Posted on 01/12/2007 2:27:10 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
There was a time when Renaldo Ramirez, of Houston, didn't like to cook.
The 50-year-old ate most of his meals at mobile kitchens until he found out food contaminated with tapeworm eggs almost killed him.
"He's scared now. He's scared of any food from outside," Ramirez said through his sister who interpreted for him.
Ramirez is a tile worker who immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador 20 years ago.
"It was a mild headache, but it wouldn't go away," he said. "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 he passed out and didn't wake up for eight days.
Dr. Aaron Mohanty found a cyst of tapeworm larvae living in Ramirez's brain. If it hadn't been found, the doctor said, Ramirez could have been dead within hours from the disease called cysticercosis. The disease is usually found in rural parts of developing countries with poor hygiene habits. However, Ramirez was the fourth patient Mohanty treated within a few months.
"The cycle starts with a human that's infected with the tapeworm," said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, of the UT Houston Medical Center.
The tapeworm eggs are spread by a human host who doesn't practice good hygiene after using the restroom. An unsuspecting victim then eats the contaminated food, Ostrosky said.
"These eggs hatch in the intestine and go through the gut-wall and into the circulation where they get stuck somewhere," Ostrosky said.
Ramirez's cyst was removed through a small incision. During his recovery Ramirez learned to cook and now prepares his own food.
There have been cases of cysticercosis in South Texas, San Antonio's Metro Health District said, but it is not a major outbreak.
The best way to avoid the disease, doctors say, is to wash your hands, cook meats thoroughly, especially pork, and to wash fruits and vegetables.
Why you insensitive bigot! (just kidding;) Seriously, we have here appalling evidence of the failure to assimilate immigrants to American culture-first the victim living here 20 years(!) who can't speak English, and the worker who does not comprehend American standards of personal hygeine. Thanks, multiculturalists and liberals!/s
That's "Hey You."
"...and the worms ate into his brain...."
Gross, and I was just watching that Futurama ep where Fry gets worms. No toilet sandwiches for me!
Lots of fools on this thread were bragging about how they don't wash their hands:
"And our border is open to millions of third world illegals who don't have have or know good hygiene habits doing all kinds of work with our food chain."
Exactly!!
Hi Rosie!!! Hope things are going good for you!
I have heard that ceviche' (shrimp and other seafood "cooked" in lime juice and other acidic substances) can give you worms.
I have heard that ceviche' (shrimp and other seafood "cooked" in lime juice and other acidic substances) can give you worms.
That would explain a lot of what goes on in Austin...
You have reason to be concerned. I've been to too many restaurant restrooms and seen so many come out of the toilet and walk right out without even getting close to the sink. Surely, some of these slobs are involved in preparing and/or serving the food. I've begun to avoid eating out whenever possible since I know that there are lots of food-borne diseases. And it's a bigger problem now that we have more and more immigrants to whom hygiene is a "foreign" concept.
House has cured every thing from headlice to toejam but we love him for his bedside manner.
Wow, for a while there, I was scared that you might be an English teacher.
Me too, I take them home to use again.
Me too.
Me too.
Don't eat raw oysters, sushi or sashimi anymore.
The thing I found most interesting about your 31/2 year old link was that the most fastidious hand washers were in Toronto during and following the SARS scare where a total of 32 Torontons were said to have died from SARS while the murder rate plodded along at 94 for the year.
Ping!
Yes it is the bedside manner that stands out.
I love Hugh Laurie. Hard to believe he got his start in such gems as A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and the Black Adder series.
Houston Aliens Pings!
You forgot his best "Jeeves and Wooster"
Bon appetite
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