Intestinal parasites while traveling in developing countries

Even though we can contract an intestinal parasite in any country at any time, there is a much higher chance of contracting one in a less developed nation, such as India or Africa. It is believed that only famine and malaria cases outnumber intestinal parasite infections in these developing nations leading to extreme malnuturition and lack of energy in these citizens. The most upsetting things about this rampant infection of intestinal worms is that more than half of these cases are estimated to be in children.

So while many people from the industrialized nations look forward to world travels, including these countries so deeply infected with intestinal parasites we all need to be aware and take precautions so that we do not bring home an unwanted souvenir like a hookworm or intestinal protozoa.

picture of a hookworm

1) Avoid unclear water, try to always use bottled. Many intestinal parasites are transmitted by drinking unsanitary water or just using infected water to wash fruits or veggies.

2) Do not eat raw food because many intestinal parasites are killed by heat. If left uncooked or undercooked and then consumed you can contract an intestinal parasite this way.

3) Be very meticulous with your personal hygiene and sanitation, because person to person contact is very common. Wash your hands after changing an infants diaper who could be infected, wash your own hands after using the bathroom or even being in an unsanitary place such as a bathroom or just touching dirt because the parasites can simply live in the ground you have touched. Also, intestinal parasites can be contracted though unsafe anal sex, so protect your body when sexually active.

4) Take natural remedies (herbs) such as garlic or wormwood before leaving for your travels, so if you do accidentally contract something there is a much slimmer chance that it will stay in your body.

references: 

http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11648/1/How-to-Avoid-Intestinal-Parasites.html

1. Goldmann DA, 
2. Wilson CM

. Pinworm infestations. In: Hoekelman RA,Friedman SB, Nelson NM, Seidel HM, Weitzman ML, editors. Primary pediatric care. 3rd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby; 1997. p. 1519.

Bartlett AV, Englender SJ, Jarvis BA, et al. Controlled trial of Giardia lamblia: control strategies in day care centers. Am J Public Health 1991; 81:1001.

Drugs for parasitic infections, 2nd ed. The Medical Letter. 2010. http://secure.medicalletter.org/para (Accessed on February 17, 2012).

Meet your friendly neighborhood parasites

    All humans have too eat food and drink water to live. It's a very disturbing thought that we can contract worm-like bacteria in our intestines by doing these daily functions. Intestinal parasites (the name sends a chill down my spine) are a type of parasite that live mainly in the human (and also other species) digestive system. There are two main types of intestinal parasites- Helminths (Tapeworms, pinworms and round worms) which cannot multiply in a human body, the other type is called Protozoa which are single celled parasites, which can multiply in the human body and cause severe infections (UMMC).
    There are many types of  side effects one can experience when they unfortunately get an intestinal parasite some of the most common being: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting/nausea, gas/bloating, extreme fatigue, weight loss and seeing a worm in your stool (Kucik 2004)

A intestinal parasite taken out of a human.

Whipworm under a microscope.

    So what can you do to lower your risk of intestinal parasites? A study found that vitamin A plays a large role in healthy immune function and if taken daily it has been found to lower your chance of parasitic infection, particularly Giardia (Gaby 2010). Washing your hands after you come in from outside, especially if you have been touching dirt, is very important because they can be acquired by absorption through skin. Another important step is making sure your meat is thoroughly cooked and you are drinking clean water (this is a bigger issue in the 3rd world countries) (Kucik 2004). Also you should be very carefully when traveling, especially too 3rd world countries because they are a very prominent problem with intestinal parasites due to inadequate drinking water and found not being prepared properly and sanitarily.






Gaby, Alan R. "Vitamin A and intestinal parasites." Townsend Letter July 2010: 22.Gale Science In Context. Web. 6 Oct. 2012.

Am Fam Physician. 2004 Mar 1;69(5):1161-1169.

CORRY JEB KUCIK, LT, MC, USN, GARY L. MARTIN, LCDR, MC, USN, and BRETT V. SORTOR, LCDR, MC,    USN, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida

University of Maryland Medical Center- intestinal parasites http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/intestinal-parasites-000097.htm