The word parasite comes from the Greek word para meaning ‘beside’ and sitos meaning ‘food.’ A parasite is any organism that derives its food, nutrition and shelter by living in or on another organism.
Circulated worldwide, the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) reported in 1984 that more than
one-half of the 8.3 billion people on Earth were infected with parasitic
disease. Parasites generally live and breed in the mucous layers of the
body – there are over 100 kinds of parasites that can live in the human
body.
All parasites generally prevent the
absorption of nutrients from food and irritate the intestinal lining
while entering the bloodstream, and causing toxicity in the body
tissues.
In November 1993 the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) reported that parasites in the
US affect millions of Americans. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
estimates that between 100,000 and 1,000.000 cases of Giardia lamblia
occur each year. In the Spring of 1993, 100 people died and 400,000
became seriously ill because of contamination of the water supply in
Milwaukee by the parasite Cryptosporidium. A nationwide survey by the
CDC in 1976 estimated that one in every six people, selected at random,
had one or more parasites.
One person can pass millions of Giardia
lamblia cysts each day, and most infections probably result from
ingestion of water or food contaminated with human sewage. Open sewers
in city streets and contamination of drinking water with this sewage
undoubtedly results in many infections.
Many cases of ‘travelers’ diarrhoea’ are
caused by Giardia. Even in developed countries potable (drinking) water
can be contaminated with small amounts of sewage, especially when
septic systems are built too close to wells. Thus, it is not surprising
that G. lamblia is found throughout the world.
Parasitic infections cause a tremendous
burden of disease in both the tropics and subtropics as well as in more
temperate climates. Of all parasitic diseases, malaria causes the most
deaths globally. Malaria[2] kills approximately 1 million people each
year, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nasty consequences!
Some parasitic worms have the ability to
fool our bodies into thinking that they are a normal part of the
tissues and organs – this tricks the immune system and prevents it from
attacking these intruders. When parasites are established in our bodies,
they do several things.
Some worm infections can cause physical
trauma by perforating (burrowing) into the intestines, the circulatory
system, the lungs, the liver and many other organs – this will make
organs and tissues look like Emmental Cheese!
They can block and damage certain organs
by lumping together into balls – which can be mistaken for cancer
tumours – they will travel into the brain, heart, lungs and other
organs.
They absorb nutrients such as vitamins
and minerals; and amino acids needed for digestion. This can often lead
to anaemia and cause drowsiness after meals.
They excrete metabolic waste products (toxic waste) that poison our bodies. This particular condition is called Verminous Intoxification.
This can overburden our detoxification systems leading to an
accumulation of toxins that could open the door to more serious disease.
Parasites can severely depress the
immune system, opening more doors to the development of further
degeneration, fatigue and illness.
Parasites can destroy tissues and organs much faster than they can regenerate, leading to degeneration.
So who are these uninvited ‘guests?’
Just briefly, let us examine some of the
more common parasites found in humans in order to get some idea of what
we are up against. By no means is this a comprehensive coverage of the
subject, just a brief glimpse into this fascinating world that lives
inside most of us.
Parasites that live inside the body of the host are called endoparasites (e.g. hookworms, that live in the host's gut), and those that live on the outside are called ectoparasites (e.g. fleas and mites).
Categories of parasites
Parasites are generally separated into different categories or groups as follows:
- Nematodes (Nematoda) include roundworms, pinworms and hookworms.
- Protozoa are single-celled organisms that include Toxoplasma, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and amoeba.
- Tapeworms (Cestoda).
- Flukes (Trematoda).
The most common gastrointestinal parasites are roundworms, pinworms and tapeworms.
WORMS - Roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides)
Roundworms[4] are the most common
intestinal parasites in the world – they are more prevalent in tropical
and subtropical areas, especially in Asian countries which practice crop
fertilization with ‘night soil’ (raw human sewage). About 1 billion
people are currently infected with this organism. This creature is
spread directly to humans from soil or from food
contaminated with faeces. Children are very prone to roundworm
infection. These worms are mobile and can travel up into the liver,
heart and lungs, growing up to 35 cm in length.
People with this infection suffer from malnutrition due to competition for food and the inhibition of absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; as well as diseases such as pneumonia, jaundice and seizures. Roundworms are diagnosed when their eggs are found in a stool specimen.
People with this infection suffer from malnutrition due to competition for food and the inhibition of absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; as well as diseases such as pneumonia, jaundice and seizures. Roundworms are diagnosed when their eggs are found in a stool specimen.
Pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis)
This is one of the most common parasitic
worms found in the Western, Industrialized World, and is particularly
common in children. It is estimated that pinworms infect more than 10%
of the population of North America and Europe. Pinworm infestation is
picked up through contact with contaminated food, water, house dust, as
well as through human contact.
Adult pinworms live in the large
intestine (colon) and after copulation the male dies. The female moves
outside the anus and lays her eggs on the perianal skin (a single female
can produce more than 10,000 eggs), and they are then transferred from
the itching anal area to the mouth. After laying the eggs the female
also dies. In one month the egg has grown to a sexually mature worm.
Pinworms can quickly transmit to the
entire family through the bathtub, toilet and bed clothes. Perianal
itching is the most common symptom. A ten-year study of 2,000 cases of
pinworm in children linked seemingly unrelated symptoms, i.e. epilepsy,
hyperactivity and visual problems.
People infected with pinworms:
- can be asymptomatic
- can have mild gastrointestinal upsets
- suffer from perianal itching
- may have behavioural changes
- can be restless and irritable
- can suffer with insomnia
- in women the pinworms can enter the vagina and cause additional irritation.
Pinworms are HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. The eggs
are infective within a few hours of being laid and can infest bed
linen, clothing, carpets, hands and can cause nail biting.
