Posted on 11/30/2006 9:25:08 PM PST by dennisw
A potentially fatal disease rarely seen here has popped up in Houston four times in the past two months. It's linked to tapeworms and their eggs.
He ate at mobile kitchens until he found out food contaminated with eggs from a tapeworm almost killed him.
"He's scared now. He's scared of any food from outside," said Marjorie, his daughter & translator.
The tile worker immigrated from El Salvador 20 years ago said early symptoms were subtle.
"It was a mild headache but it wouldn't go away," Marjorie explained. "It was just there and it wouldn't go away with Tylenol."
Doctors at a clinic gave him medicine for high blood pressure.
A few days later Ramirez passed out and didn't wake up for eight days.
"This is a picture of the cyst," said Dr. Aaron Mohanty, a UT Houston Medical School neurosurgeon.
Dr. Mohanty found the cyst with tapeworm larvae in Ramirez's brain.
It's a disease called cysticercosis.
"If they delayed 12 hours, six to 12 hours more he would not have survived," said Dr. Mohanty. "He was deeply unconscious."
This was Mohanty's fourth case in two months of a disease most often seen in developing countries.
"I think it's just a chance factor," said Dr. Mohanty.
In all four patients the UT Houston neurosurgeon removed the cysts through a small incision in the brain.
"The cycle starts with a human that's infected with the tapeworm," said Dr. Luis Ostrosky with the UT Houston Medical School.
Dr. Luis Ostrosky tells us the eggs from a tapeworm are spread by a human host who doesn't practice good hygiene after using the bathroom.
An unsuspecting victim then eats the contaminated food.
"These eggs hatch in the intestine and go through the gutwall and into the circulation and get stuck somewhere," said Dr. Ostrosky.
(Excerpt) Read more at khou.com ...
PING
Yep, among others coming soon.
That is not what I meant. The brain thing is disgusting. The parasite thing is too if you stop to think about it. Just like dust mites in your bed. If I think about those things crawling about it makes me itch. So how many times have you been tested for tape worm? I never have. Makes me crawl thinking about it. There is more than this to eating out--the thought that someone might spit in my food is enough to keep me home.
I believe they attributed it to wild/feral hogs.
Illegal hideous disease alert.
"the thought that someone might spit in my food"
Be nice to the waiter, tip generously, and never send anything back to the kitchen. And never ask for "well-done" filet mignon;)
...must....resist...joke... about your nickname ... on this thread ...
This poor guy migrated here 20 years ago, and some native-born worm ate his brain?
Won't work for me--too many weirdo's today that would spit in your food--just because!! No thanks, I stay home and eat. The food is better anyway.
Oh go ahead and say it! You'll regret missing your 15 minutes of fame the rest of your life!
This is the most disgusting thing I can imagine. Positively yuck! And what's with "developing countries". What a bunch of b.s. If they were "developing", they'd have already developed proper handwashing procedures. And tapeworms in humans. OMG! I'm going to go douse my pets with their flea poisons right now. Ingested fleas cause tapeworms in cats.
Do you have tapeworms? I don't and have never known anyone who has.
Sooooooooooooo, how do you KNOW you don't have a tapeworm?
I know I don't, but I bet you do.
Wasn't it Jesse Jackson that said he used to spit in white peoples food when he worked in a restaurant? And I never forget the scene in Roots where the gal spit in the tea. Just disgusting and couldn't eat if I stopped at a restaurant my gag reflex wouldn't allow it.
Every one of those little holes in the brain is the nest of a worm. When they die, their guts spill out and cause inflammation and even seizures.
Here we see the toothy little devil himself.
Here's an explanation of the life cycle. Basically, it is spread by ignorant Turd World savages who crap in their own water supplies at home and don't bother washing their hands in the restroom before they make your restaurant meal here.
-ccm
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