The 50-year-old aunt has not been looking well recently, and she always feels a dull pain in her upper abdomen, at first she thought that it might be that she was old, her stomach was not good, and the pain came and went hot and cold, just like this past year, sometimes good and sometimes bad.
She remembered the cold houttuynia she ate during the Chinese New Year, which was spicy and delicious, cool and greasy, but who would have thought that there was a crisis hidden in this seemingly refreshing side dish.
On the other side, 15-year-old Lili, a lively girl, was forced to lie in a hospital bed because of frequent diarrhea, and her favorite sashimi, fish fillet, these raw and cold foods, turned out to be the invisible killer of her health.
These seemingly independent cases actually have a common clue behind them - parasites in food. Many people may dismiss it and think it's just an occasional event, but in fact, the threat of parasites is much closer than you think.
1. Food and parasites: a hidden health threat
Food is the source of life and the foundation of health. But when they become a hitchhiking tool for parasites, they can become a time bomb, ready to detonate inside you.
Parasites, a word we don't want to mention in our lives, or even avoid talking about them, are actually creeping up on our dinner tables. They are silent, but they can cause great damage to the body.
2. High-risk foods that are easy to store parasites
When you think of parasites, you may think of unclean water sources or dirty environments, but in fact, they prefer to lurk in something that seems fresh and delicious. Here's a look at the high-risk foods that can harbor parasites:
1. Yellow Eel: This delicacy, which is common at barbecue stalls in night markets, is actually a breeding ground for parasites. They often carry nematodes and echanthopephals, which are extremely resistant to boiling water and can only be safely cooked at high temperatures for a long time.
2. Water chestnut: Raw water chestnut is crisp and refreshing, and it is a good summer product for many people. But did you know that behind this crispness, there may be a hidden danger of the ginger fasciola, which can cause serious infections once it enters the human body?
3. Crayfish: On summer nights, beer crayfish, a seemingly beautiful combination, may be a route for lung flukes. Crayfish often grow in poor water quality, and lung flukes thrive in such environments.
4. Freshwater fish: Freshwater fish are frequent guests on many people's tables, however, liver fluke larvae are also often parasitized among them. Once ingested by the body, they can survive in the body for many years, causing long-term damage to the liver.
5. Fushou snail: This round, cute-looking aquatic creature is actually a carrier of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Once this parasite invades the human body, it can cause serious damage to the central nervous system and even be life-threatening.
6. Houttuynia cordata: This seemingly fresh and delicious cold dish can be a breeding ground for liver giant flukes. Once this parasite invades the human body, it can wreak havoc on the liver and is highly toxic.
3. Warning signs of parasitic infection
Parasitic infections do not break out overnight, they lurk in the human body, silently destroying health. In most cases, people lack awareness of the symptoms of parasitic infections and often mistake them for common gastrointestinal problems.
However, a series of abnormal signals are actually the body's warning to you.
Abnormalities in the digestive system are the most common signals. Chronic diarrhea, bloating, constipation, these symptoms may be the result of parasites multiplying in the intestines and secreting toxins. Intestinal parasitic infections can also cause malabsorption of nutrients, causing weight loss or stunted growth in children.
According to the World Health Organization, about 24% of the world's population is infected with parasitic infections, and a significant proportion of these infections are caused by food.
The deterioration of the skin condition should not be ignored either. Skin problems such as eczema, rashes, allergies, etc., may be the result of parasites reaching the skin through the bloodstream and triggering an immune response. Especially when unexplained chronic skin problems arise, the possibility of parasitic infection should be taken into account.
Increased hunger and weight management problems are also potential signs of parasitic infection. The parasite is consuming the host's nutrients, resulting in nutritional insufficiency, but at the same time, it may secrete some substances to stimulate the host's appetite, forming a contradictory phenomenon of increased appetite but no weight gain.
Discomfort in specific areas, such as anal itching, muscle and joint pain, etc., can also be a sign of a parasitic infection. Anal itching may be caused by nocturnal discharge of intestinal parasite eggs, while muscle joint pain may be caused by parasite larvae migrating to the muscle layer.
Fourth, key measures to prevent parasites
In the face of these invisible killers lurking in the food, precautions are particularly important. First and foremost, of course, is the strengthening of personal hygiene habits.
Frequent hand washing and nail clipping can effectively reduce the risk of transmission of parasite eggs through the mouth and hands. When preparing food, make sure to use clean water and ingredients, and avoid raw foods that may be contaminated.
Food handling and storage are also key to preventing parasitic infections. For those high-risk foods, proper freezing can kill some of the parasite eggs.
For example, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), freezing fish to -20°C for a week, or -35°C for 15 hours, can be effective in preventing parasitic infections.
When cooking food, making sure the food is thoroughly cooked is an effective way to kill parasites. Studies have shown that heating meat to at least 75°C kills most parasites.
This is especially important for people who love a raw food culture and should avoid raw foods, especially high-risk foods such as fish and meat.
Finally, raising public awareness of parasitic infections and prevention is a long-term and difficult task. Through education and awareness-raising, more people are aware of the dangers of parasitic infections and preventive measures, which can greatly reduce infection rates.
Public health agencies should conduct regular food safety inspections to ensure that food on the market meets safety standards and reduce the risk of parasitic infections at the source.
5. Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infections: professional medical action
Diagnosing parasitic infections is not a simple task, as the symptoms of many parasitic infections are so common that they can be easily confused with other diseases.
Therefore, it becomes especially important to seek professional medical advice in a timely manner when experiencing persistent indigestion, skin rashes, or other abnormal symptoms.
Doctors usually evaluate people based on symptoms, medical history, and possible exposure to risk, and do blood tests, stool tests, or endoscopy to determine the type of parasite and the extent of infection.
Treatment of parasitic infections usually relies on specific antiparasitic drugs. For example, for intestinal parasites such as amoebic protozoa or hookworms, your doctor may prescribe medications such as metronidazole or albendazole.
During treatment, patients will need to take their medications strictly as directed by their doctor, and may need to adjust their diet to support their recovery.
In severe cases, such as neurocysticercosis, more complex treatments may be required, including surgical intervention and long-term medical therapy.
In these cases, the goal of treatment is not only to eliminate the parasite, but also to reduce the inflammatory response and tissue damage caused by the parasite.
6. Continuous surveillance and public health education
In addition to direct medical intervention, continuous health monitoring and public health education are key to controlling parasitic infections. Local health departments should conduct regular environmental monitoring of high-risk areas, such as water source testing and sanitation inspections in public places, to reduce the route of transmission of parasites.
At the same time, public health education is essential to prevent parasitic infections. By educating the public about the importance of proper food handling and personal hygiene practices, infection rates can be drastically reduced.
Educational activities can be carried out through schools, community centres and the media to raise awareness of the issue.
In addition, health guidance for travelers is also very important. Many parasitic infections are associated with international travel, so providing destination-specific health advice and precautions can be effective in helping travelers avoid infection.
summary
Through the implementation of the above measures, we can not only effectively treat and control existing cases of parasitic infection, but also prevent the occurrence of new infections, protect more people from parasitic threats, and promote public health.