Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://nypost.com/2022/07/01/tiny-infectious-worms-invade-ny-parks-parents-should-be-aware/
Tiny, infectious worms invade NY parks: Parents ‘should be aware’
By Adriana Diaz
July 1, 2022 1:29pm Updated
The eggs of a tiny parasitic worm have been found in parks in New York and Europe — and they may be infecting your children.
In recent years, Toxocara — tiny worms that live in animals’ muscles and digestive systems — have been found in parks in all five New York City boroughs. The parasite can be spread to others and infect humans via cat or dog feces.
While the worms are not easily transmitted to humans, they can be if a person consumes infected dirt — leading researchers to become increasingly concerned that children may be consuming these worms while playing in city parks.
Most infections are asymptomatic, but some cases do present with a fever, fatigue, coughing, rash or abdominal pain. In rare and concerning cases, the parasite can make its way to the eye, causing blindness and neurological damage in the brain.
The CDC reported that nearly 14% of the US population has been exposed to the parasite, with an estimated 70 people, mostly children, becoming blind by toxocariasis...
Tiny, infectious worms invade NY parks: Parents ‘should be aware’
By Adriana Diaz
July 1, 2022 1:29pm Updated
The eggs of a tiny parasitic worm have been found in parks in New York and Europe — and they may be infecting your children.
In recent years, Toxocara — tiny worms that live in animals’ muscles and digestive systems — have been found in parks in all five New York City boroughs. The parasite can be spread to others and infect humans via cat or dog feces.
While the worms are not easily transmitted to humans, they can be if a person consumes infected dirt — leading researchers to become increasingly concerned that children may be consuming these worms while playing in city parks.
Most infections are asymptomatic, but some cases do present with a fever, fatigue, coughing, rash or abdominal pain. In rare and concerning cases, the parasite can make its way to the eye, causing blindness and neurological damage in the brain.
The CDC reported that nearly 14% of the US population has been exposed to the parasite, with an estimated 70 people, mostly children, becoming blind by toxocariasis...