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In the USA, one-third of about 6,000 fecal specimens tested at PCI were positive for 19 species of intestinal parasites (Amin, 0. 2002).
Amin (2002), Amin and Amin (2017), and other authors quoted therein reported on the prevalence of these infections in the Los Angeles area. They noted that the overall prevalence of infection with all investigated protozoans was 41% of double fecal samples examined between 1996 and 2013 from 3,883 patients in the Los Angeles County. Infections with B. hominis made up roughly half (45%) of all protozoans studied. Los Angeles is an urban/suburban area, and a 41% prevalence rate is markedly higher there than the 32% and 36% prevalence rates reported earlier in the United States and California, respectively. The testing procedures employed in the study by Amin and Amin (2017) produced a prevalence rate of 32.6% (3,373 infected of 10,358 examined patients throughout the United States) between 1996 and 1998. An almost identical prevalence of 32% was reported in our comprehensive study of intestinal parasites in 5,792 fecal specimens from 2,896 patients in the United States (Amin, 2002). Our results reflect our most efficient methods of parasite detection, which show considerably higher prevalence rates than others across the country. For instance, Kappus (in Amin, 2002) reported US prevalence of 20% (from 216,275 stool specimens) compared with 19.7% (from 178,786 stool specimens) reported by state diagnostic laboratories in 1987.
The case of Cryptosporidium parvum in Milwaukee was a special case. Cryptosporidium, another waterborne parasite, caused illness in more than 400,000 people in Milwaukee in 1993. More than 4,000 were hospital- ized, and more than 100 died. Cryptosporidium is found in the public water systems and reservoirs of many American cities. In some places, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, it is known to be transmitted by the runoff from hillsides where cattle graze, upstream from unprotected reservoirs.
What happened in Milwaukee drew the attention of the media and the public because so many people were affected. But doctors are coming to believe that ali over the country this kind of infection happens every day. Most of us live crowded together in big cities, many of us travel overseas, we frequently have contact with people from all over the world, and we have many opportunities for exposure. In a survey of 5,792 samples received at the Parasitology Center, Inc., in 2000, 916 (32 percent of) of 2,896 patients were infected with parasites (Amin, 2002); higher than the previously reported national average of about 20 percent. Among this sampled population, we noticed a number of typical characteristics (Amin, 2005b).
- More than half the people with infections had traveled overseas in the past five years.
- People traveling to Mexico and Europe had the highest risk of infection.
- People living in households where someone was infected had twice the risk of infection.
- Of people who were infected, some had no symptoms.
- This implies that some people unknowingly act as carriers. Since they have no symptoms, they might be unaware of the problem, go untreated, and unknowingly pass it on to others.
- People infected by more than one parasite had symptoms similar to those with single infections.
- Women were twice as likely to be infected as men and to be more heavily infected.
- The most prevalent pathogen was Blastocystis hominis (72%), with Cryptosporidium (13%) and Entamoeba species (8%) ranking second and third, respectively.
A Sample of Intestinal Infections, in the U.S. (2000)
| Pathogen—Percentage of Samples Infected | Digestive Symptoms | General Symptoms |
| Blastocystis hominis -72% | Flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, cramps, constipation, poor digestion/poor absorption | Fatigue, nervous and skin disorders, pain, skin conditions, nausea, aliergies, muscle problems |
| Entamoeba histolytica -7% | Diarrhea, constipation, cramps, bloating, flatulence | Fatigue, nausea, aliergies, pain, weight loss, insomnia |
| Entamoeba coli (E. coli) -5% | Diarrhea, cramps, flatulence, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel | Fatigue, aliergies, headache, nausea, depression/irritability, joint/back pain, skin problems |
| Cyclospora -2% | Symptoms that come and go, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, cramps | Fatigue, itching, nausea, anemia, headache, muscle aches, depression |
| Entamoeba hartmanni -1% | Diarrhea, bloating, cramps, flatulence, irritable bowel | Nervous system, respiratory, and skin disorders, aliergies, pain, nausea |
Greatest Risk Factors (Amin. 2005)
Primary Factors
- Foreign travel
- Having a partner or someone in the household with a parasite problem
- Previous parasitic infection (implying relapse or reinfection)
- Not washing fresh vegetables adequately
Other risks
- Drinking tap water
- Poor hygiene
- Dining out often
- Frequenting salad bars
- Having pets
- Going camping (or drinking the water from streams or even fountains)
- Working at an infant-care center
- Living in an institutional setting or group home
Parasites and Damage to the Body
Parasitic infection can be damaging to humans by direct injury to the tissue of the digestive tract or the liver, among other organ systems. In addition the most destructive effects may not be caused by the parasite itself, but by its toxic by-products, which are produced unintentionally as a part of its living process. Parasites can disrupt digestive activity, can cause malabsorption, and can interfere with the action of digestive enzymes and nutrients. In addition parasites can compromise the human immune system in order to promote and ensure their own survival.
Management of Parasitic Infections
Parasites will compromise the host immune system as well as physical, mental, and emotional well-being to various degrees. The tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum will deplete the body of half its vitamin B12 resources, which are essential for proper central nervous system function, propagation of nerve impulse, muscle coordination, and recall. When this 30-foot-long worm is expelled after proper treatment, above functions will be restored to normality. Host-parasite relationships causing physical or psychological trauma may be operative at the subclinical level or go undetected since early childhood years. Progressive or sudden overt disease outcome may occur later on in life. This reactivation of infection is usually related to depressed immune status, age, hormonal changes, and physical or psychological pressures.
Considering the above, it is absolutely important to achieve wellbeing by the elevation of one’s physical, mental, emotional, and intuitive energies to a state of balanced and functional equilibrium. Experience demonstrates that antibiotics depress host immunity, kill off beneficial intestinal flora, and enhance fungal growth, e.g., Candida, which subsequently competes with/excludes good bacteria. Herbal treatments, thus, appear to be the natural way to manage parasitic and other pathogenic infections with no side effects to be concerned about. At PCI, we have worked with many good herbal formulas and have followed up on a number of herbal protocols. We found out that the best are those that provide healing through the integration of three functions: treatment, cleansing, and restoration. In other words, the formulas need to get rid of the parasite(s), cleanse the body from its toxic byproducts, and restore intestinal lining and other damaged tissue(s) to their normal healthy state.
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Difficulties in Diagnosis and Detection, Optimal Methods of Testing…
