Five dangerous parasites

Where is it performing? Globally. How big is it? The mature specimen is 4 meters long. What does it trigger? Digestive problems, nerve damage. The tapeworm is a well-known, but therefore no less dangerous parasite. The very awareness that a worm, several meters long, can settle in the human digestive tract causes disgust. In order for it to develop there, a person must consume eggs with miniature larvae of the parasite. They can be caught by eating infected pork, but also by swallowing it with water. In the stomach, the eggs are acted on by the digestive juices that release the larvae. These pass through the walls of the intestine into the bloodstream and begin to spread throughout the body. Most often they nest in the muscles, eyes and brain. In the place where they catch, they produce a cyst about a centimeter long around them, which can survive in this form for up to several years. Cysts are dangerous to health.

Where is it performing? In most of the world’s seas and oceans. How big is it? Approx. 3 centimeters. What does it trigger? Digestive problems, allergies. Do you like sushi or matias in brine? If so, watch out for the herring worm. This type of roundworm lives in the intestines of fish and marine mammals, and although humans do not carry it, they can become infected. Already a few hours after infection, the larvae try to leave our digestive tract through the walls of the stomach or intestines. Nature, however (fortunately) did not give them this ability, so they gradually die. However, this does not happen immediately, because the herring worm protects against our stomach acid by a special enzyme. The human body responds to infection with this parasite with a very strong defensive reaction, manifested by vomiting, diarrhea and painful convulsions in the abdomen. The substances that the worm releases by throwing around in our intestines are also a problem. Most of them are strong allergens. A rash or conjunctivitis may therefore be associated with diarrhea. Medicines usually help with such symptoms, but for complications, the intervention of a surgeon is necessary.

Where is it performing? South America, Asia. How big is it? 10-18 mm. What does it trigger? It sucks blood in the intestines. What a hookworm really is will be known to anyone who sees it under a microscope. Its head is formed by a huge mouth with pointed teeth. The parasite has one purpose – to grasp the intestinal wall in order to be able to comfortably suck the blood of its host. However, the real horror starts earlier. The larvae of this worm develop from eggs on moist soil, and to become infected, it is enough to step on them with a bare foot. The larva drills through the skin of the foot and gnaws through the body to the intestines. The parasite is hungry all the time and its appetite is still unsatisfied. The miniature specter in the gut can lead to severe anemia and even death. In addition, the infected suffers from severe vomiting and diarrhea. The hookworm is one of the most common parasites in the world, it is estimated that over 740 million people are currently infected with it. Fortunately, there are a number of medications against contagion. One hookworm can drink as much as 0,1 ml of blood a day. Thus, when infected with a thousand individuals, a person can lose up to a liter of blood a day. Also, a lower number of parasites can cause a significant loss of blood – about 30 ml per day.

Where is it performing? Globally. How big is it? Up to 2 mm. What does it trigger? Digestive problems, nerve damage. This parasite is really dangerous. And although it reproduces only in the insides of raccoons, it can attack many other species of animals, including humans. Female roundworms can lay as many as 150 eggs a day, which escape along with raccoon’s faeces, and after a few weeks become a source of serious infection. If the eggs enter the human stomach, they will develop into larvae that will infect the human brain after three days. Why are they just attacking the brain? Well, the larvae want to get back into the raccoon’s intestines, so they try to paralyze the new host so that the raccoon can hunt it more easily. The larvae can seriously damage the brain and lead to death. In treatment, the problem is that the drugs destroy the larvae in the digestive tract while their effect is weaker elsewhere in the body. Parasite eggs are very hardy and ordinary cleaning agents will not kill them.

Where is it performing? Africa. How big is it? Up to 1 meter. What does it trigger? It lives in the muscles under the skin. Imagine that a one-meter-long worm has been living under the skin on your leg for several months. The only way to get rid of it is with surgery. There is also a traditional method, but it also gives you chills … You can get infected quite easily – just drink contaminated water. The larvae undergo sexual reproduction in our stomach. Then the males die and the females begin their path through the body. About a year, the parasite travels through the muscles and tissues to the subcutaneous layer, most often on the arms or legs. Then an ulcer appears on the limbs, which bursts when it comes into contact with water. The female must expose a fragment of her body to be able to lay new eggs in the water. This is where the traditional method can be applied. Unfortunately, it is quite unpleasant – you have to catch the worm and gradually remove it from the body. Since the threadworm can only be ejected about 2 cm a day, it is not an easy procedure. A meter long worm nestles under the skin, and if it cannot be surgically removed, you have to pull it out yourself. Only 2 centimeters of threadworm can be ejected daily. A close relative of the hypodermic threadworm, the human threadworm causes swelling and deformation of the limbs and genital organs. Its larvae are transmitted by tropical mosquitoes, and mature individuals in the human body attack the vessels and lymph nodes. In doing so, they cause a disease called elephantiasis.