| Parasites | | | | than we ever realized. |
| Would you believe you have a one in five chance | | | | Do you swim in the summer? Certain parasites |
| of having parasites? Parasites are more common | | | | are not killed by chlorine and all it takes is an |
| than you, and the majority of physicians out | | | | undetected or neglected pool filter to infect many |
| there, realize. Studies show it is quite possible that | | | | people. In 1990 a La Times article reported on the |
| the majority of gastrointestinal complaints are a | | | | case of a child infected with cryptosporidium who |
| result of undiagnosed, unrecognized parasitic | | | | infected others through the local swimming pool. |
| infections. | | | | The pool managers treated the water with |
| In a report of the American college of | | | | chemicals, not realizing that because one of the |
| gastroenterology, Doctors said that among 197 | | | | three pool filters was not working their efforts |
| consecutive patients with a variety of | | | | were in vain. The parasite infected swimmers for |
| gastrointestinal symptoms, over half were found | | | | about a month before the broken filter was |
| to have Giardia Lambia, a microscopic organism | | | | discovered (los Angeles Times, September 23, |
| introduced to water supplies by animals via | | | | 1990. |
| mountain streams and by human sewage entering | | | | California recommends that public pools be |
| public water supplies. Symptoms included diarrhea, | | | | inspected three times a year. In one-report health |
| stomach bloating, chronic fatigue, food intolerance, | | | | officials estimated that 44 percent of the pools in |
| stomach pain and constipation. | | | | Los Angeles County had not been inspected for |
| Martin Lee, Ph.D., biochemist, microbiologist and | | | | three of more years. |
| director of the Great Smokies Laboratory in | | | | The tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum can cause |
| North Carolina, conducted a study on the | | | | pernicious anemia because it blocks vitamin B12 |
| presence of parasites in very sick people. In one | | | | from being absorbed in the intestine. Blood loss |
| group of lower income immigrants, 70 percent | | | | from hookworm, trichuris and chistosoma |
| were found to be infected. More surprising, when | | | | infections may cause iron-deficiency anemia. |
| he examined a group of more well to do | | | | Ascaris lumbricoides infection may reduce fat |
| Americans, he found 20 percent had parasites. | | | | absorption and interfere with the absorption of |
| The centers for Disease Control in Atlanta got | | | | vitamin A, compromising eyesight. |
| the same results in their tests. What does this | | | | Because parasites cause the cilia in the intestine to |
| mean? In the past we took certain comfort in the | | | | become flattened and basically ineffective, any |
| belief that parasites occurred mostly in Third | | | | nutrients, including the B vitamins and many |
| World countries and that in our sterile, | | | | minerals, cannot be absorbed into the body. This |
| government-inspected industrialized society, we | | | | catch-22 causes deficiencies, which impair the |
| were immune. | | | | immune system resulting in secondary health |
| The fact is, we can have parasites and not have | | | | problems that cannot be traced to the parasite. |
| symptoms, and we can get them a lot easier | | | | |