I havn't done one of these in a couple of years. So here it is.
4chans official Parasitologist is back and willing to answer any questions you have on my particular morbid career choice.
I fucking love those ingenious bastards.
>>7940761
whats the nastiest thing you had to remove?
>>7940761
is it satisfying? seeing those creatures squeezed out of the skin?
>>7940761
How common are macroscopic parasite infections?
Are they prevalent where you are? (and which country you're at?)
Do anti-parasitic medicine work?
How do people end up diagnosing their infection?
I can't imagine a case where my doctor actually believes someone's concerns for parasitic infection. Are people overlooking potential parasitic infections? Can they go unnoticed?
>>7940764
>>7940766
Human? Haven't had to actually do that, that is up to medical people (I like parasites, not people), however, I do get the samples and I have had quite a few unpleasentries through to me post-removal.
However, animals I am allowed to deal with, one of the more memorable ones was plucking ruman fluke (Calicophoron daubneyi) off bovine rumen, that was very satisfying. I have done more animal extractions than I can count, but the animals tend to be dead when I do it. Another one is liver fluke extraction out of infested sheep liver, it is very much like popping a spot but instead of pus you get live liver fluke erupting out of the bile ducts. That is fun.
>>7940784
Is consciousness just a consequence of Toxoplasma gondii infection?
Was there a time where you threw up? Or felt really sick?
>>7940771
In humans? Very common indeed, especially in 3rd world nations where most people will have, at some point, had a helminth or two. But in first world nations they are generally less common but it is still quite normal to see Pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) in children. Usually people get helminthic infection when they go abroad and do something unsual like try the local delicacy which involves eating undercooked or raw meats, or poorly washed vegitables etc. FYI I live in the UK.
Yes anti-parasitics definitely work, but there is ofcourse treatment failure due to resistance and other factors.
People usually don't know they have a parasite specifically, since rarely are there specific symptom sets which point to a parasitism, so diagnosis usually comes from a doctors visit due to fever or bloating or general illness, upon which a parasite is picked up on something like a routine faecal examination. Fear of having a parasitic infection is not really a symptom of anything unless you have found something like a tapeworm segment in your stool.
>>7940788
That seems like a question for the philosophers. But no, the impact of T.gondii on human behaviour has been largely overhyped because it plays to peoples fascinated fears that they are being controlled by an external force, in this case, a parasite. There are studies which link it to things like a slight increase in the likelihood of risktaking but there could be so many environmental factors at play that it is probably wise to suspend judgement and remain skeptical. Parasites tend to be really rather specific in the hosts the infect, consequently it is not enough to say that "because is affects the behaviour of species x, it will affect the behaviour of species y" without a great amount of deliberation. Of couse, I could be wrong. Data will tell all. People love this subject, it is an interesting one!
>>7940788
2deep4me
>>7940828
What is the coolest parasite?
What are common parasites for those lliving in the first world?
>>7940784
>I like parasites, not people
Fucking traitor
>>7940837
There are a few which I really like for various reasons:
Blastocystis: not much was known about this parasite for quite a while, since it is not obviously pathogenic. They are still discovering stages of development up till a few years ago, before which they only really knew of one. Whether it is pathogenic and how is still controversial.
Dicrocoelium dendriticum: The life cycle of this fluke is bonkers. I love fluke because of the intricacies of their life cycles, but this one takes the first prize for its ingenuity. It goes through 3 hosts; the snail (first intermediate host), an ant (second intermediate host) and some kind of grazing mammal (definitive host). The way it gets from ant to DH is, upon ant eating snail slime loaded with cercariae (an infective stage) to extract moisture the cercariae encyst within the haemocoel of the ant and become infective to the grazing animal. However, a few cercariae encyst in the sub-oesophageal ganglion of the ant, which changes its behaviour to, in the evening, crawl to the top of blades of grass and clamp onto them with their mandibles untill the animal grazes them off and swallows them. Thus the definitive host becomes infected.
Plasmodium: excellent life cycle again.
Naegleria fowleri: not usually a parasite, but when it accidentally becomes one all hell breaks loose for the unfortunate host.
Leucochloridium paradoxum: The ridiculous method of finding it's way into the definitive host by forming sprocyst broodsacs in the snails eye stalks to make them look like caterpillars that birds (DH) are partial to. Bird sees eyestalk caterpillar, bird eats, bird becomes infected. They are also trippy. Pic related.
How do you know if you have a parasite?
A-a-are you a parasyte anon-kun?
>>7940839
Things like pinworm, hookworm and whipworm are the more common (but not all that common) first worlders that you don't have to bring back from another country. Protozoans like Cryptosporidium go through epidemic cycles where water supplies or swimming pools become infected (chlorine does nothing to it) and a load of people get it. Giardia is not unusual when you hear people say things like "I have been shitting my guts out ever since I got back from a mountain camping trip where I drank from a stream" then proceed to burp up a sulpherous fart. Tapeworms and fluke tend to be rare due to the limiting factor of their life cycles. However, people bring them back quite a lot.
>>7940878
I did not know giardia was a parasite but I learned at summer camp not to drink from streams.
How does a water filter get rid of it? Is it killed by Iodine? When we iodined our water bottles we would unscrew the lid halfway so even the water drops up in the threads would get iodine. Could you really get giardia from a few drops like that?
Also, I've heard that once you've had it once you're good to go for the rest of your life. Is this true or a summercamp meme to get people to catch giardia?
Also, does it really come from animals peeing on snowpack or directly into the stream?
>>7940875
Generally speaking, intestinal helminth infections come with no or very non-descript and rather mild symptoms. People tend to report bloating and mild abdominal discomfort and loose stools if anything. The usual way people diagnose themselves is if something falls out of their arse (a tapeworm segment or an ascaris for example) but that only really happens if they have been somewhere where the worms are endemic (africa, asia, south america etc) and eaten with locals. As for protozoans, they tend to be more apparent that there is something going on, but not necessarily very helpful or descriptive in their presentation. Mostly mild to severe enteric symptoms but of a non-specific nature.
Now, there are more serious parasites such as malaria, trypanosoma, some fluke, some filarials etc, that have specific presentations which are red flags to people like me. But usually diagnosis is aided by a full history (specifically travel and cullinary) which points you in the right direction.
There are so many parasites, this is like trying to answer "how do you know you have a viral infection" so my answer is far from exhaustive. The ones people are most likely to get are gastrointestinal parasites, unless they do something weird, get very unlucky, or go abroad.
Of course, there are always parasites like Loa loa which you know you have after they swim across your eye....
What are the chances I have things in my ass
I don't want them up my ass, man. Every time my ass itches at night I start freaking out about it being worms. Also I can eat fuckloads of calories without gaining weight so I'm worried I have intestines full of worms.
How do I get tested for this shit without making a huge deal about it?
>>7940884
It is indeed, a flagellated protozoan to be precise. Bare in mind that the term 'parasite' can be a little broad and non-specific. It usually refers to parasitic single celled eukaryotes and helminths. Though there are some quirks with what is regarded a parasite.
>prevention
Yes filtration has been shown to work, but be aware that the cysts (infective stage) of these organisms are roughly 7-12 microns long and slightly less wide, so the pores in the filter would have to be small enough to prevent any getting through. Usually 1 micro filters are suggested. Iodine is okay, it's quite dependent on concentration though. The best method is to boil it for a few minutes. Infective does from Giardia is notoriously low, so you can become infective from as few as 10 cysts. So yes it is theoretically possible that you can get infected by single drops.
>immunity
I am not actually too sure about this one. It is possible that you could become tolerant after having Giardia, though I would not really want to test it. Nor is it worth catching it in order that you might develop resistance. Just treat the water.
>transmission
not peeing, shitting. An infected individual or reservoir host will pass cysts in it's stool which will be infective.
>>7940867
Wow.
>>7940902
Depends what country you live in, Anon. Anal itching is not a symptom of many worms, the only on it is usually associated with is pinworm, in which case you might be able to actually see them. The effect of helminths on weightloss is mostly exaggerated.
A few questions so I can help you out though, if you don't mind ofc:
Where do you live?
Have you had any bloating, loose stools, abdominal discomfort or any other symptoms apart from anal itching?
Is this anal itching constant, cyclical (i.e. predicable in its timing) or just occasional and not really concerning or unusual?
Have you seen any unusual white artifacts in your stool?
Have you been abroad recently?
The likelihood of having anything is probably rather low, but if you are worried, a faecal examination for ova, cysts and parasites carried out by a technician might be appropriate. I would mention something to your GP.
>>7940902
Why would you think it isn't simply hemorrhoids, for which there is over-the-counter topical cream.
Go buy hemorrhoidal cream at your local pharmacy, apply it, and see if it works.
>>7940926
thanks, good thread anon.
So what do you actually do as a parasitologist?
Do you just remove/identify parasites?
>>7940969
>"just"
Do biologists just research living things?
Do architects just design things?
Do mathematicians just do proofs?
>>7940965
you are very welcome, friend.
>>7940969
I am now in academic research. However in the past I have been a diagnostic parasitologist where a lot of it was processing of samples, removal and identification of parasites as you say. This is the beauty of parasitology imo. You have to be intimately knowledgeable in the morphology and biology of parasites to identify them under the microscope. Often it boils down to a single, minute detail in the reproductive organs or internal morphology to identify the species of a parasite. That is something rare in science nowdays and even amoungst parasitologists, the skills I have learnt in identification and handling are extensive (at the risk of sounding concieted). A lot of my work has been culturing parasites and carrying out contract research for pharmaceutical companies (testing new antiparasitic compounds etc).
I have been on both the industrial and academic side of the fence, as well as both the medical and veterinary sides.
I am just passionate really.
>>7940761
i wanna do what you do
>>7940761
How do you get rid of tapeworm?
>>7941015
It's pretty cool, I will admit.
Get yourself a biosciences degree and just do all the parasitology related modules you can do. After that you can either get a Master, a Ph.D or go into industry.
>>7941024
Depending on which tapeworm, the treatment approaches may be different. But generally Praziquantel will work nicely.
![latest[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Ir5aLsM.jpg "latest[1].jpg")
>>7940761
could you foresee some sort of artificial mutualism developing between what we know as a parasite today and humans? Like some organism that could eat all cancerous cells or some sort of radiation-hardening symbiotic relationship? What would be a good candidate for genetic engineering?
>>7941031
im currently doing a bsc in molecular biology, my long term plan is microbiology -> virology/parasitology
>>7940926
Smug giardia.
>>7941075
That's an interesting question.
From an evolutionary perspective, the less damage the parasite does to the host, the more beneficial it is to the parasite. It doesn't help the parasite to kill the host, nor does it really help to render the host bed bound, since in both instances the chance of infecting a new host is decreased. With this in mind, commensalism seems to be an ideal scenario for a parasitic species. The most successful parasites are those which remain undetected, and that means being benign. However, the step from commensalism to mutualism might be more complex. We have seen some form of mutualism in parasitic nematodes such as Ancylostoma/Necator (hookworm) and Trichuris (whipworm) which modulate the host immune system by suppressing the antibody mediated response (Th2 arm) to prevent host immune reaction. This mechanism of immune suppression can be utilised to treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis and Crohns disease by downregulating the production of auto-reactive antibodies which are the cause of these conditions.
However, this can be made somewhat more complex when attempting to genetically engineer these organisms to achieve specific goals, since it would require an intimate knowledge of both the mechanisms of the thing to be modulated in the host, the methods by which the parasite may do this and genes that must be modified/removed/introduced.
With all of this in mind, parasites with immunomodulatory action would be a source of valuable research for potential modification. As for anti-cancer parasitic therapy, it seems radical but there are a number of fluke (Fasciola hepatica being one) who survive by stimulating growth of endothelial cells in the bile ducts of the host and then grazing them, so it is not outside the realms of possibility that you could modify some helminths to graze damaged and cancerous tissue. How you would do this is beyond me though.
>>7941085
Very nice, I went Biomed -> Medical Parasitology -> worked as an industrial Parasitologist for a while -> Ph.D
~700k people per year are dying of malaria alone, the vast majority of which are under 5 years old. The world needs Parasitologists!
>>7941085
>>7941146
Glad to see this board has more microbiologists/infectious disease experts on it. On that note any advise for an undergrad student looking to study infectious diseases? I'm gravitating towards virology but I'm not totally set in stone.
What is the cutest parasite?
Serious question.
>>7941234
I am flattered that you think me an expert! I would honestly say do what you are most interested in. Find that out by taking modules and just go with what resonates with you most. Don't expect to know exactly why you are interested in it, it took me some time and effort to come to a conclusion as to exactly why I am so fascinated by parasites.
I would suggest that if you are interested in specialising, you should do a Masters degree, that will furnish you very well for whatever the next step is, since it is much more advanced and, most importantly (I think) the thesis is much longer than in undergrad so will give you a great idea of what original research is like. After that either go Ph.D or industry (or both!).
>>7940867
I saw a documentary of this parasite
>>7941235
good question, I would say Giardia is pretty cute, since it looks like it has a smiley face if you get the right angle, also I have always enjoyed the graceful motions of Fasciola hepatica. Their movements remind me of a spanish dancers dress.
I have to mention Planaria, even though it is non parasitic flatworm, because of its cartoon like eyes! Pic related
>>7940761
Can they replace my hand or my mouth ?
>>7940761
alright help me out med. for the last 2 years or so, my stomach has gotten worse and worse and worse, to the point now where i am never hungry, even after not have eaten for two days. Also there is undigested food in my stool about 90% of the time. what is the likelyhood that i have a parasite in my lower intestine/stomach?
I am worried about undercooking meat and getting parasites. Often when I cook lamb hearts the meat is browned but there is still red juice, does this mean there are still parasite eggs? Could there be parasites in my heart or liver right now?
What about my brain? What do you think about that brain parasite spread by cats?
I feel riddled with parasites after reading this thread. What can I do to rid myself of parasites?
>>7941433
I can tell you right now that does not sound like a parasitosis. However, it does sound like a GI issue. I would certainly suggest you approach your GP about that if it is worrying you.
Don't be worries about a parasite though, there is a general theme to GI parasitic infections and you presentation does not fit that theme.
>>7941437
>undercooking meat
As you suspect, this is a route of infection for a number of parasite species. However, it really is dependant on where you live and where you get your meat from. In the first world, abbertoir slaughtered meat is very heavily regulated to prevent transmission of things such as the beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata) and Trichanella. So the chances of you getting it like this are essentially nil. I would not worry about lamb at all since you cannot contract the parasites generally associated with undercooked meat from lamb. The red juice will be myoglobin, the muscle analogue for haemoglobin, this is totally normal in all muscle tissue.
>Toxoplasma gondii
If you have had a cat, especially when you were younger, the chances are you would test positive for T.gondii reactive antibodies, meaning you have or at some point have had Toxoplasma sporocysts in your muscle tissue or brain. This is very common (about 30% of the population test positive), so don't worry yourself about it, chances are things like this are quite common. The thing to remember is, just because you may test positive doesn't mean it is in your brain, and doesn't mean it is more than a trace infection. And none of this means it will necessarily affect your behaviour anyway. Simply put, it is not dangerous, think of it as just a commensal.
>Parasite treatment
I doubt you have anything to be honest and certainly nothing that you need to worry about. Home parasite cleanses wont work, if that is what you wanted to know.
What are the job prospects for a Parasitologist? It seems like something that is super niche.
>>7940761
I read a kinda dumb fiction book where science produced an awful parasitic creature genetically engineered for weight loss in obese patients and it turned into some all-consuming alien death-plague. That even likely?
Anyways, do all people really have parasites? I went to Antarctica and the supervisor in the brief told me the only living things oit on the ice were us humans on this garbage team and corporate line and block chart and the various parasites home to human bodies. Was he talking about dust mites or...
What parasites though? My asshole only itches after I drink and eat greasy, spicy food.
>>7941437
Jump into a volcano.
>toxo
lmfao
if you actually read the literature on toxo it's one of the least convincing sets of evidence for a biological phenomenon i've ever seen
95% of the effects of toxo are just media hype
>>7940828
How common ARE t. gondii infections in the first world, anyway? I have a cat and everyone always warns me about the parasite.
>>7941539
What are some good books on the subject for someone who isn't a hard science person? Sort of like Elegant Universe for the non-astrophysics crowd interested in astrophysics.
Sorry guys had to sleep so I am back (UK based)
>>7941572
It's quite niche, but not super niche. Industry parasitology jobs are quite few and far between, but they are there, especially in veterinary parasitology. However if you go the academic route then the prospects are great since there are a lot of excellent parasitology teams around. It is all about being willing to move around for jobs. I never found it hard to find anything really.
>>7941593
>death plague
No, not really. Remember that these organisms are small, even the 20ft tapeworm does not bear much actual biomass and they only really need nutrients to do one thing: produce eggs/larvae. Consequently, in comparison to a host they really do take only a miniscule portion of the nutrients. The weight loss is about as noticable in the first world (where we have excessive nutrient intake) as dropping a chip on the floor is. As for genetic engineering, it would take a very very drastic piece of engineering to alter a parasites genetics to make is destroy the host that it ultimately wants to keep parasitising with little effect for as long as possible. Remember the most successful parasites are the ones who are benign.
>Parasite epidemiology
About 30% of humans test seropositive for T.gondii and about 45% for Demodex folliculorum, both of which in the vast majority of cases are totally undetectable otherwise. Getting helminth infections in the first world is quite rare because our sanitation is so good, as is our meat regulation. But it does occasionally happen, and certainly happens when people go abroad (though still not that common really). It is possible that the incidence of commensals like Blastocystis and (less likely)the non-pathogenic entamoeba is higher than we think, but they just dont really do anything to you, just live. Remember that lifecylces of parasites are beautiful but often quite limiting to the parasite, cooked food should pose no threat.
>>7941607
Absolutely, the effect of toxo on normal behaviour of the mojority of the population has been largely overhyped. No doubt it has an effect in very extreme cases, but the evidence for subclinical cases is very weak at the moment.
>>7942003
About 20-30% of the population are seropositive for T.gondii. As I have said before though, that does not mean it is more than 1 sporocyst and does not mean it is in your brain, it can encyst in a lot of places.
>>7942018
Hmmm I actually don't really know of any, I get my fill of parasitology literature in journal articles so tend to drift towards physics for popular science. I do know of one called 'Parasite Rex' but I have read some extracts and I really don't like the way it portrays parasites as brutal and bloodthirsty, that is so far from what I know of them. They are ingenious and elegant, just look at the way they use a massive variety of host behaviours and systems to continue their genetic lineage. Something like Theileria would be a nice example of this, it uses host mitotic apparatus and hijacs it to use in its own proliferation and division cycles. The way it does this is incredibly complex and elegant. Also have a look at the examples of my favourite parasites above for some more examples of their complex interactions with host. Parasite Rex does not seem to do that justice.
Does Ophiocordyceps unilateralis count as a parasite since it uses ants as means of reproducing itself.
>>7940926
I was worried I had this because I would frequently get sick and have really disgusting smelling and tasting burps for a whole day before eventually vomiting.
When I went to the doctor, it turned out it was just ulcer causing it, though. The symptoms were fucked, so I'm glad the medication I got works.
What is your personal favourite parasite and why?
>>7942459
Technically it is a parasitoid. The difference between a parasite and a parasitoid is that the parasitoid requires the death of the host to continue it's life cycle or propogate a new generation and find new hosts whereas parasites dont. Gordian worms would be another good example of a parasitoid.
However, calling the cordyceps fungus a parasite will not really be called incorrect in the grand scheme of things.
This brings me on to different uses of the term 'parasite'. In a general sense, anything that exists on or in another organisms and derives nutrients from it at the detriment of the host is technically living a parasitic lifestyle. However, the term 'parasite' classically refers to a number of groups of organisms that are not already accounted for as viruses, bacteria and fungi. It usually refers to parasitic eukaryotes, these can be single celled (clasically referred to as the parasitic protists) or multicellular Helminths. So, it is more a definition of exclusion than anything else, since it is not as specific as 'bacteria' or 'fungus'. We deal with quite a few branches of the tree of life.
have you ever had a parasite yourself?
>>7942495
Do you deal with ticks and lice and other external parasites?
How common are anal pinworms for a relatively clean first worlder?
A wonderful topic. Thanks for taking the time. Your responses are very informed and informative. I am enjoying your images. I worked as a medical technologist for 15 years and parasitology was and is one of favorite areas of study. It is a very niche subject/study and for the most part human stool samples in first world countries can be boring. However, I was most fortunate to work at the USAF Hospital in Wiesbaden and the hospital at Ramstein AFB in Germany. This was in the early '70s. We received patients and samples from all over the world and parasitology there was not dull. I had a wonderful instructor, Dr. Skafidas (PhD in parasitology), who infected me with his fascination with parasitology. We learned mainly from his lectures and slide presentations but also hands-on work in the lab. Also, I believe the text we used was "Medical Parasitology" by Markell and Voge.
A question for you...at that time we favored the use of ether/formalin concentration for recovering ova from stool samples. What method are you using now and do you find it better?
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>>7942018
For general audience reading on parasitology, I might suggest "Parasite Menace, The: A Complete Guide to the Prevention, Treatment and Elimination of Parasitic Infection" by
Skye Weintraub
>>7942578
>who infected me with his fascination with parasitology
>>7942523
I probably test positive for Toxo and Demodex, other than that no thankfully not!
>>7942526
Yeah I deal with ectoparasites too, though I tend to prefer endoparasites.
>>7942562
amoungst children they are pretty common, though they rely on faecal oral contamination (i.e. the eggs are sticky so get everywhere) so if you have not had contact with anyone with pinworm and are clean the chances are you wont get it. Adults tend not to.
>>7942578
You are very welcome! I am just here to share a passion, hoping people find it interesting. Yes samples from the third world can be much more interesting.
As for the technical question, we still use formal-ether condensates in medical diagnostics but in veterinary, where quantification is more important, things like McMasters (hate) and salt flotation is used more. I prefer the salt flotation since it is more sensitive, but if I was just doing a strict diagnosis with no counts I would go formal-ether since in my experience you will pick up more.
>>7942617
my pleasure, Anon
>>7940761
where can i find more like this:
>upon a galaxy dying the souls tend to jump in a new vessel, often a worm, maggot, or parasite
and
>the reason parasites eat the flesh is (because they are trying to escape interdimensional status) and the flesh contains valuable DNA patterns to make a larger animal and a universe-accepted (non-rejected) creature
im sure someone has wrote this better than me
>>7942957
Whatever you're smoking, I suggest you lay off it for a couple of days, just to see how it turns out...
>>7942642
Is N. Fowleri objectively the worst parasite to contract or is there something even more horrifying then having your brain digested?
A friend of mine is into some interesting sexual things, including putting various types of worms inside his urethra and having them crawl around. Could this potentially end up with some parasite living in his dick and messing it up?
>>7942957
I am baffled, could you clarify haha
>>7943097
Interesting question. It really does depend on what you consider worse: death or horrific disfigurement.
N.fowleri is a weird one because in general it is non-parasitic, in that, it does not need to parasitise a host to complete its life cycle. It is a free living amoeba. However, of course it can (rarely) cause a harrowing parasitosis in unfortunate cases when infected water is introduced up the nose and into the olfactory bulb. In this case, yes, it has by far the highest mortality of any parasitosis. There are some similar free living amoeba which can do equivilent things such as Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba sp.
However, some obligate parasites could be arguably worse, although they tend not to kill people. I am thinking of things like Lyphatic filarial worms (Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia spp.) which cause the infamous elephantiasis, and the new world Leishmania spp. complex which can cause mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis; a truly horrifically disfiguring disease which eats away the soft palate and face.
The general rule is (as demonstrated nicely by free living amoebae); if a parasite finds itself somewhere it shouldn't be, be it a different host species or a different tissue within a host, things get much worse.
>>7942430
>The weight loss is about as noticable in the first world (where we have excessive nutrient intake) as dropping a chip on the floor is.
Thanks, this response actually makes a lot of sense when I read it, since a pregnant woman 8 months along only needs like 300 extra calories for a baby and that's about 1 microwave burritos' worth. Stands to reason a worm that doesn't even do anything would be even less significant.
I'm guessing the only real harm a parasites do to humans is if they excrete something toxic?
>>7943172
Maybe this isn't your field, but I had Giardia about 6 months ago for 2 months (worst time of my life, famiglia). Anyway, my poos haven't really stabilized (I used to be very regular and solid, now most of my stool is soft or liquid and I have to go at random times), but it doesn't feel like I still have the parasite. Is this normal, or should I go to a doctor?
>>7943181
Most of the time damage is done as a consequence of a particular facet of their lfe cycle. For example, malaria causes very high fever that recurrs every few 2-3 days (though it's not always to orderly) due to the parasite rupturing infected red blood cells and the invasive stages flooding out to find new RBC's to infect and continue multiplying. Much of the damage done by liver fluke is the inflammation caused by juvinile fluke migrating through liver tissue, and similarly in Schistosoma it's granuloma formation around eggs that travel through liver tissue. Other times it's inflammation of the GI tract or destruction of microvilli and even (in the case of Giardia) your entire small intestine being covered by a monolayer of the feeding (trophozoite) stage of the parasite, meaning you simply cannot absorb nutrients so just shit your guts out (pic related). There are even parasites, such as Clonorchis sinensis, which can actually cause cancer of the liver and bile duct. So yes, while damage can be caused by the excretion of parasitic protiens which may have some effect (often inflammatory, but sometimes more specific), that is not the whole story.
>>7943235
I am sorry to hear that, friend. Giardia is nasty! It sounds like you may be suffering from some kind of chronic inflammatory condition. It could well clear up on its own, but if you are worried then mention it to your GP. I hope you can get it sorted!
>>7940761
What are the chances I could get away with murder by carefully dripping a culture of brain eating amoeba into someone's nose while they sleep?
>>7943247
That would be a pretty rough way to go! If you manage to culture any, can you send me some? I am always looking to extend our collection.
Very interesting thread, many thanks OP
>>7940761
I had a tapeworm when I lived in Africa.
Scared the shit out of me. Literally.
My mate lives in Belize and he told me about piss worms; a worm that smells piss and goes up your cock. He told me not to swim in the rivers.
>>7941133
>who survive by stimulating growth of endothelial cells in the bile ducts of the host and then grazing them
I can definitely see why you like this field, all this is just cool as fuck.
>>7942454
OP you should consider writing a pop book on parasites.
>>7943447
Not OP but they're called Candiru.
The whole going up your cock thing is somewhat of a myth. They've only been documented to do that once in humans and that incident wasn't confirmed.
>>7941343
Yes, tell us what you know about Planarias. Also, what's the difficuties and rewards of your job, would you describe it as fun?
>>7943447
That must have been a bit unsettling! I think you are referring to the Candiru, a type of catfish which is said to do that.
>>7943544
That is a good idea, I might just do that! I don't know how many people would read it though haha
>>7943576
I know you said you had never been infected with a parasite, but have you ever had any close calls or incidents where you were exposed to one, whether it be in the lab or elsewhere?
>>7943573
Not much really since they are non-parasitic. However I know that they are subject to a great deal of research as a model flatworm due to their unusual regenerative ability and the ease of sustaining a population of them, meaning you can carry out genetic research very easily. They are used in the study of gene function a lot for this reason. I find them interesting since they belong to the same Phylum as a lot of parasites (Platyhelminthes) but I am far from an expert.
>>7943585
Haha well.... there is one moment that springs to mind of scientific curiosity that got the best of me. We had a culture of a type of ruminant hookworm (Bunostomum phlebotomum) which we were using for a study. The way hookworm infects the host is for the larvae to burrow through the skin of the host, into the blood system, circulate to the lungs where they are coughed up and swallowed to mature into adult stage in the small intestine. During the stage where it burrows through the skin it causes serpiginous lines of inflammation where you can literally see the route the worm took into the blood vessels. Now, this is the bit where I got curious. I happened to know that even though Bunostomum sp. cannot establish an infection and mature to adulthood in a human, it can burrow through the skin and cause a condition called 'cutaneous larva migrans' where the track marks of inflammation can be seen (as well as itching and soreness). So what I did was try and induce this in myself by placing a few drops of concentrated larval culture onto my arm (about 400 larvae in total) and wait for 10 minutes to allow them to burrow. Much to my disappointment I did not see anything. I think I should have put it on a thinner area of skin. Pic related; its cutaneous larva migrans.
>>7943418
My pleasure!
>>7943528
It really is
>>7943629
You're a madman and I love it.
I took a parasitology class as part of my biology minor and really enjoyed it. Y'all do some pretty great stuff.
>>7943629
>The way hookworm infects the host is for the larvae to burrow through the skin of the host, into the blood system, circulate to the lungs where they are coughed up and swallowed to mature into adult stage in the small intestine.
You can't make this shit up.
>>7940867
Grant us eyes, grant us eyes!
This is a very interesting thread. The parasites that induce ants to move or take odd actions in particular are fascinating and horrifying in equal lengths. What are the actual mechanisms to cause the ant to do this or that? It's not some kind of entangling and sending false signals to the brain like a scifi mind control device, right?
op are you from south africa by chance
>>7943576
>I don't know how many people would read it though haha
You just have to make it sensationalist. Color photos and spine tingling descriptions.
>>7940998
What are you currently researching now?
Have you read Infected by scott sigler?
>>7944049
I don't think it's very well understood how exactly it does that. At a guess I would say it was something to do with false signalling causing some kind of geotaxis when the temperature drops in the evening. Other than that your guess is as good as mine! Mind control seems an adequate description though.
>>7944054
UK here
>>7944343
I am about to take up some funding for a study mining the Genome of Cryptosporidium for useful information.
>>7944392
I had to google this name. No I havn't, is it worth a read?
>>7944293
I could give it a shot!
>>7943664
It is pretty great, and the world needs more imo.
>>7940761
how old are you? are you working in a hospital or something? (sorry if I didn't ctrl +f )
>>7944646
Great thread.
Any surprising instances illustrating impact/necessity of parasites to their ecology?
And... You mentioned some very fascinating life cycles. Do they get even more convoluted? seems a given that parasites can themselves be hosts... maybe even host other individuals of its own species in a different stage of the cycle. Or not. I'd totally watch the Aliens movie though.
Thanks again for the great thread!
>>7944661
I am 25 years old so I am really only just getting my trousers off in Parasitology even though I have quite a bit of experience in Medical, Veterinary, Academic and Industrial Parasitology. I am an Academic researcher for the forseeable future, I worked as a Veterinary Parasitologist and Research Investigator for a Contract Research Institution before this but although the Parasitology was great, I didn't like Industry.
>>7944689
>Examples of Ecological impact
There are quite a few, the impact of Parasites on ecology is not to be underestimated. There are many examples of how parasites manipulate their hosts and the interactions between their intermediate and definitive host to the benefit of the parasite. This usually involves making the intermediate host more likely to be eaten by the definitive host, which is where it needs to get to to mature to adulthood (more on that later). But a specific example which is less classical would be something like the observation that, on islands in the Gulf of California, lizards, scorpions and spiders are much more abundant on those islands where sea birds have colonies due to them predating bird ectoparasites.
There are also quite a few examples of parasite-mediated competition, where the parasite alters the outcome of species competition. This is often in cases where a parasite-tolerant host species acts as a reservoir host, allowing for the proliferation of the parasite. This may then have a negative effect on another species more susceptible to this parasite, allowing the tolerant species to outcompete the intolerant one. Of course, the opposite can be true, where a previously dominant species becomes competetively inferioir to another species due to the presence of a parasite which affects its ability to compete for resources with the other species. There are numerous examples of parasites indirectly affecting the balence of competetive interactions in ecosystems around the world.
(cont.)
What is your least favourite parasite?
>>7944689
>Life Cycles
In terms of complexity, the trematodes (flukes) take the prize imo. They always have 2 or 3 hosts in their life cycles, one of which will be a snail of some kind. Many of them have amazing ways of getting into their definitive host. Another great example, and one that is undoubtably one of the more bizarre and ingeneous methods is the trematode Ribeiroia ondatrae, which goes through 3 hosts in its life cycle: Planorbid snails (1st Intermediate host), Fish or larval amphibians (2nd Intermediate host) and some predatory bird or mammal (definitive host). In the case where the cercariae (infective stage that leaves the snail) find larval amphibians, they seem to be attracted to the areas where hind limbs will be formed, and cluster around these areas as forms infective to the DH (called metacercariae). During certain periods of time in the development of the larval amphibian, they are susceptible to limb deformation, this can be stimulated by the presence of the Ribeiroia infective form which leads to frogs and salamanders with highly deformed hind limbs, to the point where extra limbs can sprout. The affect this has on the amphibian is to distrupt its movement and ability to escape predation, which leads to a greater chance of it being eaten by the definitive host (e.g. a heron). Pic related.
And yes there are a few cases where parasites can host parasites. The poultry caecal nematode Heterakis gallinarum can be host to the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis, which can cause infection when embryonated eggs of Heterakis are swallowed. There aren't a great number of these 'russian doll' examples, but they exist.
Can you transmit parasites by anal?
is this a tape worm?
>>7940761
I can see you focus more on medically significant parasites, but there was one example of a hyperhyper(hyper?) parasitic wasp that my lecturer talked about in a parasitology lecture I had in my first year. I thought that was neato, but haven't been able to find the names of the wasp species he talked about. Can you confirm/know the species he was talking about?
>>7944843
Looks more like the lining of your intestine. (not OP)
>>7945093
That's what I'd say too (not OP). It is known that putting your asshole on a drain can suck out your intestines.
>>7944824
Well there are cases where Trypanosoma brucei gambiense/rhodesiense has been reportedly transmitted by sex and there are probably (depending on what you do) risks if they have an intestinal protozoan infection (i.e. cryptosporidiosis). There is also some suggestion that you can transmit Trichomonas this way, but the data is fuzzy on that one. However, there is no parasite that classically relies on transmission this way, and in fact Trichomonas vaginalis is the only classical sexually transmitted parasite in humans.
>>7944843
Nothing parasite looking there my friend. They look like mucous plugs to me. If it was a tapeworm it would be obvious, and moving!
>>7944854
I tend to, and before I was a Veterinary Parasitologist I saw a distinction between the two disciplines. However that line greyed and vanished quickly and now I am just a Parasitologist rather than Med or Vet.
I don't think I have heard of a 3rd or 4th degree hyperparasite, however a good example of a 2nd degree hyperparasite would be a Chalcid wasp. They are often parasites of other parasitic wasps.
>>7945064
Certainly! The book that really helped my when I was studying (and it just generally interesting as a reference text, one I still learn new things whilst reading from) is 'Foundations of Parasitology' by Roberts and Janovy. It outlines the concepts and major groups of Parasites very well and puts things in a nice, easily approachable context. I owe great deal of how I think about parasites and remember so much about so many different species because of how it is layed out. It allowed me to build a phylogenetic tree of life in my head and just slot parasites into place when I discovered them. I picked my copy up 2nd hand on amazon for about £15. Best book I have ever purchased.
>>7945166
I know you said you prefer endoparasites but what are the best ways to avoid being butten by ticks outdoors?
There are paralysis ticks in some of my favourite camping grounds and somehow I've avoided even getting a single tick bite in my life, do they have a preference for certain people (like blood type or other genetic component)?
>>7946096
not OP
Good read on the matter:
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-09/968278395.Gb.r.html
>>7946096
The best way, I would have thought, is to try to avoid walking into tick habitat (e.g. long, scrubby grassland or just anywhere where the tick could be waiting for a host to brush by) with uncovered legs and make sure to check each other thoroughly for ticks after an excursion. Permethrin is also known to be very, and immediately, effective as an acaricide and is used to great effect.
As for a preference, there is likely to be a genetic component linked to the odours that people give off that attract ticks (CO2, ammonia etc etc). Ticks tend to start 'telegraphing' (raise their body and waive their forelegs in the direction of the source to try and latch on, pic related) when they sense these particular bio-compounds, so it stands to reason that they are more likely to latch onto people who produce more of these. With blood types it is probably not so much a case of being more likely to be bitten, since they are unlikely to be able to sense this pre-bite (if at all), but there may be some evidence to suggest that different blood types affect the speed of the olotrophic cycle (egg production) and the fecundity of the adult during that cycle. I remember during my Masters giving blood to aid a colleagues research project looking into this very thing in bedbugs. I think there was not enough data to draw a conclusion at the time but I seem to remember it warrenting further investigation, so there may be some truth to it.
would you recommend some more books?
>>7947334
A slightly less referency book would be 'People, Parasites, & Plowshares' by Dickson Despommier (I love this man) who is a venerable and very experienced Parasitologist. It is not a textbook, unlike Foundations of Parasitology, so is not as broad on scope or specific in detail but it is well written and detailed enough to be interesting but not so detailed as to be dry.
>>7947362
thanks anon
I'm a hunter and there are concerns about contracting trichinosis from bear meat, what can you tell me about it?
What are your qualifications? How old are you? How long have you been doing this?
>>7948437
He says he's currently in academic research, so that probably means PhD.
>>7940761
Have you ever intentionally infected yourself with a parasite to observe the effects first hand? If so, any stories?
What are the chances of parasitic infection in the first world for sashimi eaters, and those who like pink hamburgers?
>>7948421
Well it is a roundworm that has quite an unsual life cycle in that it seems to take advantage of the cannibalistic nature of its hosts (pigs, primarily), though it can also go through a standard 2 host cycle. The definitive host also serves as the intermediate host in that the larvae, after they are released from the adult, invade host tissue and form nurse cells in muscle (traditionally associated with diaphragm muscle tissue). When the host is consumed, so are the nurse cells which can then mature to patency in the new hosts small intestine. The worrying nature about this parasite is that it is very difficult to get rid of the nurse cells. If you have one or two there is little cause for concern but if you have many it can lead to some pretty debilitating muscular problems and chronic pain. I am lead to believe it can be very serious in some cases, even leading to death. This is another strange thing about this parasite, it seems to be one of the few where killing the host is actually not such a bad thing, we can thank the opportunistic cannibalism of pigs for that. Luckily the adults can be treated.
>>7948437
I have a degree, a Masters in Medical Parasitology and a postgraduate diploma in the same. I have about 3 years experience as a diagnostic & Veterinary Parasitologist and Research Investigator. Nowdays I am doing a PhD. Oh and I am 25, so still forging my career really.
>>7949530
see >>7943629
>>7949894
The chance of getting something like tapeworm from beef in the first world is practically nil. The regulation on meat nowdays is extremely thorough due to the potential for the transmission of quite a few muscle-borne parasites. As for sashimi, we keep hearing of asian people getting massive Spirometra sparganosis or Diphyllobothrium infections from their diets of raw fish. This is possible in countries where the food regulation and quality control is lower, but I think less likely over here. Having said that, I do vividly remember someone finding a larval Pseudoterranova sp. in the cod fillet they got from the cantine of the institution where I studied for my Masters (which only made it funnier), it drew quite a crow of Parasitologists as you can imagine. So these things do slip through the net moreso with fish, I think because of the fact that they are not intensively farmed often, so they are subject to the full force of the ecosystem unlike farm animals.
I can't help but feel Asians bring it upon themselves with this shit though, there is a tapeworm (Taenia asiatica) which has only just really been considered as a human pathogen, and is limited to rural areas of Asia where the practice of eating raw pork liver can be observed. With that in mind, if you eat raw pork liver because it is a delicacy rather than cooking it, you deserve a fucking tapeworm.
>>7949530
I should probably give a bit more of an answer, beyond what is detailed above, giving some blood to bedbugs, and letting various insect vectors bite me to compare how much they hurt, No. I often get the pang of scientific curiosity but the only thing that stops me is having to explain to a doctor how I know I am about the 4th person in recorded history to obtain an Ostertagia infection.
>>7950065
>With that in mind, if you eat raw pork liver because it is a delicacy rather than cooking it,
I cannot comprehend that, OP. Rationally uncooked meat seems stupid. Just how commonpace are tapeworks be in this kind of a society?
>>7950108
It is quite hard to say because of the difficulties involved in actually diagnosing tapeworm. They are mostly benign to symptomatology will tell you nothing, therefore you have to use faecal egg counts or imunnoassays, but these are labour intensive. Doing this across large areas of rural Asia is logistically difficult. However, judging by the literature (which I have just scanned, since I wanted to give an actual figure) it seems like about 2-4% of people in rural areas of Asia harbour some kind of tapeworm, which type will depend alot on their lifestyle and cultural behaviours. I would not be surprised if this is a conservative figure though, they do tend to underestimate parasite burden in rural areas, and they are only really getting to grips with species like T.asiatica, which have only relatively recently appeared on the radar of public health.
I'm a microbio major and I get really squeamish from the sight of parasitic infection or even surgery. I love my field but I know I'm gonna need to get rid of this phobia, any tips?
>>7950136
>which have only relatively recently appeared on the radar of public health.
A newly discovered species? How frequently are new species being found?
>>7950425
Not OP
Do not allow your squeamishness to stop you or dictate your course. When you are squeamish you are allowing your imagination to run wild in the face of the unknown or unfamiliar and because of your lack of knowledge of the experience and how to act in the face of it, you feel powerless. This squeamishness goes away or becomes substantially reduced when you gain more experience and knowledge. In other words, learn more and gain experience by doing. The reality is not as bad as you imagine or fear.
>>7940761
What's you opinion on the Alien?
>>7950065
>giving some blood to bedbugs, and letting various insect vectors bite me to compare how much they hurt
the absolute madman
living in a 3rd world county I got giardia once when I was 15 and Ascariasis a few times during my childhood. Giardia was a pain in the ass, I wanted to eat but just couldn't due to the cramps.
Also got pinworms a few times, which is fucking gross.
This is a wonderful thread and rarely I say so. Well done, OP, nice to see you back here.
>>7950878
Are you a medfag?
Do you still have any phobias?
I cant stand punctured eyes/injections in the eyes
I seem to be getting better because that parasite in the eye is fucking neato
>>7951361
Seconding this. Excellent read, OP (and others).
Now OP, you've detailed some crazy deformations ITT, but what I'd like to know, is what are the craziest behavioral changes due to parasital influence you know of? For example, Dicrocoelium dendriticum causing its ant hosts to clamp to the tips of grass blades as you detailed in >>7940867
Thanks for the post OP.
I did Microbiology and Bioscience at Salford and parasites always interested me (even though I could never remember the names)
Makes me want to go back to uni!
>>7940761
OP(parasite), what are the weirdest livecycle among 'sites ?
Like strangest hosts, most number of hosts, way of infecting hosts ...
Also, can parasites parasite other parasites, creating a parasiteception ?
What biosafety level does your lab have?
Do you work in a lab with anything that would be devastating if it got out (like infectious vectors)?
OP here, sorry for the hiatus in replies comrades. And thank you all for making this thread rather successful!
>>7950425
I don't get squeamish at all (and I have seen and had to do some shit, I am assure you) but I can totally sympathise with people that are. I would say that it will pass over time the more you are exposed to whatever makes you squeamish. I would liken it to the atrocious smells I have had to deal with when I was in Vet Parasitology, some of the things I had to do where absolutely stomach churning (handing rotten intestines etc) but you really do just get used to it, now it's just water off a ducks back. >>7950878 is good advice, I would add that often just thinking about what a parasite really is and how amazing they are can really help you forget about the nastiness.
>>7950586
It was not so much that it was newly discovered, more that people were misdiagnosing it as T.saginata (beef tapeworm) which it very closely resembles. It was discovered long before, but it has only recently been realised that it is actually quite a significant public health issue. This kind of pseudo-discovery is fairly common nowdays due to diagnostics shifting from reliance on microscopy to molecular methodologies. It has happened with Rumen fluke in the UK, which was originally considered an identical species to what is found on mainland Europe (Paramphistomum cervi) but after people in QCB did some genetic work they discovered that it was actually a whole different genus (Calicophoron daubneyi) which just looks exactly the same. The same thing happened with a species of malaria (P.ovale) being split into two seperate subspecies. Whole new species are discovered fairly regularly too, and quite a lot of importance is put on assessing genotypes within known species to derive some info about what makes certain genotypes more pathogenic than others. Consequently species are often being split or redefined.
>>7951097
Excellent movie, but in terms of scientific merit (yes, I will go there) the main issue is the fact that parasites (or in this case, parasitoids) are often very specifically adapted to infect the host/s that it does. Putting it in a host other than the one which it usually infects will, with very few exceptions, result in an aborted or arrested life cycle. The idea of an alien parasite infecting humans, which would have an entirely different evolutionary lineage, is pretty unlikely! Having said that, it is one of my favourite movie franchises.
>>7951129
oh man, I have only heard bad things about giardia. Did you ever find the Ascaris falling out of your arse? That seems to be quite common. There is a horrible story that my diagnostics lecturer told me about how he found an adult Ascaris in the corridor of the uni, the only problem was no one was working with adult Ascaris at the time. It had fallen out of someones arse.
>>7951361
you are welcome! I could talk about Parasites forever (and plan to)
>>7951544
That is a good question, I will have a think about it and get back to you. Things like Toxoplasma, Leucochloridium and Dicrocoelium are some fairly obvious ones, but I will order my thoughts and give you some more later today (after work).
>>7952530
Ah yes I know a Prof Phil Craig from Salford, I have talked with him a little, very knowledgeable on flatworms. They have a strong parasitology research group over there so I imagine the teaching on the subject is excellent.
>>7953604
Yeah Prof Craig is a cool guy! We went on a trip to Malham with him and BBC was filming and he was on tv haha.
>>7953416
Well I work with cryptosporidium now, so that is group 2 (though quite pathogenic group 2 in comparison to others). That is handled in a high end cat 2 lab. In the past, when I was in industry I usually worked in a cat 2 lab, though with parasites things are a little difficult to categorise in the usual way since the criteria about 'spreading to the community' that would be part of the definition of a group 3 organism does not usually apply due to the peculiarities of parasitic life cycles (needing more than one host, often making it impossible to spread directly from human to human). Having said this, group 2 is a very wide group in parasitology, including anything from borderline commensals (like the beef tapeworm or some of the other roundworms) which you will barely know you have all the way through to some species of malaria parasite. I also did some work in our better equipped lab with Echinococcus granulosus, which is group 3 and pretty fucking horrible if you get it so that is probably the most nervous I have been even though it was totally safe (I have also worked with P.falciparum, T.brucei, T.cruzi and Leishmania).
The general rule with vector work is, unless there is an extremely good reason to, you never ever work with infected vectors if you can help it. And if you have to then the containment procedures are very strict. I have (knowingly) worked with infected vectors but I have working with uninfected vectors a lot.
>>7951544
There are a few others I could add. One pretty grisly one is actually a parasitic crustacean (not really my area but I like anything parasitic really) called Cymothoa exigua. It parasitises fish by entering through the gills, upon which it attaches to the tongue and severs it. It then takes the place of the fishes tongue (the fish can actually use it...) by attaching to the stump and feed off its blood. Curiously the fish doesn't seem to notice, nor does it really affect the fish in any other way.
(cont)
>>7951544
(cont)
You may well have also come across videos on the internet of improbably large, dark brown worms wriggling out of insects in an unsettling manner. Well these belong to a weird phylum of parasitoids called Nematomorpha, also called the Gordian worms or Horsehair worms. The parasitise insects and mature to adulthood (becoming many times their initial size). When the worm reaches adulthood, it causes the unfortunate invertebrate to seek out water, where it will immediately drown itself allowing the worm to burst out and go forth and find a mate. That is commitment to getting laid.
I actually found one of these in a dog that was left outside at work with a dead cricket floating in it. I did what any good parasitologist would do and chucked it in formalin to preserve it. Unfortunately it was one of the few specimens I could not get away with stealing before I left because my manager used to enjoy showing it to people when they came round and have me explain what it was so she would have noticed it had gone missing. I did manage to get away with bunch of others though thankfully.
>>7954198
> worms that turn their host into zombies
t-there must be a way to stop these evil abominations
r-right guys ?
Are cats parasites ?
>>7954362
Undoubtably, they are more dangerous than most too
>>7940761
How is the job look for a parasitologist in a year?
>>7955654
Op here, not to bad really. No worse than it is now since there will always be problems with parasites. To be honest, there are not that many industry positions because of the niche nature of it and the majority are Veterinary CRO's, so you have to be a little flexible with where you can move to. Ph.D positions will always be pretty common, with about 15-20 studentships available in Parasitology at any one time (in the UK) and probably 30 odd at key times of year.
So the job oppertunities if you want to stay in parasitology are not as numerous as, say, food science or biochemistry but they are still there.
>>7953604
>Excellent movie, but in terms of scientific merit (yes, I will go there) the main issue is the fact that parasites (or in this case, parasitoids) are often very specifically adapted to infect the host/s that it does. Putting it in a host other than the one which it usually infects will, with very few exceptions, result in an aborted or arrested life cycle. The idea of an alien parasite infecting humans, which would have an entirely different evolutionary lineage, is pretty unlikely! Having said that, it is one of my favourite movie franchises.
Bit off topic, but as Ridley Scott explained in way back in 1970s, the Xenos in his vision were a biological weapon made by a superadvanced race. As such, they were designed to analyze their hosts and adapt to their biology. This vague idea was carried over the franchise with xenos designed to look differently depending on their hosts.
Unfortunately, Scott later on fucked over his own lore with the abysmal Prometheus.
>>7956056
Wait, where in Prometheus did he mess up the lore?
>>7956361
This.
Wouldn't it make more sense if both the humans and the xenos were made by the engineers?
>engineers
Also explains all the dick imagery and the scary vaginas
Man this post hasn't ceased to fascinate me op, I immagine like your field bit of a weird question what are the size variants of the parasites? I did not realise the malaria was a parasite I thought it was a disease? I guess I don't really understand the definition of both ( it just blows my mind that you can have that fish tongue to tape worm to malaria??)
>>7959185
Also thank you
>>7959185
Malaria is a disease but the Plasmodium that causes malaria is a parasite
>>7959185
Parasites vary wildly in size, the biggest are the tapeworms. The human beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata) commonly tops 10m in length, with a few specimens doubling that. I hear the whale tapeworm (Polygonoporus giganticus) has been reported growing longer than 30m. As well as that you get Ascarid roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) growing to over a foot long. Those are the largest parasites, but the smallest are without a doubt the protozoans, with things like amastigotes (an intracellular stage) of Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi getting down to 1 micron (1/1000 of a millimeter). To put that in context, that is about the length of a small bacterium.
As for malaria, it is the name of the disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. In humans the species which cause malaria are:
P.falciparum - the most life threatening and is responsible for the majority of cases.
P.vivax - can hang around in your liver and suddenly cause fever months after you though it was gone, it can do this multiple times.
P.ovale - split into two subspecies (curtisi and wallikeri).
P.malariae - probably the least common of the major 4.
P.knowlesi - fairly new in comparison to the others, used to be a species that only infected macaques in S.E. Asia but cases started popping up and now it's officially a human pathogen.
In practice though, 'malaria' is used quite often as a synonym for the parasite itself even though it is technically innacurate to say "I am looking at malaria under the microscope" since the term refers to a condition, in this case a disease.
Most Parasitologist specialise in just medical or just veterinary parasites, and often just a single one, but I like to study all parasites from all disciplines. I have been both a med and vet parasitologist and have discovered that there is really so much overlap that the line between them has disappeared.
And my pleasure
>>7959248
>whale tapeworms
I have never heard of this before and the concept that tapeworms are also prevalent in the sea is somewhat troubling. Would they spread even more easily in the water than on land?
>>7959286
>would they spread more easily in the water than on land
That is an interesting question. I don't actually know the answer, but the thought experiment itself could be valuable.
Since P.giganticus infects sperm whales, the most likely intermediate host is a squid. The information available on its lifecycle is very sparse so this is all conjecture fyi. What we can infer from its family (Diphyllobothriidae) is that it produces a coracidia that is likely gets eaten by a copepod which acts as the first intermediate host (matures into procercoid), the copepod will then get eaten by a vertebrate which will become infected and act as the second intermediate host (matures into a plerocercoid). This second host is likely to be a fish or crustacian of some sort. At this stage it is pretty common for tapeworm larvae of this family to travel through a number of paratenic hosts (hosts that are unnecessary to the life cycle, since the larvae will not mature in them, just hitch a lift) by them getting eaten. It travels up the food chain to a squid which will become the new host for the plerocercoid larvae, when this squid is eaten by the sperm whale the larvae can mature into an adult and start masturbating eggs out (it self fertilises).
This seems like quite a convoluted life cycle but is probably quite a good representation of what actually happens.
I would say that tapeworms in aquatic animals probably spread more easily simply because it would be easier to disseminate the eggs in water than on land, therefore the eggs would find their respective hosts quicker. Additionally, it is likely that the hosts would find each other quicker in the water, especially in places like reefs where the abundance of host interactions would benefit the parasite.
That is all just vague inference though, there are probably many factors I have not considered.
Brilliant question, I had not really thought of it before.
Ever seen the show Monsters Inside Me? Is it obvious when they start listing symptoms what the parasite is?
>>7959382
yeah a few, and yes they are pretty obvious. They are rarely particuarly complex desu. I haven't seen all of them though
Are there any parasites (animals not fungi I mean) which become airborne and disperse eggs or themselves through the wind like pollen or spores or in an aerosol through a sneeze or a mist?
>>7940894
This is nightmare fuel. I am horrified.
>>7940761
I had shit loads of cats when I was growing up. Pretty much from birth to about 15, always had at least 1 cat
Are they the reason hat I'm retarded?
>>7940761
I was in the Himilayas. I got the worst... not even close, diarhea of any human ever... would chug 2 liters of water and shit it out within 10 minutes and feel completely parched immediately. Finally got to a doctor who gave me like 5 meds including Cipro and it got better pretty quick. Also, my hearing was phasing in and out. What the hell was in me?
>>7959652
There are a couple of species which infest the lungs and therefore eggs are often passed by coughing and sneazing, Paragonimus westermani would be one of them. But the problem with parasites are that they often require a period of time or a host/set of hosts before they are infective to the definitive host. In the case of Paragonimus, being a fluke it must go through a snail and a crustacean before it becomes infective again. Even something that does not need an intermediate host usually requires a period of time for the parasite to develop into a larvae in the egg, so is not immediately infective. There are some exceptions in protozoans, although they tend to be passed through faecal-oral contamination or vector transmission than anything else.
There is nothing really similar to what you described (that I am aware of), however I feel like Dictyocaulus viviparis might be interesting to you (although it is non-parasitic to humans). It is a bovine lungworm which lays embryonated eggs (most nematodes don't) which are then coughed up and swallowed. The eggs hatch during the journey through the GI tract and are passed as stage 1 larvae. They then mature in the faeces, which is growing Pilobilus sp. fungi. When they get to stage 3, the larvae seek out the fungi, crawl to the top and wait for them to burst and release their spores, when they do this the larvae are also thrown away, allowing them to disseminate over larger areas of pasture and infect more hosts. That is about as similar as I can think of at the moment.
>>7960044
Haha the effect of T.gondii on human behaviour and congnition has been exaggerated I think, the evidence is scant, so don't worry.
>>7960058
If it was treated with Ciprofloxacin then it was non-parasitic, since it is used to treat bacterial infections. You probably had some nasty form of bacterial enteritis. Sounds pretty rough man!
>>7959400
I don't know why 'to be honest' was changed to 'desu'....
>>7960749
I have Pinworms, I've seen the small white fuckers struggle and squirm in my shit and die. They're very small but noticeable, like a grain of rice.
I think I'm bloated, occasional itching, but otherwise asymptomatic. It disgusts me. I've taken anti-parasitic medication from the pharmacy but they just come back / don't leave due to easy re-infection.
Kill myself?
This has been a interesting thread. It makes my skin itch, but still.
So in this army survival manual it suggests a field treatment to kill parasites by eating cigarettes. Like one and half every 4 hours for 12 hours than it tapers off. Apparently the nicotine is enough to stun or kill most parasites that feed off the blood stream.
I remember chemicals like pesticides work much better on creatures with simple nervous systems, like insects, while it takes massive doses just to make a person feel queasy. Is this a good approach to treating parasitic infections if real medication is available? I don't mean drinking Raid, but consuming other poisonous substances.
>>7960777
Intestinal parasites, you wanna make the environment inhospitable by poisoning the fuckers.
Cyanide (Crickets)
Acid (Vinegar, Citric, Urine)
Poison (Nicotine)
>>7960749
Thanks. I was just wondering if there was any way to catch them just through breathing.
You've got me watching that monsters inside me show now haha
Ever pull spaghetti's worth of worms out of an intestinal track?
>>7962263
>intestinal track
>>7960768
yeah they are a fucker to get rid of in the environment cos the eggs are sticky and get everywhere.
>>7960777
'Parasites' are only defined as such by their way of life, it is not a taxonomic classification like 'Bacteria' or 'Fungus' so what works on one is not necessarily going to work on another just because it is a parasite. This is why 'parasite cleanses' are bullshit. What you just suggested is very risky and a potentially life threatening way to deal with a probably largely benign infection. Also be aware that a great deal of parasites are not blood feeders (tapeworm would be an example). Basically, you are asking "if i drink poison will it kill the parasite before it kills me?". I cannot answer that and I would be remiss not to strongly dissuade you from doing this. I don't mean to be blunt but that is risky and potentially very dangerous, especially considering most parasites are rarely immediately life threatening enough to take such a drastic course of action. If you are worried see a GP (or someone like me!).
>>7962263
out of a human? No, thats for a surgeon to do. Animals? Many, pig Ascaris (Ascaris suum) is particularly satisfying when you get a nest of them! I have a preserved pot of them in my room in fact.
i got some sort of parasite up my foot in thailand about 10 years ago, It got in at the middle of my sole and kind of spiraled around untill it reached my ankle and dissappeared, it was really itchy but i was a young pussy and didnt go to the doctor.
any chance its fucking me up inside? i know its been a while
>>7963685
The ironic thing is that it's probably fused with your brain by this point, and your consciousness and thus questions are now that of the parasite.
>>7963729
thats life cycle stage 3. Stage 4 is when the host is mysteriously driven to run for public office. A critical mass of political power is achieved, and the mothership is summoned (stage 5)
>>7963748
i see
then i wont worry too much, its already too late
>>7963685
OP here
I am pretty sure I can give you a diagnosis, actually. Did you walk barefoot on any sand (or basically at all) by any chance? Because it sounds like what you were suffering from was cutaneous larva migrans, caused by (probably) Necator americanus or Ancylostoma sp., also called Hookworm. Basically the larvae live in the ground and will burrow into the skin and take a somewhat convoluted route to the small intestine. While they are burrowing they cause track lines of inflammation which looks alarming and is very itchy. See >>7943629 for a picture and a more verbose description of the life cycle of a similar genus (life cycles are identicle). Chances are either it didn't establish or it did and you didn't really notice because you didn't have many worms. Either way you are good now.
>>7940990
>Do mathematicians just do proofs?
The good ones do.
>>7963851
That's the point silly.
>>7960768
Not OP, but I've had recurring pinworms in the past too.
I found that the best (and maybe only) way to get rid of them is to adopt absolutely immaculate sanitation habits.
Wash your hands several times a day, don't put your fingers in your mouth and avoid directly touching the portions of utensils that will enter your mouth.
It will likely take some time to completely flush the infection, and to avid becoming re-infected you should keep up the habits for some time after you feel clear of the worms.
Also, if you're the kind of person who chews their nails or uses their teeth to clean under your nails, that's probably the easiest way to infect yourself with pinworms.
>>7963849
This shit is so scary man
>>7940761
This ones for you, OP. It's a Balantidium trophozoite that we isolated from a tortoise. I filmed it with my mobile phone pointed down the microscope lens which is why it's a bit jerky.
Hi, OP. Really interesting thread. This is some inspiring stuff right here. I think I know what I want to do with my life now. Thanks.
>>7940761
OP, when I was 5 or 6 years old back in the 1950's, my family lived in Morocco. As I remember, when my mother would return home with produce from the local market, she would soak it in water for 30 minutes and then mix in some amount of a powder to "make it safe" to eat.
Any idea what the powder was?
My guess is that soaking it in water allowed any amoebic parasites to ex-cyst and the powder could then more effectively kill them.
Is this procedure still used today or is there something better?
>>7952553
OP, please answer
>>7965706
>>7952553
My apologies, I must have missed this one, but I have given a few examples in other posts such as >>7944752 which seems to be pretty much exactly what you are asking. I will, however, post some more tomorrow (it is pretty late here atm, and work beckons!) just because there are quite a few excellent examples that you might enjoy.
>>7963885
quite a few, actually! Parasites in general tend not to be too bad (helminths especially, protozoans are usually worse) since it does not benefit the parasite to kill the host. It wants the host to be nice and healthy to support it and active to promote spread. The bad ones are associated more with morbidity than mortality. There a number of exceptions of course (not to ignore the fact that Malaria kills more people per year than any other disease).
>>7963944
saved, that is wonderful. You caught the cillia beautifully. The macronucleus is also very clear. Thank you for sharing!
>>7965005
That does not ring a bell I am afriad, my apologies. It sounds like it might be some kind of reagent to kill intramuscular cysts from something like T.saginata or T.solium. That is a guess though! Nowdays, meat is checked rigerously for tapeworm and trichanella larvae so it is pretty rare in the 1st world. No real need for treating the meat after that.
>>7963849
Yes, it looked like that. I think i was about fourteen and scared of doctors because of an earlier incident while on vacation. I've been having stomach aches and a swollen stomach now and then for the last few years, but my doctor said its probably just a nervous colon. A blood sample showed slightly decreased liver function.
I think I have some kind of parasite in my digestive tract. I will occasionally see little sesame seed sized particles in my shit, which i've read is an indication of tapeworm or something. My shit almost always smells rank as fuck, and after I wipe sometimes the shit is like sort of mucus-y. I burp all the time and had the hiccups for 2 days straight last week, and I feel like my stomach is upset more than it should be. My diet isn't awful, but I also haven't lost any weight.
>>7940761
What are your thoughts on the whole toxoplasmosis deal? I know it's extremely common in humans. Is the organism really as dangerous as the media hypes it out to be? I understand that it dangerous to those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems, but can its effects take hold on somebody who eventually reaches old age whilst carrying the parasite?
>>7943172
>The general rule is (as demonstrated nicely by free living amoebae); if a parasite finds itself somewhere it shouldn't be, be it a different host species or a different tissue within a host, things get much worse.
Huh, I wouldn't have guessed that. Reading through this thread, it seems like most parasites are really specialized, so I figued that if a parasite ended up in the wrong host species they just wouldn't have the means to reproduce.
>>7950425
Exposure therapy. Get yourself a fun parasite infection! Remember, they're your little friends who live inside you. On a semi serious note, have you seen the movie antiviral? It might make your fears better or worse.
OP, I spent a few months working on Isle Royale Naitonal Park in Michigan. Parasites were a huge problem there, so bad that we had to use special filters for our water. Swimming in the lakes, a few times I encountered round worms and tape worms just swimming around. Never in all my travels have I seen so many parasites in one place. Any idea why there are so many there?
I don't have a question that hasn't already been answered by another poster, but thanks for the best thread on /sci/ I've seen in weeks, OP.
>>7963944
I'm not really interested in these kinds of things but that is a really kickass recording
>>7943172
Just searched mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis, I really wasn't ready.
>>7940761
Hey OP. What's the funding for parasitic infections like in the UK? In the US, it's pretty scant in comparison to that of other infectious disease, which is also severely underfunded.
OP here
>>7966462
I am sorry to hear that man, it sounds like some kind of chronic inflammatory condition. It is possible that this could have been brought on by hookworm, but I would not like to make that assumption, too sweeping. I hope it is manageable.
>>7966474
That's interesting that you choose sesame seeds as the comparison, do you per chance own a cat or dog and if so are they prone to flea's? Also what country do you live in? Have you been abroad recently and eaten any undercooked meat?
>>7966500
It is mostly hype, to be honest. >>7940828
might answer it a bit further. If you mean are it's effects more apparent in the elderly who have had it all their life then I don't know of any evidence that that is the case. For the most part the whole 'toxo mind control' stuff is sensationalist. That is not to say that the media are exclusively to blame for that, I have read papers that get carried away with inferences about its effect on behaviour too.
>>7967338
Ah right okay, I do apologise. That makes more sense actually, I dont know why I assumed you meant 'meat' in retrospect. I would say that your inference is correct, especially if liver fluke is endemic and/or human faeces was used to fertilise soils the produce was grown in.
>>7968941
I would tentatively say that they were unlikely to be parasitic worms you saw swimming around, or at least, not adult human parasites. Adult parasites only mature within the definitive host and die pretty quickly if they leave the host. You may well have seen parasitoid nematomorphid worms, however, which do have a free-living (outside of a host) adult stage. The parasites that would exist in the environment would be immature and waiting to find a host to mature, so would not be visible with the naked eye (with very few exceptions).
>>7968963
You are very welcome! I am surprised it was this and am glad people have enjoyed it thus far
>>7968980
yeah man, it is absolutely horrific.
OP here
>>7968999
Well, for medical parasites it is similar in its funding to the neglected tropical diseases. So not great. The general outlook is that parasites are mostly a problem in undeveloped countries, which immediately cuts the funding down to a fraction of what it would be if it were global or just first world. The funding situation is getting better, and is still out there, but it will never catch up with the funding available for first world conditions. However, in veterinary parasitology the funding is much, much better since parasites of veterinary importance are a huge issue globally. The amount of money lost due to parasitic infection in livestock is massive, so vet para is much bigger business.
>>7968934
Sorry, I should have explained. If a parasite (particularly helminths) finds itself in the wrong host, it will not mature. Things are different with many protozoans which are a bit less picky, but helminths are very particular about what hosts can sustain their maturation into adultood. However, a great deal of damage can be done by these immature forms. Take Toxocara canis, for example; the larvae will not mature when they find themselves into a human, but the larvae will migrate around the body cause a condition called 'visceral larva migrans' and cause a great deal of inflammatory damage (and potentially blindness if they find themselves in the eye: ocular larva migrans). Another example is Echinococcus sp. which forms large cysts in the liver or lungs, if the eggs are ingested, which can be truly horrendous, especially if they burst (I have worked with faeces contaminated with the eggs of Echinococcus granulosus, it is probably the least comfortable I have felt working with a parasite). The free-living amoeba illustrate this 'unfamilliar-host mediated hyperpathogenicity' (just made that term up) quite nicely too; they go fucking bananas when they parasitise humans.
OP how do you feel about helminth therapy? Particularly for treating autoimmune disorders including seasonal allergies. Do you think a good form of it will ever be available to the public?
I am a 19 year old Canadian male. Sometimes I see vaguely string like objects in my poop. Usually 1 - 2 days after eating noodles/ramen. I dont really have diarrhea or constipation but I do get bloating now and again.
Is there some key symptom that you cant pass up as coincidence and is a tell tale sign of parasites?
I have a lot of weird health issues, including loose stool, undigested food coming out of me, getting sick when eating anything that is not a fruit or easy to digest vegetable. Its an every day thing and practically makes life unlivable.
My doctor did a parasite checking stool test of some sort but it didnt show anything. I heard that its not unusual to get false negatives when doing a parasite stool test, is this true?
Interestingly enough he gave me an "antibiotic" for 10 days time that also doubled as an anti parasite/anti fungal drug. It made me feel great, my stool became normal, i could eat anything without discomfort. Feeling better only lasted a few weeks after the treatment stopped then i went right back to where i was, i read up on the drug online and it said i should have at least been on it for 14-15 days for parasites to make sure to kill the babies that hatch out of any eggs. My doctor then gave me another antibiotic, this one a little stronger for bacteria but no anti parasite/anti fungal properties, but it had no effect on me i still felt worse.
My doctor doesn't want to give me an anti parasite/anti fungal drug again for a longer period because nothing has shown up in the tests and hes worried about them hurting my organs or something. I'm in canada so medicine is some sort of socialist dystopia where doctors are reluctant to do anything for you unless they find something specific in their basic tests, the more advanced tests have 6 month+ waiting lists as well as the specialist doctors who in some cases dont even bother calling you back they are so busy, its a bad combination of circumstances.
Do you think i might have parasites? Should i get some supplements like wormwood and black walnut hull and see if that helps?
>>7940761
if you're still here i have some questions!
Is there a chance to get any sort of parasite in a grappling gym or is just the garden variety of staph infections?
And secondly, what sort of medical personnel is actually doing the handling of these parasites? Just regular Doctors or Nurses?
Do parasites breathe?
What's the most common way to kill a parasite?
Is there more parasites in the ocean than land?
Are parasites from this world, as in if we were able to make all the dirty parasites extinct would our world calaspe ecologically?
>>7971861
Do you have any pictures to your poop? Preferably in an album form on Imgur. Detailed shots and description would be nice too.
>>7972764
>Do you have any pictures to your poop?
I think this is honestly the first time I've ever seen that phrase.
>>7971861
Your doctor is a dumb ass hole. Go to curezone.com
They can help you.
>>7941133
I could see them targeting cells that don't match the hosts DNA like cells with broken DNA sequences that lead to mutated and cancerous growths.
The danger is if they get into another hosts body....
>>7970485
It has some promise and shows to be effective. But ultimately I doubt a full blown helminth therapy will ever be widely available. I think the interest in it (from an academic point of view) is studying the method by which the parasite achieves the immunomodulation and trying to reverse engineer it, effectively.
>>7971861
I doubt you have parasites if a medical professional has checked you out and found you clear (providing they have done this on 3 samples from consecutive days, which is common practice). What was the drug he gave you? It might give me a little more information in ruling things out.
>>7972406
Very unlikely, unless one of your sparring partners has pinworm of course. Generally the biomedical scientists down in the labs handle and process the samples but 90% of them dont know what the fuck they are looking at with anything beyond the most immediately obvious parasites (no offence to them, they do a great job but this seems to be a bit of a dark spot for them) so it gets passed onto a specialist Parasitologist. The same goes with vets, though they tend to be more familliar due to the higher incidence.
>>7972743
Endoparasites spend their life in anaerobic conditions so no they dont breathe. The best way to kill a parasite would be (forgive the flippancy) anti-parasitic drugs proscibed by a doctor, since there are so many parasites that need such a wide range of drugs. However, so my answer is more useful, killing larval parasites and infective stages in food is a big issue in some places and can usually (and most effectively) be achieved by boiling the food for a minute or two or cooking thoroughly. I am not sure if there are more, I am afraid! I suppose given that life tends to be more numerous in the sea, a strong case could be made for there being more parasites too. Parasites play a vast role in the competition amoungst species, so getting rid of them unilaterally would likely have a profound effect on the ecosystem.
What kind of employment do you have? Are you a medical technologist? Working in a state lab? A hospital?
OP here
>>7974113
I am currently doing a Ph.D
I have been a veterinary Parasitologist for a research institute and a diagnostic medical Parasitologist in the past
>Parasitolgist
Okay.
What's the SEXIEST parasite you've come across?
>>7940761
what would u say is the worst parasite to contract
>>7973762
My butt cheeks are clenched, at the idea that we have to live among these parasites.
I'm currently studying biomed, haven't yet learnt that much about cells and development to answer this question.
But essentially would life be on most planets, for example if I visited a planet which is similiar to earth just less soil dirtiness, clean from parasites and witcheyed grubs. Or must there always be little buggers trying to gobble me from the inside?
Cause I don't feel safe anymore D:
>>7940761
OP are there examples of a parasite that made a species become extinct
wats the best parasite
>>7960789
I don't buy it for a minute.
We have very effective and cheap meds to treat intestinal parasites.
>>7970382
>That's interesting that you choose sesame seeds as the comparison, do you per chance own a cat or dog and if so are they prone to flea's? Also what country do you live in? Have you been abroad recently and eaten any undercooked meat?
Haven't had a dog living in my house for about a year. Never noticed the symptoms until maybe a few months ago at most. I live in the midwest US, haven't been anywhere else. Consumption of undercooked meat is a strong possibility, depending on how "undercooked" you mean. A rare steak? A burger with a little red in the center?
I have been burping all day, despite drinking nothing carbonated. Diarrhea; yellow-ish shit. Haven't seen "sesame seeds" since the last post. No real discomfort or pain, though.
>>7974498
I have always thought Fasciola hepatica was elegant in the way it moves. It kind of reminds me of a spanish dancers dress.
>>7974521
In terms of death toll then Malaria takes it by a country mile. But there are quite a few which make malaria look pretty pleasent. Things like lymphatic filarial worms and Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (be careful googling that one, it's pretty unpleasent) are some of the ones I would least want. Special mention has to go to the free living amoebae though, especially Naegleria fowleri which has about a 2% survival rate.
>>7975339
Parasitism is the most common way of living on earth. With that in mind I would say that as long as there are creatures which have evolved to gather their food, there will be organisms evolved to parasitise them. Parasites can require a strong stomach to study, and for this reason most people ignore them as unpleasent and stomach churning. But if you can take the decision to look closer at them you will find some of the most intricate and complex examples of relationships between organisms anywhere in the tree of life. It is deeply rewarding if you can get past the initial squeamishness, I promise you!
>>7975671
Although I cannot think of one that has actively caused an extinction, one that seems to be going the right way about it is Varroa destructor, a mite of honey bees. It is having a pretty dramatic impact on honey bee colonies worldwide. However I would say that if the population of a host is healthy (other than being parasitised, since this is so common in the wild) then the amount of damage a novel parasite will do will be limited as the host adapts to support it and grows resistance. I say novel because parasites tend to evolve in tandem with the hosts they infect, therefore it stands to reason that it cannot drastically effect the reproductive success of a population and flourish itself.
>>7975740
Answered here >>7940867
I would add Cryptosporidium because I study it.
>>7960789
Take some of these makeshift antidotes with a pinch of salt. For a start I wouldn't to be playing around with Cyanide much, and parasites often live in acidic environments so weak acids like vinegar and citric acid wont really do anything at all. As for urine, it is usually close to neutral and often a little alkaline, when it is acidic it is very weak.
>>7977564
If you have not travelled and do not have pets then I can pretty confidently say you don't have tapeworm. You wont have gotten anything from meat purchased in a first world country (if it has gone through normal food inspection, as all meat does). The reason I was interested in the sesame seed comparison is because the proglottids of the dog and cat tapeworm (though humans, unusually, can harbour adults) Dipylidium caninum are often decribed as such. You get it by ingesting (rather than being bitten by) an infected flea. I would say, without having any actual data beyond symptoms and some history, you are unlikely to have a parasite. Have you considered more chronic dietary conditions such as gluten or lactose intolerance?
