Parasitic Diseases

Water treatment could protect 800 million from Giardia infections - News-Medical.net Water treatment could protect 800 million from Giardia infections - News-Medical.net Posted: 06 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT Parasitic roundworm infections affect 800 million people across the globe, but thanks to water treatment, it can lead to a significant 18-percent decrease in cases. A team of researchers at Tufts University wanted to know if improved water quality, handwashing, sanitation, and nutrition can combat the environmental transmission of parasites, but only a few trials have been conducted. Hence, they studied these factors in rural Kenya, wherein they determined the effects of the factors on the rates of the intestinal worm and Giardia infections. They found that improving the quality of drinking water, through water treatments, can significantly reduce the rates of roundworm infections, particularly in high-risk regions. The study, which was pub...

CDC warns swimmers about ‘Crypto,’ a parasite that can live for days in pools - The Washington Post CDC warns swimmers about ‘Crypto,’ a parasite that can live for days in pools - The Washington Post Posted: 01 Jul 2019 12:00 AM PDT (iStock) Lindsey Bever General assignment reporter covering national and breaking news July 1 Federal public health officials are urging people to take precautions to protect themselves against a microscopic parasite that can live for days in swimming pools and water playgrounds and cause severe intestinal problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report last week about the increased number of outbreaks caused by the fecal parasite Cryptosporidium , more commonly known as "Crypto." The parasite, a common cause of water-related disease outbreaks across the United States, causes cryptosporidiosis, a disease characterized by nau...

Intestinal worms: Pictures, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News Today Intestinal worms: Pictures, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News Today Posted: 19 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST You have chosen to share the following article: How elderberries can help you fight the flu To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf. Note: Please don't include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission. We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information. Message sent successfully The details of this article have been emailed on your behalf. Click here to return to the Medical News Today home page. An eco-friendly cure for a global fish-killing disease Scientists have discovered a molecule that - ScienceNordic Posted: 26 Aug 2019 08:50 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a mol...

If You Have These 9 Physical Or Mental Symptoms, It Could Be A Parasite - Bustle If You Have These 9 Physical Or Mental Symptoms, It Could Be A Parasite - Bustle Posted: 18 Sep 2018 12:00 AM PDT The idea of a parasite might conjure up images in your head of a television show set in a hospital with some creepy consequences. But chances are, if you eat adventurously or have pets, you're much more likely to be at risk for parasites than you realize. Luckily, the signs of a parasite are pretty concrete, and make looking out for a parasitic infection all that much easier. Parasites, and the illnesses they cause, can be a bit tricky to understand. First, knowing what a parasite is and why it can be potentially harmful is a good way to look out for your health. "A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism, called the host, causing it harm by either feeding on it or consuming some of its food, thus benefiting by deriving...

It is time to meet the "zombie snail," which is somehow even worse than it sounds - The A.V. Club It is time to meet the "zombie snail," which is somehow even worse than it sounds - The A.V. Club Posted: 13 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha (Getty Images) As anyone who's watched a few episodes of Planet Earth knows well, the natural world is filled with a seemingly endless supply of biological horror. Weird fish and creepy reptiles coexist with strange parasites and fucked-up bugs, living out their lives in bizarre ecosystems. Because there has to be a silver lining to the fast-approaching destruction of our planet, Wired 's Matt Simon has decided to share important details on a real hall-of-famer nightmare creatures: the so-called "zombie snail." Advertisement The clip shared by Mike Inouye shows this goopy freak in action, but a full description ...

16,000-year-old puma poop yields a sample of Ice Age parasites - Ars Technica 16,000-year-old puma poop yields a sample of Ice Age parasites - Ars Technica Posted: 28 Aug 2019 07:55 AM PDT Enlarge / Despite their size, pumas aren't technically "big cats," a title reserved for the family Pantherinae. By Wolves201 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60454559 reader comments 38 with 25 posters participating Share this story When you're an 80kg (180lb) apex predator with massive teeth and claws, the world is your litter box—but you might have to wait a few thousand years for someone to come along and clean it up. Archaeologists recently scooped up a dried piece of 16,500-year-old puma feces (called a coprolite) from the floor of the Peñas de las Trampas rock shelter in the mountains of northwest Argentina. The cold, dry environment helped preserve the material, along with...

Bronze Age Britons lived with 1m-long worms in their kidneys, scientists reveal - The Independent Bronze Age Britons lived with 1m-long worms in their kidneys, scientists reveal - The Independent Is it really a 'kissing' bug? | Around Indiana - Greensburg Daily News Discovery of protein that may be key to treating tropical diseases - News-Medical.net Bronze Age Britons lived with 1m-long worms in their kidneys, scientists reveal - The Independent Posted: 16 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT Bronze Age Britons were infected with a number of parasites including giant kidney worms that could reach up to one metre in length, analysis of 3,000-year-old faeces has revealed. Prehistoric people living in a settlement perched on freshwater marshes in eastern England were infected by intestinal worms caught from foraging for food in lakes and waterways, according to researchers from the University of Cambridge. The 90...