Scientists have long known that changes in temperature can affect the risks and spread of infectious diseases by altering the biology and behavior of pathogens and their hosts, from butterflies to people. And evidence that climate change can exacerbate more than half of known human pathogenic diseases has underscored the urgency of understanding how extreme heat shapes disease outcomes.

Now, new research from scientists at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland suggests that heat waves can dramatically alter a parasite’s numbers and ability to cause disease in unpredictable ways.

Temperature fluctuations have complex effects on hosts, parasites and their interactions. For example, elevated ocean temperatures can reduce the ability of corals to fight infection while increasing the virulence of

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