Parasitic Infections On the Rise in US

Illnesses that are caused by parasites were once thought to be mainly a problem affecting poor and underdeveloped nations, especially in tropical locations. However, research indicates that the number of infections in this country caused by tapeworms, roundworms, and other parasites has increased significantly.

In addition to causing intestinal discomfort and destroying the permeability of the colon, parasites can lead to even more serious complications such as malnutrition, fatigue, high blood pressure, neurological disorders, respiratory conditions such as asthma, and in severe cases even death. Parasites choose to take up residence in many different areas of the body. Some favor the area of the digestive tract, while specific flukes flourish in the tissues of the lungs. Other parasites, such as the pig tapeworm (taenia solium), gravitate to the brain to live and reproduce. Human parasites can enter the body in four different ways: Consuming infected food or water; sexual contact with an infected person; contact with contaminated water through drinking, bathing or swimming; or from the bite of an infected agent (such as a mosquito). Once inside the body, parasites multiply, migrate, and proceed through their life cycles, potentially causing damage to different bodily systems. Parasites may actually be present in the body without being detected for months or years, triggering damage that can result in mild conditions such as digestive disturbances, allergies, colds, and flu.

In the US, however, the main way these parasites are introduced into the body is through eating undercooked and improperly handled pork, beef, or fish. If you do choose to eat meat or fish, be certain that these foods are adequately prepared.

It is also a good idea to make use of a quality parasitic cleanse to make sure that your system is free of any potential contaminants. Performing a parasite cleanse at least two times per year is highly recommended. Between parasite cleanses, the following preventative measures can be taken: Frequent and thorough hand washing with warm water and soap; cooking foods thoroughly and at correct temperatures; becoming familiar with your source of water for drinking and bathing (make sure it is clean and pure); wearing shoes when outside; and thoroughly washing all produce and meat before eating or cooking.


Worms infect more U.S. poor than thought
Many carry same parasitic infections that affect developing nations
Reuters

WASHINGTON - Roundworms may infect close to a quarter of inner city black children, tapeworms are the leading cause of seizures among U.S. Hispanics and other parasitic diseases associated with poor countries are also affecting Americans, a U.S. expert said on Tuesday.

Recent studies show many of the poorest Americans living in the United States carry some of the same parasitic infections that affect the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a tropical disease expert at George Washington University and editor-in-chief of the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Writing in the journal, Hotez said these parasitic infections had been ignored by most health experts in the United States.

'I feel strongly that this is such an important health issue and yet because it only affects the poor it has been ignored,' Hotez said via e-mail.

He said the United States spent hundreds of millions of dollars to defend against bio-terrorism threats like anthrax or smallpox or avian flu, which were more a theoretical concern than a real threat at present.

'And yet we have a devastating parasitic disease burden among the American poor, right under our nose,' Hotez said.

Roundworms link to asthma

He noted a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented in November, found that almost 14 percent of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara roundworms, which dogs and cats can pass to people.

'Urban playgrounds in the United States have recently been shown to be a particularly rich source of Toxocara eggs and inner-city children are at high risk of acquiring the infection,' Hotez wrote, adding that this might be partly behind the rise in asthma cases in the country. Up to 23 percent of urban black children may be infected, he said.

'Because of its possible links to asthma, it would be important to determine whether covert toxocariasis is a basis for the rise of asthma among inner-city children in the northeastern United States,' he added.

'Cysticercosis is another very serious parasitic worm infection ... caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, that results in seizures and other neurological manifestations,' Hotez wrote.

He said up to 2,000 new cases of neurological disease caused by tapeworms are diagnosed every year in the United States. More than 2 percent of adult Latinos may be infected, and with 35 million Hispanics in the United States, this could add up to tens of thousands of cases, Hotez said.

'In the hospitals of Los Angeles, California, neurocysticercosis currently accounts for 10 percent of all seizures presenting to some emergency departments,' he wrote.

'We need to begin erasing these horrific health disparities,' Hotez wrote in the paper.

Copyright 2007 Reuters.

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