Top 4 Ways You Could Get a Parasite Infection

C. elegans nemotodes, or round worms (Volker Kern/NASA/Getty Images)

It is estimated that up to 90 percent of us will have a problem with parasites at some point in our lives. While living off the human body, these little critters can cause a variety of acute and chronic illnesses, and all too often, we don’t realize they are the cause.

Whether it is lice, mites, ticks, fleas, worms, or microscopic protozoa, parasites are extremely difficult and often impossible to notice. This makes them especially dangerous as they lurk unseen, waiting to take up residence in our bodies, primarily through the following four ways.

Food

(ViktorCap/iStock)

The U.S. food supply is often considered one of the safest in the world, yet, up to 80 million illnesses occur in the United States every year due to a contaminated food supply. The influx of foods from around the world, as well as growing popularity of ethnic foods have created more opportunities for parasites to spread. These are some of the common sources:

• Sushi, sashimi, or raw salmon
• Raw or uncooked beef or pork
• Fruits and vegetables from countries where parasites are prevalent or where human waste may be used as fertilizer

Poor hygiene in the storage and preparation of food may lead to a parasite infestation, which can commonly occur in restaurants, nursing homes, day care centers, and even at home.

Finally, a poor digestive system that has low levels of acid in the stomach can allow parasites to pass through with improperly digested food, whereas good levels of stomach kill many parasites.

Water

A child drinks water from a public tap. (Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images)

Due to the increase in international travel, most people know not to drink the local water when traveling abroad. However, the U.S. water system is not much better, as drinking water that comes from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs is threatened with contamination (including parasites) from agricultural runoff, waste from farm animals, and human sewage.

Treatment of the public water supply with chlorine is of little help, as two of the most common parasites, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, can survive in chlorinated water for up to 18 months.

Water filtration systems may remove Giardia from tap water, but few get rid of Cryptosporidium, which is so small that it passes through most filters. If you have no filtration system at all, your chances of getting a parasite increase exponentially.

Foreign Travel

Since international travel has increased, parasite infections have become much more prevalent across North America. Parasites are generally associated with tropical diseases and Third World countries where climate and unsanitary living conditions promote their growth, so travel into and out of these regions has allowed these organisms to travel and spread.

This is not just limited to a bout of traveler’s diarrhea either, as some people return from their journeys carrying more serious infections like malaria, roundworms, or blood flukes.

Pets

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

There are more than 240 diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, with 65 from dogs and 39 from cats. With over 120 million dogs and cats in the United States alone, it’s not difficult to see how pets can be a major threat for parasitic infection. Parasites are transmitted from animals to humans through animal feces, fur containing parasite eggs, infected fleas, or mouth-to-mouth contact.

Conclusion

If these four common ways were not enough of a concern, parasites can also be transmitted by insects and sexual contact; they can even be inhaled from air. The best defense against parasites is a healthy immune system, and that starts with a healthy, balanced gut.