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HealthGlobal issues

Bedbugs, Tapeworms & Mosquitoes: Attack of the Parasites!

March 1, 2024

Bedbugs taking over your home, worms inching around in your intestines or even your brain, mosquitoes injecting malaria parasites into your blood.

https://p.dw.com/p/4czPa

In Good Shape - Parasites & Bedbugs & Mites

Parasites lurk everywhere and can cause sickness and death. But forewarned is forearmed!

 

Gemeine Bettwanze
Image: CDC/BSIP/IMAGO

Bedbug invasion!

What are bedbugs and why do they like our blood so much? Let's ask one.

How to spot and get rid of bedbugs

The bloodthirsty creatures spread like wildfire and bite at night. The bites aren’t dangerous in themselves. Scratching, however, can lead to infection and inflammation. How can you tell whether you've got bedbugs? And how can you get rid of them?

 

Grossbritannien Oxford | Coronavirus | Impfstoff
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Cairns

Neglected tropical diseases

The WHO categorizes nearly 20 diseases as "neglected": Affecting about 1.7 million people, they generally afflict the world's poor and historically have not received as much attention as other diseases.

 

 

 

 

Die Hausstaubmilbe - ein aggressiver Allergieauslöser
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Fotoreport Scherax

Mites that lurk in grass

Harvest mites, or autumn chiggers, can drive you crazy. If you get bitten by them, you can end up covered in itchy bumps or blisters. But are they dangerous? And what happens if you scratch their bites.

 

 

 

 

Zecke
Image: Robin Loznak/ZUMAPRESS/picture alliance

Ticks on the march

There are 900 tick species worldwide. They can transmit more than 50 diseases, some potentially fatal. So we need to take care. Where do the creatures lie in wait? What should you do if you get a tick bite?

 

 

 

 

Bandwürmer
Image: picture alliance/Zumapress

How dangerous are tapeworms?

Tapeworms can enter your intestines via unwashed fruit and vegetables, raw meat or fish. Ten million people get infected with these parasites each year. Their larvae can spread in the body and damage organs like the liver or brain.

 

 

 

 

Bakterien der menschlichen Darmflora
Image: Imago/Science Photo Library

Microbiome - How trillions of bacteria protect you

The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms. They are essential to the human digestive and immune system. You can get sick, if your gut flora get disrupted. Your skin is also protected by microbes. What can you do to boost your microbiome?

 

 

 

 

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