Parasites

Filariasis is the name for a group of tropical diseases caused by various thread-like parasitic round worms and their larvae. They are transmitted to humans mainly by the black fly (lays eggs in a skin wound) and mosquito bite. In all cases, a mosquito first bites an infected individual then bites another uninfected individual, transferring some of the worm larvae to the new host. Once inside the body, the larvae migrate to a particular area of the body and mature to adult worms.

Over a hundred million people in the tropical and subtropical areas of southeast Asia, South America, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific are infected by this debilitating parasitic disease. While filariasis is rarely fatal, it is the second leading cause of permanent and long-term disability in the world.

Filariasis is characterized by fever, chills, headache, and skin lesions in the early stages. If untreated, it can progress to include gross enlargement of the limbs and genitalia in a condition called elephantiasis, which results in lymphatic filariasis. Filariasis is classified into three distinct types based on the part of the body that becomes infected:

• subcutaneous filariasis infects the areas beneath the skin and whites of the eye (African eye worm)
• serous cavity filariasis infects body cavities, but does not cause disease
• lymphatic filariasis affects the circulatory system that moves tissue fluid and immune cells

Several different types of worms can be responsible for each type of filariasis, all of which have been included in this detox remedy.

There are different species of the Entamoeba parasite. While humans can be hosts to at least six species of Entamoeba, only one species is thought to cause disease. Entamoeba parasites are transmitted by the ingestion of food or water supplies which have been contaminated by the fecal material of infected animals. They burrow through the intestinal wall and spread through the bloodstream to infect other organs, such as the liver, lungs and brain.

Entamoeba histolytica is among the most dangerous of the species and live predominantly in tropical areas. It can cause severe diarrhea with blood. Other more mild yet chronic symptoms may be:

• frequent loose stools
• abdominal pain
• cramps
• fatigue
• intermittent constipation
• diarrhea with abdominal swelling
• flatulence

Entamoeba gingivalis can be found within the spaces between the teeth and is associated with periodontal disease and gingivitis. As the photo implies, you can get this little fellow simply by kissing someone that has it. That might remind you to floss, but even better than flossing is avoiding foods that feed the germs in the mouth. These are mainly refined carbohydrates.

Entamoeba coli, another entamoeba, is found in human's large intestines. It is not the same as E-coli (Escherichia coli) which is a harmful bacteria you get from eating raw or uncooked meat.

Endolimax is a genus of amoebozoa found in the intestines of various animals and humans. Originally thought to be non-pathogenic, studies suggest it can cause intermittent or chronic diarrhea. It is very significant in medicine because it can provide false positives for other tests, such as the similar species Entamoeba histolytica (the pathogen responsible for amoebic dysentery), and because its presence indicates the host has consumed fecal material.

Similar to other parasites acquired through the fecal-oral route, symptoms include diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain.

Diphyllobothrium is a genus of tapeworm which can cause Diphyllobothriasis in humans through consumption of raw or undercooked fish. It is also known as the salmon tapeworm or broad fish tapeworm.

Adult tapeworms may infect humans, canids, felines, bears, pinnipeds, and mustelids, though the accuracy of the records for some of the nonhuman species is disputed. Immature eggs are passed in feces of the mammal host (the definitive host, where the worms reproduce). After ingestion by a suitable freshwater crustacean such as a copepod (the first intermediate host), the coracidia develop into procercoid larvae. Following ingestion of the copepod by a suitable second intermediate host, typically a minnow or other small freshwater fish, the procercoid larvae are released from the crustacean and migrate into the fish's flesh where they develop into a plerocercoid larvae (sparganum). The plerocercoid larvae are the infective stage for the definitive host (including humans).

Because humans do not generally eat undercooked minnows and similar small freshwater fish, these do not represent an important source of infection. However, these small second intermediate hosts can be eaten by larger predator species, for example, trout, perch, and walleyed pike. In this case, the sparganum can migrate to the musculature of the larger predator fish. Mammals (humans) can acquire the disease by eating the infected fish raw or undercooked.

After ingestion of the infected fish, the plerocercoids develop into immature adults and then into mature adult tapeworms which will reside in the small intestine. The adults attach to the intestinal mucosa by means of the two bilateral grooves (bothria) of their scolex. The adults can reach more than 10 m (up to 30 ft) in length in some species such as D. latum, with more than 3,000 proglottids. One or several of the tape-like proglottid segments (hence the name tape-worm, interesting that the segments, seen in photo, also resemble sushi -YUM) regularly detach from the main body of the worm and release immature eggs in fresh water to start the cycle over again. Immature eggs are discharged from the proglottids (up to 1,000,000 eggs per day per worm) and are passed in the feces.

Symptoms are generally mild and can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, constipation and discomfort. Approximately four out of five cases are asymptomatic and can go many years without being detected. In a small number of cases, this leads to severe vitamin B12 deficiency due to the parasite absorbing 80% or more of the host's B12 intake and a megaloblastic anemia indistinguishable from pernicious anemia. The anemia can also lead to subtle demyelinative neurological symptoms (subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord). Infection for many years is ordinarily required to deplete the human body of vitamin B-12 to the point that neurological symptoms appear.

Cyclospora is a protozoa that causes disease in humans, and possibly other primates. In the United States, It has been linked to fecal-contaminated and imported raspberries. It was virtually unknown before about 1990, but has been on the rise since. The health risk associated with the disease is usually confined to adult foreigners visiting endemic regions and acquiring the infection. This is why it has been labeled as causing "traveler's diarrhea."

The time between becoming infected and developing symptoms is unusually long for a disease spread by food -- about 1 week. If not treated, the illness can last for a few days to a month or longer. It also may continue to recur.

Cyclospora infects the small intestine and usually causes watery diarrhea, with frequent, sometimes explosive bowel movements. Other symptoms can include loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, increased gas, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, low-grade fever, and fatigue. However, some people who are infected with cyclospora have no symptoms at all!

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as "Crypto." There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect humans and animals. Cryptosporidium lives in the intestine of infected humans or animals. An infected person or animal sheds Crypto parasites into the stool. Millions of Crypto germs can be released in a bowel movement from an infected human or animal. The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it very tolerant to chlorine disinfection.

While this parasite can be spread in several different ways, water (drinking water and recreational water) is the most common method of transmission. Cryptosporidium is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States.

Symptoms usually appear 2 to 12 days after ingestion, with diarrhea being the most common one. Other symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fever which may result in weight loss and dehydration. Symptoms are more severe for people with weakened immune systems.

If you suspect you have this parasite, use a dropperful of the Liquid Detox every hour until the symptoms subside. Remember IC-2 is wonderful for stopping diarrhea.

Blastocystis are parasites naturally found living in the gastrointestinal tracts of species as diverse as humans, farm animals, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even cockroaches. Infection caused by Blastocystic species causes blastocystosis in humans. Transference occurs when infected fecal matter is ingested so transmission of this parasite is strictly via the fecal-oral route.

Symptoms associated with the infection are diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, excessive gas, and anal itching. Most cases of the infection are often incorrectly diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.

• Always wash your hands after using the bathroom or playing with your pets/animals.
• Do not allow pets to lick your face.
• It is beneficial to keep pets out of your bed and off of your common sitting areas as well.

This parasite is most often found in the intestines and rarely causes infections, even in people with compromised immune systems. Less than 5 percent of people in the United States are infected with the organism. Chilomastix makes it into the human body via simple food or water contamination or the fecal-oral route. This means that transmission occurs from the feces of an infected individual to the mouth (by ingestion) of a new host. Even the tiniest amount of fecal matter, like what might be left microscopically on the hand after a visit to the toilet, can get transferred to another person and cause infection.

Chilomastix burrows into the intestinal tract itself, specifically the colon. Although the organism is microscopic and can be found only through a stool sample test, it doesn't have the ability to enter the cells of the intestinal wall, nor is it capable of spreading to other parts of the body (at least, that is what they are saying so far).

Balamuthia is a free-living amoeba found in soil and dust. It was first identified in 1986 in a specimen from the brain of a baboon that died in the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Since then, approximately 200 cases of Balamuthia disease have been reported worldwide with 70 of those cases being reported in the United States. Limited information is currently available about how a person becomes infected. Many believe that this parasite causes multiple health conditions, but medical technology is not trained to look for it, so conditions are misdiagnosed.

Balamuthia can cause Balamuthia granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), a serious brain infection that is usually fatal. Balamuthia GAE occurs when the Balamuthia amoeba infects the body, possibly through skin wounds and cuts, or when dust containing Balamuthia is breathed in through the nose or mouth. The amoebae may travel to the brain directly through the sinuses or through the blood stream. Balamuthia GAE is very rare, but is usually a fatal disease.

Symptoms of Balamuthia disease can begin with a red area of skin on the face, torso, or limbs that increases over time. However, some people with Balamuthia never develop skin lesions. Instead, their symptoms begin when the amoebas infect the brain, causing Balamuthia GAE. Diagnosis of Balamuthia GAE can be difficult, as it is easily confused with other neurologic diseases, even non-infectious ones, like a stroke.

Babesia is a protozoan parasite of the blood that causes a hemolytic disease (infects red blood cells) known as Babesiosis. Over 100 species of Babesia have been identified, but only a very small number are thought to cause disease in humans. Human babesiosis is an important, emerging tick-borne disease. Babesia divergens, a parasite of cattle, has been implicated as the most common agent of human babesiosis in Europe, causing severe disease in splenectomized individuals (people missing a spleen). In the US, Babesia microti, a babesial parasite of small mammals, has been the cause of over 300 (known) cases of human babesiosis since 1969, resulting in mild to severe disease, even in non-splenectomised people.

Many people who are infected with Babesia do not have symptoms. Those who do contract Babesiosis suffer from malaria-like or lyme-like symptoms and are commonly misdiagnosed. Symptoms of babesiosis often start with a high fever and chills. As the infection progresses, patients may develop fatigue, headache, drenching sweats, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. Babesiosis is often so mild it is not noticed but can be life-threatening to people with no spleen, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems. Complications include very low blood pressure, liver problems, severe hemolytic anemia (a breakdown of red blood cells), and kidney failure.

Changing ecology has contributed greatly to the increase and expansion of human babesiosis in the US. A recently described babesial parasite, the WA1-type, has been shown to be the causative agent in seven human cases in the Western U.S. This parasite is closely related to babesial parasites isolated from large wild ungulates in California. Identification of human infection with Babesia will likely increase as physicians and the public become more aware of the disease; as people inhabit rural tick-infested areas; and as the numbers of immune-compromised individuals increase.