The Ultimate Body Invaders

In the world of Nature, every organisms are trying very hard to win the game of survival. In order to win the game, some come up with an extraordinary method---to invade another kind and manipulate the host to create a condition favoring the survival of the invaders, while putting the hosts in great danger. The following are 5 ultimate body invaders that adopt the unique mechanism to ensure the survival of their species. 

Cordyceps 

Cordyceps invaded host. 

Cordyceps are fungi from the genus ascomycete fungi, among which there are a lot of different species. The fungus parasites on insects and different species parasites on different hosts. As the cordyceps fungus infects an insect host, its mycelium (fungus part) replaces the host's body tissues. The fruiting body of the fungus will eventually puncture the host body and protrude out to allow the release of ascospores (spores). Many of the times, during the development stage, the fungus manipulate its host such as controlling the insect to climb up a plant and attaches itself there before it dies, ensuring optimal dispersal of the spores of the fungus. Some cordyceps genus are proven to have medicinal properties.  

Paragordius tricuspidatus

Parasitic worm emerging out of cricket.

Paragordius tricuspidatus is well-known for manipulating behaviour of its cricket host. The eggs of this parasitic worms are laid at the river edges where the crickets reside. The microscopic size eggs are ingested by accident by the crickets, and hatch within. The larvae of the worm get nourishment from the host and grow, eventually filling the entire body cavity of the cricket. They can grow up to 10 - 15cm in lengths.  Upon maturation, the parasitic worms are ready to exit the hosts, the worms will induce an abnormal behavior to the cricket hosts --- to jump into the water. Most of the crickets will drown, while some will survive and lead a normal life after the excision of the parasites. After which, the worms will slither out and find its mating partners. The manipulation in behaviours are believed to be cause by a release of proteins that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) of the crickets.  

Dinocampus coccinellae

Paralyzed ladybug guarding cocoons

Dinocampus coccinellae is a species of wasp that parasites on Ladybug. The female wasp lays one egg in the soft abdomen of the ladybug. After the egg hatches, the larva starts to consume the ladybug's eggs, then the gonads and the body of their host. However the ladybug host is still alive. When the parasites are ready to emerge, they paralyze the ladybug and tunnel out of its body. Then the parasites pupate in a cocoon attaching to the leg of the living ladybug, The ladybug's occasional twitching ward off any potential preys of the parasites,  making the ladybug the "bodyguard" of its parasites. A few days later, the wasps will emerge from the coccoon. 1 out of 4 ladybugs will recover from the paralysis and come back to health after all the cocoons have emptied.  

Leucochloridium paradoxum

Snail with infection.

Leucochloridium paradoxum, a kind of parasitic flatworm, infects a snail and alters the original behaviors and appearance of the snail; after which increasing the chances of the snail being eaten by a bird which is the next and final host of the parasite. To do so, the parasite resides into the translucent eye-stalks (preferably left one) of the snail, altering the normal eye-stalks into yellow-greenish stripes, inducing caterpillar mimicry. Birds do not usually snack on snail, however the altered eye-stalks of the snail, resembling a caterpillar results in birds mistakenly consuming the infected snails. The parasites also cause the snail to be more visible to the birds by making the snails stay under the sunlight instead of hiding in the shade.   

Myrmeconema neotropicum

Normal ants.

Infected ant with red gaster raise up high to mimic wild-berries. 

Myrmeconema neotropicum is tetradonematid nematode parasite that induce berries mimicry in tropical ants. The parasites mate and lay eggs inside the gasters (the hindmost abdomen) of the ants. The infected ants will develop bright red, egg-filled gasters that resemble red berries available in tropical forest. The parasites also cause the weakening of the exoskeleton linking the gasters to the rest of the body of the infected ants. The infected ants will walk with their gasters raise up high, allowing birds to mistaken them as wild berries and pick up the gasters which detach easily from the ant.The parasite eggs will be passed in the birds' dropping and later collected by the tropical ants again.  

Care For Your Pets - Roundworms in Dogs

Do you have a family dog at home? If your answer is yes, this is a post you might be interested to know more about parasites that might live within your dogs.

Roundworm is the most common kind of infectious parasite in puppies and dogs; if not treated, roundworm infection in puppies can be fatal.

The Dog Roundworm, Toxocara canis, lives within puppies and dogs and the adult worm is ranging from 9 to18cm (about 3.5 to 7 inches) in length. A female can lay about 200,000 eggs of microscopic size daily. The eggs are protected by thick cell wall and can survive for months in the soil. These make roundworm infection highly transmittable among dogs.

There are several ways puppies and dogs can get roundworm infection. For puppies, prenatal infection is the most common type, whereby the roundworm larvae from the mother dogs migrate into the placenta and infect the developing puppies before birth. On the other hand, puppies can get infected through ingestion of mother’s milk that contains roundworm eggs. Puppies and dogs can also get infected by ingesting eggs in the soil, this is the most frequent route of infection in adult dogs.

Life cycle of roundworm in puppies (of age up to 3 months):

• Step 1: Roundworm eggs ingested by the puppies (through milk or from soil) enter the stomach and then hatch in the small intestines.    
• Step 2: The larvae travel through the bloodstream and enter the lungs and liver of the pup.
• Step 3: After residing in the lungs, the larvae move their way up the windpipes and are swallowed by puppies. 
• Step 4: The larvae develop into adult worms in the intestines, completing their life-cycle. The adult worms mate pass eggs into the faeces of puppies. (Fortunate to mention that the eggs in the faeces will only become infective after 3 to 4 weeks of incubation in the soil)     

Roundworms in stools
Picture source: click here

For older dogs, they have developed immunity against the roundworm, therefore very few larvae will be able to complete their life cycle within the dog. If any larvae completed the life cycle, the adult worms will reside in various body tissues in the dog, and develop a tough shell (encyst) that protects them against the host’s immune system. At this stage, even the de-wormer might not be able to kill the worms. However, during pregnancy, the encysted worms get activated again and migrate to the placenta to infect the next generation.

In adult dogs, roundworm infection can be no symptom at all; while in puppies some symptoms might be vomiting, diarrhea, dull-coat and bloated belly. Worms might appear in the vomit and the feces, which look like white threads or white spaghetti strands that wriggle.
In general, an infection of roundworm can be gotten rid of with the use of de-wormers prescribed by vet, and your doggy will be back to health in no time! HOWEVER, severe infection in young puppies can be fatal, and roundworm infection is not only contagious among dogs, there are risks whereby roundworm transmits from dogs to human. Be warned!

For more information on roundworms in Human, click here: Roundworm in Human

Gross Human Parasitic Worms II - Tapeworms

For as long as human exists on the Earth, there are many organisms that feed off, reside in, seek shelter from the human body.

In this post, the most common type of parasitic worm that reside in the digestive tract of a human. The tapeworm.

Tapeworms larva can be ingested by eating uncooked or undercooked meat. After the larvae arrive at the intestines, they will start to grow into adult tapeworms that can be as long as 30m (fish tapeworm), 40m (beef tapeworm)and 120m (some other species of tapeworm)!

And what's the most horrible part? When a person has tapeworm infection, there will be definitely more than one of those in the digestive tract. These intestine intruders, when at adult stage, lay millions of eggs each day! Just imagine that, the whole intestines of yours filled with those slippery wrigglers, it will sure send chills down your spine.

How does the tapeworm attach to the intestines?

Tapeworms have sharp hooks on one side of theirs heads. Those hooks drill into the lining of the intestines and simply provide anchor for the tapeworms.

Tapeworms are usually found on meat products, thus high protein diets are not good for a healthy life. Diet high in fiber is a good prevention against these disgusting worms, as dietary fiber promotes regular bowel and clears off these parasites from the intestine.

Gross Human Parasites I - The Guinea Worms

Guinea worm is the common name for Dracunculiasis, which thrives in some of the third world countries where clean water supply is not available.

If this worm is new to you, you may start to wonder what does the worm look like?

The answer is: Guinea worm looks exactly like a spaghetti noodle at mature stage (sorry to spaghetti lovers ) It can grow up to more than 90cm in length.

How do people get infected?

Well, at places where clean water is not accessible, people can get infected while drinking stagnant water that hosts tiny water flea that carry the larvae of Guinea worm. Once inside the stomach, the larvae take 1 year to mature and pierce through the walls of intestines to mate. The males will die after mating where the female worms burrow into the deeper connective tissues and attempt to leave the human host (usually through the lower limbs).

At this stage, as the Guinea worms try to burrow their ways out of the human hosts, painful blisters are formed on the human skin. The pain is excruciating with a burning sensation, human hosts often soak their limbs in cold water to ease the pain.

Once the blister or open-sore submerge into water, the female Guinea worms will take their chance and release thousands of larvae. The water flea will consume the larvae, and another cycle will begin.

Currently, there is no cure for Guinea worm disease. To remove the Guinea worm from a human host, one must wrap the worm in a stick once the worm emerges from the skin. Then, slowly, bits by bits, wound the worm around the stick by pulling the worm out of the skin. The whole process is long and painful, sometimes it might take more than 1 month just to extract the worm out of the body. (the worm is very long and is buried deep in the connective tissue)

I dare you to read this post while eating spaghetti. *EviL grin*