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.
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.
Well, Yuch!!!!
Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...
Yuch, about sums it up...my face in a grimace.
Welcome to the 3rd. World everyone!
Indeed. Brain worms and all.
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.
TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti...
Non-English speaking, huh?
Ramirez is a tile worker who immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador 20 years ago.
Here in this country 20 years, and can't speak English. Of course he's an illegal criminal, but the article fails to mention this.
I wonder who's the real parasite...the tape worms or this gentleman?
"TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti..."
Can Ebola and Bird Flu be far behind?
E coli from California.
--Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...--
Sounds like he got the disease IN America.
Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...Mexican worms: Gobbling up brains American worms won't.
Ummmm, can this be spread on lettuce like a taco belled event?
Rare brain worms spread by unsanitary cooks
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I want my brain worms well-done.
I dislike paranoia but I'm really getting leery of eating out. The food service world can't take too many more hits before they feel it. It's out of control.
Wasn't there an episode of House MD about brain tapeworms?
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