Ascariasis: Parasitic Infection Caused By The Human Roundworm

I was browsing through articles about the latest news on certain parasitic infections and I came across an article about a 3 year old boy who had strange abdominal problems.  The article was from last December and stated that the boy had an infection from the intestinal parasite ascaris lumbricoides.  This helminth (roundworm) causes an infection called ascariasis and affects the small intestine.  This infection is common throughout the world and worth mentioning.  This can help everyone be cautious when traveling to places where this infection may be prevalent.

Babesiosis: Parasitic Infection from Ticks

Ticks are among the top insects I hate the most.  I went backpacking once and had ticks on me every now and then and it gave me anxiety.  Ticks are just about everywhere and it is known that ticks carry diseases that can be passed to humans.  There is one parasitic infection caused by ticks that stood out to me and I believe everyone should at least be familiar with it.  This infection is called babesiosis.

Fascioliasis: The Parasitic Worm from Snails

I think it is a given that you should not drink water from ponds or lakes if you do not have the means to filter it.  When hiking or backpacking, sometimes you do have to drink water from rivers or streams because you cannot bring a lot of clean water.  In third world countries, sometimes clean water is not an option.  It is important to be educated about infections or diseases that can be acquired by drinking contaminated water, and one such infection is fascioliasis. 

Leishmaniasis: The Parasitic Infection That "Flies"

Most of the infections I have presented to all of you have been fairly rare conditions.  Transmissions have included being in contact with infected sharp objects and ingesting contaminated food or material.  However, today I came across an article, few years old, talking about an infections that was becoming a problem in the world.  This emerging infection is called leishmaniasis and what I find most unusual about this infection is that it is transmitted by sand flies.

Sparganosis: Parasitic Tapeworm Nuisance in East Asia

Whenever I travel, one thing I really look forward to is trying new foods.  I am sure a lot of people think the same way.  The excitement of trying new and exotic foods sounds so good that we may not stop and consider how the food was prepared. 

Baylisascaris: The Raccoon Roundworm

Whenever you are outside, whether it be doing chores around your home or hiking at a national park, you should be mindful of sanitation.  This is especially important when wild animals roam around your home or tourist location.  There are some very nasty infections that people can get from wild animals, and one particular, rare infection that I will inform you all about is baylisascaris.