![]() |
sponsored links |
|
|
sponsored links
|
|
|
4
3rd May 06:29
External User
Posts: 1
|
there's obviously about a million reasons to wear shoes and the following is
2 rather surprising ones the last part of the last one is the real kicker . .. . heh . . . maybe going barefoot causes alzheimers The caduceus (medical symbol) is not a staff with snakes, but rather guinea worms (Dracunculus medinensis) wrapped on a removal device. The reason these little critters were adopted by the medical profession as their symbol is because Dracunculiasis represents one of the first "treatable" parasitic afflictions of man. It was one of the first endosomatic parasites that was removable by primitive means, i.e. non-surgical. We now know a whole lot more about these worms than we did 100 years ago. Pathology is caused by the female worm, which bores through the skin of its human host (usually in the extremities such as the bare feet and legs) where her uterus will rupture, spewing forth thousands of eggs. When these eggs contact a water source, such as a well, they will hatch releasing a tiny larva that must be eaten by the intermediate host in the life cycle, the cyclopid freshwater copepod, Cyclops sp. After being swallowed by the copepod, the worm will bore through the gut lining and will enter the body cavity where it will mature and will simply wait. The life cycle is completed when a human drinks unfiltered water and swallows the copepod, thus releasing the worm into the gut. The worm will bore through the gut lining and enter the subcutaneous tissue where it will further mature. Males are small (3mm) while females can reach a meter in length. After mating, the male dies and the female migrates to the extremities to release her eggs. Although still common in some parts of Appalachia (and the southern US), hookworm is uncommon in the US. However, it is a problem in approximately 2 billion people in many parts of the world, particularly in India. A related nematode is the dog hookworm, Ancyclostoma caninum. This is present world wide and in Santa Barbara. It is easy for your dog to get because all dogs walk around barefoot and don't use toilets. If a larval dog hookworm encounters a bare human foot, the larvae penetrate but don't successfully get into the circulatory system. Instead, they wander around in the skin for weeks or months, leaving a track of inflamed, itching skin. This symptom is called coetaneous larval migrans. Toxocara canis is not a hookworm but it is a parasite of dogs and cats that causes a related pathology. In this case, larval worms are able to get past the skin and wander around in the human's tissues causing substantial pathology. This is known as Visceral larval migrans. It is highly prevalent in children but also in epileptics, the mentally retarded and institutionalized, suggesting that the behavior of these people contribute to their risk of infection but also suggesting the possibility that Toxocara can lead to these types of serious mental conditions. If you own a dog, it is irresponsible to let it defecate in areas where people like to go barefoot such as in parks or at the beach. jim -- -------------------------------- if u really want to email me, click on the address below netnews.comcast.net@Pexoteric.org take a P before you click send -------------------------------- |
|