Intestinal Parasites and Diarrhea

Contaminated water in impoverished tropical regions leads to a high prevalence of intestinal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms and other amoebas. These parasites deplete essential nutrients through intestinal blood less and chronic diarrhea. Diarrhea causes the loss of large amounts of fluids and salts, and those already sick or malnourished have difficulty recovering. Diarrheal diseases such as cholera and dysentery kill about 1.6 million people each year, most of them children. The treatment is simple Oral Rehydration Therapy, a mixture of water, salts and sugars, but still so many children die each year due to excessive diarrhea. Schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection occurs where snails release larval forms of trematodes. The parasite penetrates the skin, laying eggs that affect the intestines or the urinary tract. This disease increases the risk of HIV transmission.