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Slide Show: Worms 'R Us
Worms have been living inside the human body since Homo sapiens have been around. About half the world's population (over 3 billion people) are in infected with at least one of the three worms forming what Columbia University parasitologist Dickson Despommier calls the "unholy trinity"—large roundworm, hookworm and whipworm. Most of those afflicted live in developing countries, where there is not enough clean drinking water or effective sanitation systems to keep infected feces from contaminating food and water, and where human excrement is used to fertilize crops. The most prolific parasitic worm in the U.S. and European Union: the pinworm, which is most common during childhood.
Despommier kindly lent ScientificAmerican.com images of the unholy trinity and their worm relatives, which also appear in his book Parasitic Diseases. As you browse through these slides, please remember that all of these infections are treatable.
Slide Show: Worms 'N Us
Note (2/6/09): Two of our readers, froynlaven and Nathaniel, pointed out that this slide show might need a warning. So be advised, some of the images are graphic depictions of medical conditions.
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26 Comments
Add CommentI agree, the prolapsed rectum image could have had some warning... granted, I couldn't even figure out what it was until I read the associated text. While I'm not offended by stuff like this, there are many who are. I simply suggest you cover your butts, and cover that butt.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a scientific article, if you 'ladies' can't handle the heat stay outta the kitchen. A prolapsed rectum is actually interesting to anyone who may have never seen one. You can't claim to be 'country' unless you've have been 'wormed'. I still wonder whom I got pinworms from when I was a child.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSA also caters to a non-science audience, so lay off the arrogant elitism, you just come across as a jerk.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey have, click the links.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHmmm.... this is reason 1024 arguing in favor of effective family planning and long-term contraception: almost HALF of the worlds population is chronically harboring parasitic helminths.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHumans continue to use and abuse the environment to their own detriment... largely due to unchecked reproduction.
MANY illnesses are traceable to lack of sanitation and proper nutrition... basic shelter... etc.
The answer is planned parenthood and restraint... education... sustainability.... otherwised, humanity is doomed to remain like lab rats on the wheel of misery and misfortune until the next pandemic this our dimwitted herd.
Nature will always have the last word in this dialogue.
@Spin-oza
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile I understand your sentiment, let me provide another perspective. According to current estimates, the Sun will obliterate all life on Earth in approximately 5-10 billion years. Of course, these are early estimates, but they will be refined over time.
Having said that, human life, which is merely a small part of the broad spectrum of life on Earth, is Earth's *only* chance of propagating terrestrial life past the Red Giant stage in solar evolution. As we approach a terrestrial God-like state on Earth, we become both the creator and destroyer.
Human life on Earth is arbitrarily grouped by geographic location, one no better than the other. Each group continues to propagate because they have adapted to rigors of the environment and have evolved cultures that increase their likelihood of propagation. Any of these groups that begins to adopt a culture of existential guilt will inevitably wane in relation to other groups.
As a member of a group arbitrarily defined as "Western", I chose to hold my group in high regard, not because of genetic differences, but because of the vast knowledge on life and the cosmos that we have unlocked through Science. While people elsewhere are satisfied with an Earthly existence, we chose to push the boundaries of life past the Earth.
It is our duty to propagate guilt-free, and be fully aware of the vast potential benefit our species has for Earthly life.
Given where these worms live, wouldn't they be better described as a 'holey trinity' ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI beleive there is some work going on which links the apparent drop in effectiveness of the human immune system to the absence of these worms. It appears that they may have a symbiotic function in protecting us and extracts of hookworms have been shown to increase our resistance to some disease. I beleive the theory goes that we have been infected for so many years, as a species, that we have dropped some of our immune functions and handed them over to worms - rather like the production of some B vitamins by gut bacteria. FWIW
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExcellent book about tropical diseases called - "M.D." It's about a doctor in New York City who had treated patients, usually recently-arrived from tropical/semi-tropical regions. Fascinating book...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispeddamat: I love you (non-sexually)! Your comment reflects my own perspective on this very issue. The only thing (albeit trivially deducible) to add: unfortunately, it is the advanced group(s) that can help terrestial life the most that have been having the biggest decrease in population (both relatively and, sometimes, absolutely).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe magnitude of the horrors of WW2 has guilted Western populations into blind acceptance that is often indistinguishable from self-hatred. That is, some of those same qualities that make that group so highly regarded, also make it slowly disappear.
Why worry about all of these people. They are contributing to Global Warming and are the parasites of the world. There are too many of them. Let them die, sterilize them and wait for them to become extinct. That way all of the cafe-Latte sipping Global Warming Enviornmentalists can live in their "Special" world and won't have to tolerate the "non-believers".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey are ze "New Order"
all these worms, their pictures, the description and graphic results--and not one mention of both parties shelling out a $Trillion in free*money and yet calling the other's "pork."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTalk about worms. All of 'em.
I've been trawling the internet for photos of worms as I found something when wiping my two year old's bottom. It just looked like a 3 inch long thin and flat carrot peeling, but I can't imagine he'd eaten one, let alone it making its way all the way through his digestive tract. Any idea if it was a worm?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHaving been diagnosed with worms after 6 months of symptoms such as GI bleed, ulcers, etc....and now free of the little 'hitchhikers', this presentation is a good reminder to health care providers to look further when a patient has traveled out of the country. I was fortunate that my doctor kept looking and only with the help of the video endoscopy (small capsule camera swallowed to view the small intestine) did we find the little buggers. All other tests were negative.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHaving recently been diagnosed and treated for worms obtained while traveling in Nigeria, this article is a great reminder that we can get these little creatures. I had symptoms for 6 months before we could figure out why I was sick...all tests were negative except the capsule (video) endoscopy which took pictures of the 'hitchhikers' in my jejunum. I would love to see links on diagnosis and treatment or maybe an article on this topic. So many of us travel out of the country these days!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am thankful that this information is now public. The belief that Americans do not have parasites is a potentially fatal thinking, aka, MDs treat the symptoms rather than treating the cause which could result in the politically incorrect "C" word (CURE - God forbid!!) Knowledge is a protection. Therapies are available to irradicate pathogens and education is also available to enable us to maintain our own personal clean environment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow does one determine if they have parasites? Is there blood or stool testing that determines what type, greatness of infestation and location in the body? If so, what are the test called? I frown on just taking something blindly out of fear.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is live blood cell test, and dried blood cell test that I know of. Probably other laboratory tests. I like to use kinesiology testing. An experienced practitioner finds accurate answers. This can be done in person or with dna specimens e.g., hair tags, saliva, or blood samples.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi JUST KILLED A 10 FT TAPE WORM WITH...IT WAS BITING THE HELL OUT OF MY LEG FOR 4 DAYS! I THOUGHT I WAS DYING. EVEN TYLENOL WITH CODENE DIDNT HELP
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI JUST KILLED A 10 FT TAPE WORM WITH...IT WAS BITING THE HELL OUT OF ME FOR 4 DAYS, THOUGHT I WAS DYING. EVEN CODENE DIDN'T GET RID OF THE PAIN.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the top 5 reasons against intelligent design . "click to enlarge"? No, I was satisfied with the standard resolution.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBlack Walnut Hull is part of an Herbal Parasite Cleanse along with Cloves and Wormwood. The three used together are found in herbal books to kill the 3 stages of parasites: eggs, babies, and adult parasites. Dr. Hulda Clark has written several books about disease and suggests all adults start with the Herbal Parasite Cleanse just to boost the immune system from any critters taxing our system. Her books are free PDF and MP3 audio eBooks at: http://HuldaClark.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAny health food store sells a number of remedies for worms and other parasites. People would be smart to undergo an antiparasitic treatment every 6 months or so, because it's so easy to become infected. All it takes is a bite of an improperly washed fruit, some gefilte fish made with whitefish from the Great Lakes region, a BBQ rib that is slightly underdone ... you get the picture. And don't make the mistake of thinking that all parasites are big, visible worms. Sometimes the very small, cellular parasites can be the most dangerous. Fight all of them!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisInteresting comment in favor of human reproduction reduction. If parasites are so horrible that we must reduce our species in favor of eradicating the pests, then the same reasoning should hold for all animals and some plants as well. Using the number 1000-whatever reason, why should it not apply to all parasitic hosts? Let's be fair and not just single out the human species for a reduction in numbers if parasite genocide is the goal. Simple logic would dictate this, especially if all earth species are to be considered equal. And if no earth species is more important than another, why are we trying to eradicate parasites in the first place? Let's make sure they don't end up on any "endangered species" lists...let's ALL give them a home. :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think your right about the only hope for terrestrial survival bit mate. But go forth and multiply is not the way to go... it creates a strain on resources of every kind. If there were less people the natural resources would not need to provide for so many. The farm that is in desperate need of fertilizer to produce so much food would not be necessary, it could be smaller and they would not need to use the fertilizer at all.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust a side note for unksoldr: Calling people 'ladies' as an insult demonstrates ignorance, because it is not insulting to be a lady. Choose your words wisely.
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