Forget the "squalor" idea - it is wrong. It's common to get worms and such infestations even help a child's immune system develop. But, and esp. if you live in

Forget the "squalor" idea - it is wrong. It's common to get worms and such infestations even help a child's immune system develop. But, and esp. if you live in the South, one should check each child every year at least (stool sample, please) for parasites. Tapeworm infections are rare. They are caused by eating tapeworm eggs in improperly prepared foods. But tapeworm infections aren't nearly as common as roundworm/hookworm infections. And while ivermectin isn't effective in treating tapeworm it kills roundworms and hookworms and other parasites - see "Ivermectin: enigmatic multifaceted ‘wonder’ drug continues to surprise and exceed expectations" at https://www.nature.com/articles/ja201711 https://www.nature.com/articles/ja201711 Children and adults get hookworms from walking barefoot: a hookworm can penetrate the skin of the foot. There are roundworms in the soil, so children and adults outside often ingest roundworms (put hands in their mouth) or step on hookworms. The natural environment is filled with such parasites. Children and adults in suburban areas usually encounter a wider variety of animals and parasites in their environment than do people in the city.