Posted on 01/12/2007 2:27:10 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
There was a time when Renaldo Ramirez, of Houston, didn't like to cook.
The 50-year-old ate most of his meals at mobile kitchens until he found out food contaminated with tapeworm eggs almost killed him.
"He's scared now. He's scared of any food from outside," Ramirez said through his sister who interpreted for him.
Ramirez is a tile worker who immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador 20 years ago.
"It was a mild headache, but it wouldn't go away," he said. "It was just there and it wouldn't go away with Tylenol."
Doctors at a clinic gave him medicine for high blood pressure. A few days later he passed out and didn't wake up for eight days.
Dr. Aaron Mohanty found a cyst of tapeworm larvae living in Ramirez's brain. If it hadn't been found, the doctor said, Ramirez could have been dead within hours from the disease called cysticercosis. The disease is usually found in rural parts of developing countries with poor hygiene habits. However, Ramirez was the fourth patient Mohanty treated within a few months.
"The cycle starts with a human that's infected with the tapeworm," said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, of the UT Houston Medical Center.
The tapeworm eggs are spread by a human host who doesn't practice good hygiene after using the restroom. An unsuspecting victim then eats the contaminated food, Ostrosky said.
"These eggs hatch in the intestine and go through the gut-wall and into the circulation where they get stuck somewhere," Ostrosky said.
Ramirez's cyst was removed through a small incision. During his recovery Ramirez learned to cook and now prepares his own food.
There have been cases of cysticercosis in South Texas, San Antonio's Metro Health District said, but it is not a major outbreak.
The best way to avoid the disease, doctors say, is to wash your hands, cook meats thoroughly, especially pork, and to wash fruits and vegetables.
The tapeworm eggs are spread by a human host who doesn't practice good hygiene after using the restroom. An unsuspecting victim then eats the contaminated food, Ostrosky said.
Well, Yuch!!!!
Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...
Yuch, about sums it up...my face in a grimace.
Welcome to the 3rd. World everyone!
Indeed. Brain worms and all.
And our border is open to millions of third world illegals who don't have have or know good hygiene habits doing all kinds of work with our food chain.
TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti...
Non-English speaking, huh?
Ramirez is a tile worker who immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador 20 years ago.
Here in this country 20 years, and can't speak English. Of course he's an illegal criminal, but the article fails to mention this.
I wonder who's the real parasite...the tape worms or this gentleman?
"TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti..."
Can Ebola and Bird Flu be far behind?
E coli from California.
--Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...--
Sounds like he got the disease IN America.
Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...Mexican worms: Gobbling up brains American worms won't.
Ummmm, can this be spread on lettuce like a taco belled event?
Rare brain worms spread by unsanitary cooks
__________________________________________________________
I want my brain worms well-done.
I dislike paranoia but I'm really getting leery of eating out. The food service world can't take too many more hits before they feel it. It's out of control.
Wasn't there an episode of House MD about brain tapeworms?
Exact same thing happened to the uncle of a coworker of mine. He bought some sort of pork burrito or something from one of those Mexican carts on the street. I have sworn off pork and am real leery about eating at any restaurant, especially fast food places, since so many hire illegals. Just one more way I, and many other Americans, have had to adjust and adapt because of the illegal invasion.
Just another reason to eat at home!
I think all food service places whether mobile or not should have a sanitary hand washing sink well in view of the customers. If you see someone going towards your food without washing their hands. Go out the door. You never know if someone washes their hands after using the restroom so I for one want to see them lather up.
I want my brain worms well-done.
Cue Comfortably Numb...
They use the "hot dog" water...
"... doing all kinds of work with our food chain."
I've been to fast food joints in Texas. I'll take those employees over the native fast-food employees in Mississippi ANYDAY.
"real leery about eating at any restaurant, especially fast food places, since so many hire illegals. Just one more way I, and many other Americans, have had to adjust and adapt because of the illegal invasion."
Post #29. It's funny hearing you guys complain.
Sounds like he got the disease IN America.... from all the filth brought in.
Yeah, folks...keep buying those tamales. Cheap and straight off the street.
I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of this from now on, and not only in "developing countries"...
perhaps Kashrut is not such a bad idea even for Gentiles...
You forgot the whooping cough epidemic from a couple of years ago. I don't know where that one came from.
Build the wall now!!
Ping!
If you want on or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepmail me.
They are intestinal parasites insiteu, in other words, they don't go to your brain. They will cause you discomfort and weight loss but, in the modern medical environment, they won't kill you and they won't, repeat, won't go to your brain. However, they will come out of your butt. That's when you go to the doctor and get something to kill them. Liberal science urinalists (spelled wrong for effect) only think that because they most always think with the place that the worms come out of, hence the confusion with the brain.
I'm a doctor, and I don't play on on TV.
Another gift from south of the border.
Why you insensitive bigot! (just kidding;) Seriously, we have here appalling evidence of the failure to assimilate immigrants to American culture-first the victim living here 20 years(!) who can't speak English, and the worker who does not comprehend American standards of personal hygeine. Thanks, multiculturalists and liberals!/s
That's "Hey You."
"...and the worms ate into his brain...."
Gross, and I was just watching that Futurama ep where Fry gets worms. No toilet sandwiches for me!
Lots of fools on this thread were bragging about how they don't wash their hands:
"And our border is open to millions of third world illegals who don't have have or know good hygiene habits doing all kinds of work with our food chain."
Exactly!!
Hi Rosie!!! Hope things are going good for you!
I have heard that ceviche' (shrimp and other seafood "cooked" in lime juice and other acidic substances) can give you worms.
I have heard that ceviche' (shrimp and other seafood "cooked" in lime juice and other acidic substances) can give you worms.
That would explain a lot of what goes on in Austin...
You have reason to be concerned. I've been to too many restaurant restrooms and seen so many come out of the toilet and walk right out without even getting close to the sink. Surely, some of these slobs are involved in preparing and/or serving the food. I've begun to avoid eating out whenever possible since I know that there are lots of food-borne diseases. And it's a bigger problem now that we have more and more immigrants to whom hygiene is a "foreign" concept.
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