It's not every day that people are given the honor of offering their name for new species. But of all things to be named after, President Barack Obama's name has been chosen to identify a newly discovered parasite. But, it's nothing to be alarmed about; it's actually considered an honor.
ABC News mentions that the exact name of the creature is Baracktrema obamai, a parasitic flatworm that infects and lives in turtles, particularly those residing in Malaysia. It's a 2 inches in length and the body is basically as thin as a strand of hair.
American Parasitologist Thomas Platt is actually the one responsible in naming the parasite, among the 30 plus species he has named. Some of the previous species he gave names for were named after his father-in-law, his doctorate adviser, and basically those he holds great respect for. In the case of the Baracktrema obamai, it reminded Platt of the President, being long, thing, and "cool as hell."
Platt also mentioned that the parasitic species are also "phenomenally incredibly resilient organisms," in which he holds them "awe and with phenomenal respect."
Of course the role of the parasite is to feed off nutrients of its host. With that fact, they also have a bad reputation, especially with humans. According to PR Web, Platt mentions that this flatworm is a distant relative of the species that can cause a dangerous disease called schistosomiasis to humans, especially to those in developing country. The Baracktrema obamai, however, isn't harmful to turtles.
In contrast to that, "Journal of Parasitology" editor and Rutgers biologist Michael Sukhedo mentioned that parasites are actually "crucial" to everything in life. According to him, 7 out of 10 species of animals are considered parasites. Additionally, Sukhedo mentions that parasites are "cool."
