Ian
priscilla 1Terrifying Parasites
August 23rd 2010 04:37
Common symptoms of a parasite infection include constipation, diarrhoea, gas and bloating, joint aches, chronic fatigue, excessive hunger, and immune dysfunction. But it can get even worse than this, as reported on CBSNews, here are some of the most horrifying parasites ever. Read the full article here.
Brown and about the size of an apple seed, Cimex lentacularius hides during the day and comes out at night, (shown piercing the skin of its host and drinking its fill. The bites don't spread disease but leave red, itchy welts. Bedbugs are so hard to exterminate that some people simply throw out their furniture, clothing, and bedding.
Botflies aren't easily confused with common houseflies - they're hairy and about twice as big. They lay their eggs on a mosquito, which then lands on a person. Once hatched, the larvae invade the skin of the unlucky host. The babies proceed to eat their way to the muscle, leaving a sore around the breathing hole they make in the skin. Here's the truly disturbing part: Infected people report being able to feel and even hear the maggots moving about. Surgery is often necessary to remove the organisms.
If you're planning a vacation to South America, the Middle East, southern Europe or any of the 88 countries where sand flies like to hang, don't forget the insect repellent. Small and silent, the female sand fly can transmit a parasite that causes leishmaniasis. The bite is so small you might not even know you've been bitten - at first. There are two ways to get sick. Cutaneous leishmaniasis causes severe skin sores, while visceral leishmaniasis attacks the internal organs. You'll know you have the skin kind within a few weeks or months of being bitten. If you get the kind that attacks your insides, it can be months or even years.
Planning a stay-cation? Don't be lulled into a sense of false security. Make sure you cook your BBQ thoroughly so you don't end up feeding your loved ones a side of tapeworm. Tapeworms attach to the intestinal wall, where they feed on nutrients from digested food. Tapeworms are looong. Typically, they grow to about nine to 15 feet, though some reach 50 feet. Often the host doesn't even know it's there until the worm gets really big. Expect the symptoms, if you have any, to be flu-like: headache, nausea, stomach cramps.
Lucky you, you have tickets to the tropics! But watch for mosquitoes. Some females can inject you with the malaria parasite, which takes up residence in the liver. Left untreated, the parasites multiply in red blood cells. At best you'll feel like you have a bad cold. Worst-case scenario? Coma and even death.
Read more: Really Long Link
Bedbugs
Botfly
Sandfly
Tapeworm
Malaria
Read more: Really Long Link
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