Being infected with parasites sounds far away. However, parasites that infect humans are much more common than you might think. Many of them also have symptoms, so people can live for many years without knowing they are infected. 60% of the world's population carries at least one parasite. That's right, you have half the chance of being infected. Here are a list of the 10 most common asymptomatic parasites that may be right next to you.
<h1>10. Tapeworms</h1>
Do you like steaks? Well, tapeworms (Taenia solium or Taenia saginata) enter the human host from raw or undercooked meat. These banded parasites can grow up to 15 meters (50 feet) long. They like to live in the intestines of men, and they are transferred from animals, mainly cows and pigs. Mainly through undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables. If a tapeworm larvae is eaten, it will absorb food in your intestinal wall and slowly grow. This little guy can live in a human gut for nearly 30 years. People can grow old with their parasites. How lovely. Tapeworm eggs can develop into sacs on organs, and it is more dangerous. If the infection is merely tapeworm (or worm), then symptoms are rare or do not appear at all. It will live happily for many years.
<h1>9. Liver flukes</h1>
Liver flukes are parasites that infect the bile ducts and liver. They are one of many flatworms that parasitize freshwater snails. One way they infect humans is by eating freshwater fish from the same environment. These flat-looking parasites have few symptoms in humans. Thus, a person can be infected without their knowledge. Mature liver flukes eventually cause chronic inflammation of the bile ducts, which often lead to gallstones. While most cases occur in developing countries, there are also cases in Hawaii, California, and Florida.
<h1>8. Hookworm</h1>
Two species of hookworms that can infect human hosts are hookworms of the genus Hookworm and Hookworm Americana. Hookworms begin to roam through the human body. They enter the feet and sometimes leave an itchy rash at the entrance point. They flow along the bloodstream into the lungs. Once in the lungs, they irritate lung tissue, allowing the infected host to cough them up. If you swallow that little bit of damn phlegm, the hookworm will flow to where it wants to live happily: your small intestine. It is a parasite, especially in some communities, as it can be transferred from one person to another through feces. If infected feces are not properly managed, it can easily infect others. So even though we have better hygiene habits, hookworm infections have decreased, but it hasn't gone away. Some argue that the economy of the American South is dead due to hookworms. For about 300 years, nearly 40 percent of the population was infected. If someone is severely infected with hookworms, it can lead to drowsiness and mental loss. Other than that, there are almost no symptoms.
<h1>7. Pinworms</h1>
Pinworms are parasites that spread easily. They are often the most common parasite in North America. They live on a human anus, it only needs a scratch, and then any limbs that come into contact with it are covered with eggs. If a person swallows an egg, they become infected. In general, symptoms are rare. Most often, the chances of finding pinworm infections in children are higher, and they can easily infect anyone they have been exposed to.
<h1>6. Roundworms</h1>
Ascariasis is an infection of roundworms that can attack the small intestine. It is usually transmitted through human feces or undercooked meat, but can also be transmitted through human-to-human contact. Usually, it has few symptoms unless the host has a large number of roundworm infections. Children are the most infected with roundworms, and they are more likely to be infected than adults because children like to keep their hands in their mouths. As a result, they will have bloating and stomach pain. Most of the time, baby roundworms will live in your stomach until they are ready to come out.
<h1>5. Echinoccus taenia</h1>
Our canine pets bring us a parasite that will grow slowly in humans for many years without any symptoms. Echinococcus granularis mainly infects dogs, but can also enter canine feces or people who pet dogs. It is a tapeworm-like larvae that produces cystic-like lesions in the liver or lungs
<h1>4. Trichinella</h1>
Trichinellosis is a roundworm infection that usually occurs after eating cooked or raw meat. It is mainly found in wild boar meat or domestic pork. So, if you like to eat pork, be sure to cook it thoroughly. Once the larvae enter the intestines, it develops into a mature worm that multiplies more larvae, hosting muscles and other body tissues. If a trichinella larvae is ingested, the infected person may never know they have trichinellosis. However, a large number of infections can cause intestinal pain and diarrhea.
<h1>3. Intranuclear amoeba is a genus of fragile bacilli</h1>
This single-celled parasite is rather mysterious. Not only do scientists and medical experts not know how it spreads, but they also don't know if it produces any symptoms in the human host. Diarrhea and abdominal pain may be caused in some cases, but most cases are asymptomatic. Similar to the orbiting insect, it is speculated that its transmission also comes from eating eggs, but in fact we know very little about this ubiquitous parasite. We do know that it can infect large populations.
<h1>2. Order Microsporidium</h1>
This single-celled parasitic fungus can infect a large number of organisms, and humans are among them. Unless the human host is weakened to some extent (such as a compromised immune system), the fungus is asymptomatic and harmless. These spore-forming parasites often live in fish. Microsporidium was originally thought to be a protist. However, their genomes are more fungal-like than those of other eukaryotes.
<h1>1. Toxoplasma gondii</h1>
This parasite is probably the most famous, one reason is that it can be found in nearly one-third of the world's population, and the second reason is that it may change the human brain, which sounds like something in science fiction. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that was originally found in the intestines of cats. It infects mice that have been exposed to cat droppings. It then rushes to the brain, causing rodents to develop a natural fear of predators, eventually evolving into being attracted. After that, the rodents do not run away as usual, but look for the cat and then be eaten. So the parasite succeeded in achieving its goal of entering the cat's internal organs. Curiously, Toxoplasma gondii can also infect humans. Unless the infected person is pregnant, symptoms generally do not appear. However, these parasites may also try to alter the brain chemistry of human hosts, which can lead to schizophrenia and suicide. At least one scientist has analyzed Toxoplasma gondii with political dissent and higher car accident rates. However, this has not been accepted by mainstream scientists. But maybe the next time you forget to pay your bills or walk into traffic, you can blame the cat's parasite.