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Parasitism

Parasitism can affect the way in which animals forage. For an organism to counteract the procurement of a parasite, they may display avoidance towards certain areas where parasites have previously been discovered. This avoidance behavior is a trade-off mechanism where the loss of time and energy in avoiding food patches is traded with the decrease in risk of contracting a parasite. Adaptations in diet also help in the prevention of parasitic infection. By avoiding foods that have high potential for parasitic contamination, as well as including food items that contain anti-parasitic properties in the diet. These anti-parasitic properties can be used in a self-medicating way, either prophylactically or therapeutically.