Worms & Parasites Found in the Human Body

Parasites are responsible for the deaths of at least one million people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Countless other millions become infected with disease either directly caused by parasites or brought on by contagion carried by the parasites. Mosquitoes carry malaria which kills at least a million people a year, ticks carry many diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease. These parasites live outside humans but are dependent on them for survival. Other parasites live inside the human body and cause infection and illness from the inside.

Trichomonas

• Trichomonas is a microscopic parasite.

  According to the CDC, Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common parasitic infection in the world, infecting approximately eight million people in North America annually. The organism is a microscopic parasite, which is transmitted sexually. Diagnosis is made either through microscopic examination or culture of fluid samples. Symptoms include foul smelling discharge and painful urination. The parasites are normally easily removed with the use of an antibiotic. All sexual partners must be treated as well. You can be infected with this parasite more than once.

Tapeworm

• Tapeworm infection can come from raw or undercooked fish.

  Humans can be infected with tapeworms in several ways. A very common way is to consume raw or undercooked meat or fish which has the tapeworm cyst (eggs) present. Beef and pork are common culprits, and according to Health in Plain English, a consumer information site, the tapeworm can grow to as much as 25 feet long inside the human intestine. Rodents and dogs can also transmit tapeworms to humans via such carriers as fleas and cockroaches, though these tapeworms will only grow to about 20 inches in length. The dwarf tapeworm is a parasite whose native host is humans, and is transmitted by food contaminated by feces. Tapeworm infestation can cause nausea, exhaustion, vomiting, hunger, and abdominal pain. There is medication available which kills intestinal tapeworms, after which it is evacuated from the body along with bowel movements.

Guinea Worm

• People get guinea worm from drinking contaminated water.

  The guinea worm is a common parasite in certain parts of the world, most notably in Africa. People get infected when they drink water containing a tiny aquatic flea which is harboring the parasite's larva. The worms take about a year to through the wall of the intestine, mature, and mate. The males then die and the females grow to about 3 feet long as they migrate inside the body to a place near the surface of the skin, usually on a person's legs. Once there guinea worms cause painful, blister-like swellings. Infected people go into the water to try to relieve the pain. The swellings burst, releasing millions of tiny larvae into the water to begin the cycle again.