3 ms·

I got an intestinal parasite (Ascaris -https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html) while in Univers

by tvhahn 4y ago

I got an intestinal parasite (Ascaris -https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html) while in University here in Canada. I was minding my business one day, I looked down into the toilet water, and there was a little wormy in my stool. I fished it out and went the ER. The doctor was fascinated cause I don't think they see this so often. Who knows where I picked it up. The most likely culprit was the dorm cafeteria I was living in. With the open salad bars and the sharing of serving utensils, it is an ideal location to spread some fecal. Suffice to say, I now avoid salad bars.

InCityDreams 4y ago
Also to be avoided: Piss-chips - ie shared bar food/ snacks.
nerdponx 4y ago
As far as I know, you can get some parasites (not sure about Ascaris specifically) just from walking around barefoot. I know they aren't really that dangerous unless you have a really high worm load, or you're unlucky and one ends up in a part of your body where it doesn't normally live, but their lifecycle is thoroughly disgusting and terrifying. Definitely something I've stayed up at night freaking out about at a few points in my life.
- sureglymop 4y ago
  If that's the case, what about swimming in a river or lake?
  - kuhewa 4y ago
    No. the larvae that would infect humans aren't competent swimmers. If you are a little zooplankton predator like a copepod, there would be little L2 stage roundworm larvae of various species whipping about (after having hatched from eggs that came out of a larger predator's gut) trying to attract attention and get eaten so they could continue the lifecycle (often, they'd need to get eaten by at least one larger predator to mature). There are Ascaris-like worms in water that can affect humans, see: Anisakis. But you wouldn't get infected by larvae in the environment, you'd have to eat undercooked fish that ate the zooplankton that ate the L2 worms and get infected through the gut once they are L3 stage. Ah - Dracunculus aka guinea worm is a another you could get from water, but you'd need to actually drink the copepods.
    - sureglymop 4y ago
      Thank you for explaining! Interesting stuff :)
- kuhewa 4y ago
  > As far as I know, you can get some parasites (not sure about Ascaris specifically) just from walking around barefoot. I think its just a couple hookworm species that'll get in through your feet

by tvhahn 4y ago

InCityDreams 4y ago

Also to be avoided: Piss-chips - ie shared bar food/ snacks.

nerdponx 4y ago

As far as I know, you can get some parasites (not sure about Ascaris specifically) just from walking around barefoot. I know they aren't really that dangerous unless you have a really high worm load, or you're unlucky and one ends up in a part of your body where it doesn't normally live, but their lifecycle is thoroughly disgusting and terrifying. Definitely something I've stayed up at night freaking out about at a few points in my life.

sureglymop 4y ago
If that's the case, what about swimming in a river or lake?
- kuhewa 4y ago
  No. the larvae that would infect humans aren't competent swimmers. If you are a little zooplankton predator like a copepod, there would be little L2 stage roundworm larvae of various species whipping about (after having hatched from eggs that came out of a larger predator's gut) trying to attract attention and get eaten so they could continue the lifecycle (often, they'd need to get eaten by at least one larger predator to mature). There are Ascaris-like worms in water that can affect humans, see: Anisakis. But you wouldn't get infected by larvae in the environment, you'd have to eat undercooked fish that ate the zooplankton that ate the L2 worms and get infected through the gut once they are L3 stage. Ah - Dracunculus aka guinea worm is a another you could get from water, but you'd need to actually drink the copepods.
  - sureglymop 4y ago
    Thank you for explaining! Interesting stuff :)
kuhewa 4y ago
> As far as I know, you can get some parasites (not sure about Ascaris specifically) just from walking around barefoot. I think its just a couple hookworm species that'll get in through your feet