Hey,  Atlanta dancers!  I know we have been talking a lot about parasites recently, but for good reason, your health!  In recent studies, they show that more than 1 out of 3 Americans have parasites living in their stomach!  Maybe these parasites are the cause of a lot more health issues than we give them credit for!  

Helminths. Helminths are wormlike organisms including, flukes, roundworms, tapeworms and leeches.  Leeches, unlike the others,  are considered ectoparasitic, since they attach themselves to the outside skin of their hosts.

The largest roundworm parasite, common among humans living in tropical under-developed countries, is Ascaris lumbricoides. This roundworm can grow up to a length of  17 inches within the small intestine of its host!

One of the most serious and well-known flukes is Trichinella spiralis. At one stage of its life cycle, this fluke lives in the muscle tissue of animals, including swine.  When we eat the animals, if they are slightly uncooked, the flukes will eventually  make their way into the intestinal tissue of humans who happen to ingest infected, undercooked pork. Yuck!   

Tapeworms are parasites that use intermediate hosts, such as cattle, swine, and fish before making their way to the human body. Parasites such as these infect an intermediate host organism while in a early developmental form. But they do not grow to maturity until they have been transmitted to the final host.  

In the case of Taneia tapeworm, the eggs are passed into cattle or swine through infected soil. They develop into an intermediary stage that embeds in the muscle and connective tissue of the animal. When infected animals that are processed for meat but improperly cooked, the meat will  still harbor the intermediary phase parasite. After being consumed by humans, the tapeworms attach themselves to the intestinal lining of the host, making their new home and more permanent home.  

Flukes, are another class of helminths that have parasitic species. Adult flukes are typically flat, oval-shaped worms that have a layer of muscles just below the skin. These muscles allow the worm to expand and contract its shape and, thus, move its body. Flukes usually have an oral sucker, sometimes ringed with hooks. They use the sucker to attach themselves to the host’s tissues.  

Some of the most well-known flukes are species of the genus Schistosoma that cause the often-fatal disease known as schistosomiasis. These flukes infect human hosts directly by burrowing into the skin of a person wading or swimming in infected water. The parasite enters the bloodstream as an immature worm and then can be carried through various organs, including the lungs and heart, before arriving in the liver to mature.

I hope this article has given you a better perspective on the helminth parasites and how they impact the world and maybe even us directly.  The good news is, newer technology has made it really easy to rid yourself of these parasites!  Ask how at Rhythma Dance Studios front desk.  See you in dance class, Atl dancers!