Unlike most parasitic worms, which invade the body through the stomach , hookworm larvae can wiggle in through sweat glands or hair follicles in the skin....[More]
HOOKWORM HEAD SHOT
Unlike most parasitic worms, which invade the body through the stomach, hookworm larvae can wiggle in through sweat glands or hair follicles in the skin. This typically happens when people walk, sit or lie on dirt containing human feces contaminated by hookworm larvae. Through the skin and into the blood vessels, the larvae make their way to the lungs, causing coughing and shortness of breath; they then migrate to the throat, where they are swallowed and delivered to the small intestine. They mature into adults measuring about 0.4 inch (10 millimeters) long, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and anemia—a result of the worm sucking blood out of the intestinal walls. Some 740 million people, mostly those living in the warm, moist climates of Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and China, suffer from hookworm infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Photo by D. Scharf, Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
BEHOLD THE LARGE ROUNDWORM (Ascaris)
Ascariasis, the potentially deadly disease caused by the roundworm Ascaris , is the most common worm infection in humans, affecting as many as 1.5 billion people worldwide annually and striking hardest in tropical and subtropical regions with poor sanitation, according to the U.S....[More]
BEHOLD THE LARGE ROUNDWORM (Ascaris)
Ascariasis, the potentially deadly disease caused by the roundworm Ascaris, is the most common worm infection in humans, affecting as many as 1.5 billion people worldwide annually and striking hardest in tropical and subtropical regions with poor sanitation, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People often catch ascariasis by ingesting vegetables or fruit grown in soil fertilized with human feces contaminated with its eggs. On hatching in the intestine, the eggs develop into larvae that migrate through the blood and lymph systems into the lungs, causing fever, shortness of breath and wheezing. (Some people actually cough up the larvae.) From the lungs, the larvae make their way up into the throat; there they are swallowed and passed into the small intestine, where they grow into adulthood. (Imagine earthworms as long as one foot, or 30 centimeters, crawling around in your small intestine.) Severe infections can lead to intestinal blockage and death. The WHO estimates that ascariasis causes 60,000 deaths per year, mainly in children.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
WHOA, A WHIPWORM
Trichuris trichiura , commonly known as a whipworm because it looks like a cow whip, grows up to about two inches (50 millimeters, or as long as a thumb)....[More]
WHOA, A WHIPWORM
Trichuris trichiura, commonly known as a whipworm because it looks like a cow whip, grows up to about two inches (50 millimeters, or as long as a thumb). The most common way to catch whipworm is by ingesting dirt containing human feces that are loaded with its eggs (think: children playing in the dirt and then putting their fingers in their mouths). The whipworm, which sets up shop in the large intestine, is what Despommier says may be "the secret to curing Crohn's disease."
Patients with Crohn's disease—an autoimmune disorder in which the intestinal tract becomes chronically inflamed, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding—are believed to have small proteins that resemble whipworm proteins jutting from the surfaces of their intestinal cells. Mistaking the protein protrusions for those of a whipworm, the immune system attacks them, causing Crohn's disease, Despommier explains. Studies have shown that when Crohn's patients are infected with whipworm, the body seems to redirect its focus away from its own cells and onto the worms, causing Crohn's symptoms to disappear. The problem with treating Crohn's disease with whipworm, of course, is that the worm causes its own suite of problems, including severe diarrhea, weight loss and anemia. Severe cases [see photo inset] can lead to rectal prolapse, a condition in which the walls of the rectum actually protrude from the anus.
Worldwide, some 800 million people, mostly children in tropical and subtropical climates, are infected with whipworm, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
YIKES, LYMPHATIC FILARIAE
Unlike most parasitic worms, which inhabit the intestines, lymphatic filariae live in the lymphatic vessels and nodes. For reasons not completely understood by scientists, the presence of these worms in the lymph system can lead to severe inflammation called elephantiasis , which often affects the legs, arms, genitals and breasts [ see photo ]....[More]
YIKES, LYMPHATIC FILARIAE
Unlike most parasitic worms, which inhabit the intestines, lymphatic filariae live in the lymphatic vessels and nodes. For reasons not completely understood by scientists, the presence of these worms in the lymph system can lead to severe inflammation called elephantiasis, which often affects the legs, arms, genitals and breasts [see photo]. Unfortunately for men, the worms have a propensity for the male genitalia. The worms get inside a person's body when a mosquito carrying their larvae sinks its proboscis into a victim's skin. The larvae travel through the skin and into the lymph vessels where they mature into adults measuring as long as four inches (100 millimeters). According to WHO, the infection usually begins in childhood but often takes years to cause elephantiasis.
Some 120 million people, mostly in the warm, humid climes of south Asia, Africa and the Americas, are infected with these tiny worms, and more than 40 million are disfigured by the infection, according to WHO.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
SCARY SCHISTOSOMES
People develop schistosomiasis , or infections with schistosomes, by swimming in or touching water containing infected snails that release the larvae into the water....[More]
SCARY SCHISTOSOMES
People develop schistosomiasis, or infections with schistosomes, by swimming in or touching water containing infected snails that release the larvae into the water. (The snails become infected in the first place because people with the disease urinate or defecate in the water.) The larvae penetrate a person's skin and journey through the bloodstream where they grow into adult worms measuring up to 0.6 inch (15 millimeters) long. The adults, which can live in the bloodstream for years, lay eggs that travel to the liver, bladder, lungs or intestines, causing inflammation, scarring and organ enlargement. (These symptoms are caused by the eggs, not the actual worms.) Infections that go untreated for years can lead to fatal intestinal bleeding or bladder cancer. According to WHO, about 200 million people, most of them in Africa, are infected with schistosomes.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
TERRIBLE TRICHINELLA
Beware of undercooked pork chops, tenderloin and sausages. If pork is your pleasure, make sure you cook it through to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius); that should be enough to scorch any Trichinella larvae that may be hiding within....[More]
TERRIBLE TRICHINELLA
Beware of undercooked pork chops, tenderloin and sausages. If pork is your pleasure, make sure you cook it through to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius); that should be enough to scorch any Trichinella larvae that may be hiding within. The larvae are encapsulated in protective coats that are digested by stomach acid. Once released, the larvae migrate to the small intestine and develop into adults measuring as long as 0.1 inch (three millimeters). Trichinella spiralis females, like the one shown in the photo, lay larvae that journey through the bloodstream and burrow into the muscle fibers, enveloping themselves in a cyst or protective covering. In the first few days of a Trichinella infection, a person may have symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. Most cases are mild, but severe infections can lead to potentially fatal heart and breathing problems. Generally the more worms eaten, the more severe the symptoms.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
TRICKY TAPEWORM
People accidentally ingest immature worms by eating raw or undercooked pork. Once the worms pass into the intestines, they latch onto the intestinal walls with suckers and hooks and begin to grow—and grow....[More]
TRICKY TAPEWORM
People accidentally ingest immature worms by eating raw or undercooked pork. Once the worms pass into the intestines, they latch onto the intestinal walls with suckers and hooks and begin to grow—and grow. The pork tapeworm shown here, Taenia solium, can grow as long as 20 feet (six meters). Often, people don't even know they have tapeworm until they see the worms—or pieces of them in their stool. If a person ingests the tapeworm eggs (by, for example, drinking water contaminated by egg-laden human feces), the eggs hatch into larvae the stomach and travel into the small intestine. From there, they may enter the bloodstream and migrate to the muscles, eyes or brain, where they can cause seizures, headaches and potentially fatal brain swelling.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
PEEP THE PINWORM
Pinworm is the most ubiquitous parasitic worm infecting people in temperate climates—places like the U.S., Europe and most of China, which are neither tropical nor polar, but have four seasons....[More]
PEEP THE PINWORM
Pinworm is the most ubiquitous parasitic worm infecting people in temperate climates—places like the U.S., Europe and most of China, which are neither tropical nor polar, but have four seasons. Nearly all children catch pinworm before they reach age 12 (yes, that means you, too) by digesting tiny bits of fecal matter from other kids. Pinworm inhabits the colon and rectum, feeding on Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in the stool. Late at night when children are asleep, the female pinworm, which measures about the length of a staple (0.5 inch or 13 millimeters), emerges from the anus and lays her eggs on the surrounding skin. The eggs are itchy, causing children to scratch and contaminate their fingers. When they suck their thumbs, or touch other children who suck their thumbs, the cycle starts all over again.
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Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
YES! Send me a free issue of Scientific American with no obligation to continue the subscription. If I like it, I will be billed for the one-year subscription.
I 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.
This 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.
Hmmm.... 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.
Humans 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.
While 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.
I 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
Excellent 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...
10. elirobinson
in reply to peddamat02:38 PM 2/11/09
peddamat: 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).
The 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". They 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."
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?
Having 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.
Having 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!
I 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.
How 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.
18. meMaryellen
in reply to alpha106:02 PM 3/21/09
There 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.
Black 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
Any 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!
24. mrssirlds
in reply to Spin-oza03:22 PM 2/14/11
Interesting 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. :)
25. mattgrubb
in reply to peddamat04:08 PM 11/5/11
I 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.
Just 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.
)
Spontaneous, Unedited, Naked
Could Re-Wilding Avert the 6th Great Extinction? [Slide Show]
Fact or Fiction?: Living People Outnumber the Dead
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.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this