations to develop.”

During their study to learn climate change effects over parasites population, the researchers found that 457 parasite species will be impacted by changes in climate under various scenarios. Overall, more than a third of world parasites could be lost by 2070.