- Parasites-0.mp3
- Parasites-0.mp4
- Parasites-I.mp3
- Parasites-I.mp4
- Parasites-Interlude.mp3
- Parasites-intro.mp3
[Intro]
Hookworms (Tapeworms)
Pinworms (Flatworms)
Enough to make my gut squirm
[Verse 1]
These parasites
Are really bugging me
What gives them rights
To be their eatery
[Bridge]
Hookworms (Tapeworms)
Pinworms (Flatworms)
Enough to make my gut squirm
[Chorus]
Parasites
(Eating at me)
Parasites
(I’m a delicacy)
[Verse 2]
Need a thesis
On a plasmodium species
Oh, mama
Schistosoma
[Bridge]
Hookworms (Tapeworms)
Pinworms (Flatworms)
Enough to make my gut squirm
[Chorus]
Parasites
(Eating at me)
Parasites
(I’m a delicacy)
[Bridge]
Plain to see
(Getting the best of me)
Won’t let me be
(Thinking I’m too tasty)
[Chorus]
Parasites
(Eating at me)
Parasites
(I’m a delicacy)
[Outro]
Plain to see
(Getting the best of me)
Won’t let me be
(I’m so tasty)
A SCIENCE NOTE
Several types of parasites can live in human blood and gut systems. These parasites often cause significant health problems and are transmitted through contaminated food, water, insect bites, or poor sanitation.
Parasites in Human Blood
1. Protozoa (Single-Celled Parasites)
- Plasmodium species:
- Causes malaria, transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes.
- Lives in red blood cells and liver cells, causing fever, chills, and anemia.
- Trypanosoma brucei:
- Causes African sleeping sickness, transmitted by tsetse flies.
- Affects blood, lymph, and eventually the central nervous system.
- Trypanosoma cruzi:
- Causes Chagas disease, transmitted by kissing bugs.
- Lives in blood and can damage the heart, digestive system, and nervous system.
- Babesia species:
- Causes babesiosis, transmitted by ticks.
- Infects red blood cells, leading to symptoms similar to malaria.
- Leishmania species:
- Causes leishmaniasis, transmitted by sandflies.
- Infects blood and tissues, leading to cutaneous or visceral forms of the disease.
2. Helminths (Parasitic Worms)
- Schistosoma species:
- Causes schistosomiasis, transmitted through contact with contaminated freshwater.
- The larvae penetrate the skin and live in blood vessels near the intestines or bladder.
Parasites in the Human Gut
1. Protozoa
- Giardia lamblia:
- Causes giardiasis, spread through contaminated food or water.
- Attaches to the intestinal lining, leading to diarrhea and malabsorption.
- Entamoeba histolytica:
- Causes amoebiasis, spread through contaminated food or water.
- Invades the intestinal lining, causing ulcers, diarrhea, and sometimes liver abscesses.
- Cryptosporidium species:
- Causes cryptosporidiosis, spread through contaminated water.
- Lives in the intestinal lining, causing diarrhea, especially in immunocompromised individuals.
2. Helminths
- Ascaris lumbricoides:
- Causes ascariasis, transmitted through ingestion of contaminated soil or food.
- Affects the intestines, causing malnutrition and blockages.
- Hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus):
- Transmitted through skin contact with contaminated soil.
- Live in the small intestine, causing blood loss and anemia.
- Tapeworms (Taenia species, Diphyllobothrium latum):
- Transmitted through undercooked or contaminated meat or fish.
- Reside in the intestines, absorbing nutrients and causing malnutrition.
- Strongyloides stercoralis:
- Causes strongyloidiasis, transmitted through skin contact with contaminated soil.
- Infects the small intestine and can cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals.
- Trichuris trichiura (Whipworm):
- Causes trichuriasis, transmitted through ingestion of contaminated soil.
- Resides in the large intestine, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and anemia.
- Pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis):
- Causes enterobiasis, spread through fecal-oral contact.
- Lives in the large intestine, causing itching around the anus.
3. Flatworms
- Fasciolopsis buski:
- Causes intestinal fluke infection, transmitted through contaminated water plants.
- Affects the intestines, leading to malnutrition and diarrhea.
Co-Infections and Overlap
In some cases, parasites infect both systems:
- For example, Schistosoma species infect blood vessels around the intestines or bladder, impacting both blood and gut health.