I totally missed this advisory issued by the Philippines Department of Health on Sep. 11 on the parasitic infection Capillariasis:
Mode of Transmission:
The disease can be acquired through consumption of infected raw or improperly cooked small freshwater fish.
Incubation Period:
After eating infected fish, it takes at least about 2 weeks for the eggs to mature.
Signs and Symptoms:
* Abdominal pain
* Chronic diarrhea for more than 2 weeks
* Loss of appetite
* Weight lost
* Vomiting
* Swelling of the body
* Muscle wasting
Treatment:
• Mebendazole 400 mg/day given in divided doses for 20 days for new
cases and for 30 days for relapses of cases.
• Eggs and parasites disappear from feces within 4 days and symptoms
within a week.
• Albendazole has also been found effective in treating intestinal
capillariasis using the same dosage as Mebendazole.
Prevention and Control:
• Cook fish thoroughly before eating.
• Avoid eating raw fish.
• Use sanitary toilet for disposal of human waste.
Capillariasis is an intestinal parasitism caused by smallest nematodes that infect humans called Capillaria Philippinesis. The worms can be seen in the small intestine of humans.
A Potentially Fatal Parasite First Seen in the Philippines
Can they bore a hole through, from the inside out of the intestinal wall or is there anything that does?