Scientists Have Discovered These Deadly Parasites Are Secretly Swapping DNA

Leishmania parasites appear to evolve through widespread genetic exchange, reshaping assumptions about how they adapt and spread. A parasite long thought to spread mostly by cloning itself may be far more genetically dynamic than scientists once believed. A new international study suggests that Leishmania—a group of microscopic parasites responsible for debilitating tropical diseases—regularly swaps genetic [...]