Do you know what food-borne parasites are? If not, you’re not alone. Many people have never heard of them before. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. In fact, food-borne parasites can be quite harmful to your health. From causing digestive issues to spreading certain diseases, food-borne parasites can cause some serious damage. So in order to help keep you safe, this article will look at some of the most common food-borne parasites and their associated risks.
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What Defines A Food-Borne Parasite?
A food-borne parasite is an organism that causes harm to another organism through the consumption of food or drinking water. While parasites can be found in many different foods, they are most commonly found in raw and undercooked meat and fish. Food-borne parasites are able to survive in food that has been stored, cooked, and processed improperly, making them a common contaminant in most of what you consume.
As such, thoroughly cooking food to high temperatures, washing hands frequently while handling prepared foods, and not buying any contaminated or expired food products are all essential practices when it comes to avoiding the potentially harmful effects of food-borne parasites.
The Most Common Food-Borne Parasites
Many people assume that all parasites are the same, but that is simply not true. There are actually several different types of food-borne parasites, each with its own unique risks and symptoms associated with them. Here are some of the most common:
Taenia Solium
Taenia solium, most commonly known as the pork tapeworm, is a parasitic intestinal infection that affects humans and animals. Transmission of this organism can occur through the ingestion of raw or undercooked pork products harboring encysted larvae from pigs infected with Taenia solium. If left untreated, the pork tapeworm can cause serious physical health issues, including seizures, neuropathy, and hydatid cyst formation in organs.
While medical treatment involving chemotherapy may be effective in combating Taenia solium infections in adults, identifying an active infection can also prove quite difficult, and proper education concerning safe food preparation techniques must be widely disseminated to members of both human and animal populations to effectively prevent transmission.
Echinococcus Granulosus
Echinococcus granulosus, more commonly known as the “Hydatid Tapeworm”, is a parasitic tapeworm that is primarily found in sheep but can also infect humans. It’s a cestode, a type of flatworm that uses other organisms for nutrition and to gestate its eggs. Transmission from animals to humans occurs through contact with contaminated soil, food, or water that has come into contact with infected animal feces.
In humans, the tapeworm typically takes up residence in the liver or lungs, where each segment carrying hundreds of eggs creates cysts which can create major health issues. Treatment involves medications such as Albendazole and Mebendazole, with additional procedures necessary if any cysts are particularly large or close to internal organs such as the heart or brain.
Toxoplasma Gondii
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite found throughout the world. It can infect any warm-blooded animal, yet it primarily lives in domestic cats, which are the definitive host of the organism. It has been suggested that this parasite may have a negative effect on human behavior, as research has shown it can alter the production of some neurotransmitters and hormones.
While much more research needs to be done to understand the full implications of infection by this organism, its potential impacts cannot be disregarded, as its wide-ranging effects raise numerous questions about the susceptibility to influences beyond control.
