When you're just a tiny parasite trying to make your way in the world, a few tricks that let you sneak into other organisms undetected are always helpful.

The water-borne parasitic worm (or helminth) Schistosoma mansoni has a particularly insidious lifestyle. Its larvae penetrate the skin of a host, crawling inside to the warm, moist interior of the host body, where it can grow and reproduce.

What's surprising is that this penetration causes no pain or itching, allowing it to enter undetected and cause schistosomiasis ; a chronic parasitic disease that affects hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Related: Parasites May Be Hijacking Evolution on Planet Earth

Now, scientists have figured out exactly how this little worm manages to dodge the body's defenses. It produc

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