Parasitic diseases are most common in developing countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world (Figure 3). These places are often hot and humid, conditions which are suitable for the growth of many parasites.
Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia have the highest incidence of these intestinal worms. Globally, an estimated 4–28% of children have pinworm infections.
Giardia is arguably the most common parasite infection of humans worldwide, and the second most common in the United States after pin-worm. Between 1992 and 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that more than 2.5 million cases of giardiasis occur annually.
You can get them from contaminated food or water, a bug bite, or sexual contact. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not. Parasites range in size from tiny, one-celled organisms called protozoa to worms that can be seen with the naked eye. Some parasitic diseases occur in the United States.
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.
It is estimated that around 80% of both adults and children have parasites in their gut. People can be infected with these parasites in a number of ways. The most common route is through the faecal oral route.
Infections caused by intestinal parasites are widespread causing significant problems in individuals and public health, particularly in developing countries, with a prevalence rate of 30-60.0% [1].
Parasitic infections affect millions around the world causing seizures, blindness, infertility, heart failure, and even death,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “They're more common in the US than people realize and yet there is so much we don't know about them.
Once a person is infected with a parasite, it's very easy to pass it along. If you have a parasite and don't wash your hands after using the restroom, you can easily pass microscopic parasite eggs onto anything you touch: the bathroom door handle, salt shaker, your phone or anyone you touch.
“We know that parasitic worm infections occur more frequently in less developed countries, in places where allergies are rare. Although it's been suggested that worm infections could prevent allergy, there has been little concrete evidence of the potential molecular mechanisms that might mediate any such relationship.”
Dioctophyme (=Dioctophyma) renale, the giant kidney worm, is the largest known parasitic nematode infecting humans — adult females can reach over one meter in length. The genus has been spelled as both “Dioctophyma” and “Dioctophyme”.
Thanks in part to modern plumbing, people in the industrialized world have now lost almost all of their worms, with the exception of occasional pinworms in some children. Intestinal worms are properly called “helminths,” which most dictionaries will tell you are parasites.
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic worms. Although the worms that cause schistosomiasis are not found in the United States, people are infected worldwide. In terms of impact this disease is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease.
Both the tapeworm infection, also known as taeniasis, and cysticercosis occur globally. The highest rates of infection are found in areas of Latin America, Asia, and Africa that have poor sanitation and free-ranging pigs that have access to human feces.
Should You Be Worried? “While it is widely acknowledged that infections with some parasites can cause significant complications, not all parasites are cause for concern. Some symptoms caused by parasites can clear up on their own, and individuals with a healthy immune system may not experience any symptoms.
Some parasitic infections disappear on their own, especially if your immune system is healthy and you eat a balanced diet. For parasites that don't go away on their own, your doctor will generally prescribe oral medication. This treatment is generally effective and proven to work.
Eat more raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets, and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system.
Small children often play in dirt, and infection can occur if they put their dirty fingers in their mouths. Unwashed fruits or vegetables grown in contaminated soil also can transmit the ascariasis eggs.
Key points for preventing parasite-induced food poisoning
Thoroughly wash raw vegetables in running water before cooking or eating them. Thoroughly freeze or cook seafood and meats. Do not eat wild boar, bear, or reptile meat raw.
These parasites can spread through contaminated food and water, person-to-person contact, and insect bites. Protozoa include Plasmodium malariae, which causes malaria infection, and Cryptosporidium, which is ingestible. Helminths: Helminths are parasitic worms that often root in a person's digestive tract.
It's estimated that around 40 percent of animal species are parasites. Forget elephants, hummingbirds, whales, and tortoises—pick a random animal, and it's far more likely to be a blood-sucker, disease-carrier, host-castrator, or flesh-devourer.
Deworming is not always necessary, but is recommended for children who live in endemic areas once a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is over 20% and twice a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is 50%.
Parasitic infections, as unpleasant as they sound, are much more common than you think. Often, they are to blame for the various health issues we suffer from. From digestive issues to post-traumatic stress disorder, a parasitic infection can affect your physical and mental health.