Worms "N" Us: A look at 8 parasitic worms that live in humans
Take a trip through Scientific American's Worm Gallery and meet the charming, slinky creatures that turn your innards into their home sweet home
Worms "N" Us: A look at 8 parasitic worms that live in humans
- 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... 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. (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... 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 ]... 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). 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)... 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... Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
- 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... Photo by D. Scharf, Courtesy of Parasitic Diseases, 5th Ed., Apple Trees Productions, LLC
