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Rare brain worms spread by unsanitary cooks[Texas]
KHOU | KENS 5 ^ | 01/12/2007

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: cysticercosis; health; publichealth; publicmenace; tapeworms
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"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."
1 posted on 01/12/2007 2:27:13 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
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To: SwinneySwitch
"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.

Well, Yuch!!!!

2 posted on 01/12/2007 2:28:41 PM PST by Lx (Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)
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To: SwinneySwitch

Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...


3 posted on 01/12/2007 2:29:50 PM PST by King Moonracer (Bad lighting and cheap fabric, thats how you sell clothing.)
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To: Lx

Yuch, about sums it up...my face in a grimace.


4 posted on 01/12/2007 2:30:03 PM PST by Kimmers (It's not what you take when you leave this world behind, it's what you leave behind when you go)
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To: SwinneySwitch
"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.

And He STILL hasn't learned English!

5 posted on 01/12/2007 2:30:09 PM PST by CAWats
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To: Lx

Welcome to the 3rd. World everyone!


6 posted on 01/12/2007 2:30:30 PM PST by Bushwacker777
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To: Bushwacker777

Indeed. Brain worms and all.


7 posted on 01/12/2007 2:31:40 PM PST by mutley
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To: SwinneySwitch

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.


8 posted on 01/12/2007 2:32:44 PM PST by YellowRoseofTx
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To: King Moonracer

TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti...


9 posted on 01/12/2007 2:32:52 PM PST by Bushwacker777
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To: SwinneySwitch
"He's scared now. He's scared of any food from outside," Ramirez said through his sister who interpreted for him.

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?

10 posted on 01/12/2007 2:33:07 PM PST by CrawDaddyCA (Paul/Tancredo 2008)
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To: Bushwacker777

"TB from Bangladesh, brain worms from Mexico, Chacas disease from central America, HIV from Haiti..."

Can Ebola and Bird Flu be far behind?


11 posted on 01/12/2007 2:34:18 PM PST by penelopesire
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To: Bushwacker777

E coli from California.


12 posted on 01/12/2007 2:34:36 PM PST by ichabod1 ("Liberals read Karl Marx. Conservatives UNDERSTAND Karl Marx.")
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To: SwinneySwitch
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.

20 years and still can't speak english.....
13 posted on 01/12/2007 2:34:43 PM PST by fhlh (Liberal (noun): A person so open minded, their brains have fallen out of their head.)
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To: King Moonracer

--Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...--

Sounds like he got the disease IN America.


14 posted on 01/12/2007 2:35:31 PM PST by UpAllNight
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To: King Moonracer
Bringing us the diseases Americans won't bring...
Mexican worms: Gobbling up brains American worms won't.
15 posted on 01/12/2007 2:35:37 PM PST by samtheman
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To: SwinneySwitch
"...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..."

I would say that the best way to avoid the disease is to avoid refugees from festering third-world sh**holes.

But, I'm not a doctor.
16 posted on 01/12/2007 2:35:45 PM PST by conservativeharleyguy (Technically, we're all Republicans)
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To: SwinneySwitch

Ummmm, can this be spread on lettuce like a taco belled event?


17 posted on 01/12/2007 2:36:08 PM PST by GOPJ
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To: SwinneySwitch

Rare brain worms spread by unsanitary cooks
__________________________________________________________
I want my brain worms well-done.


18 posted on 01/12/2007 2:36:16 PM PST by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: YellowRoseofTx
"...millions of third world illegals ...doing all kinds of work with our food chain."

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.

19 posted on 01/12/2007 2:37:01 PM PST by n230099 ("If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out.")
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To: SwinneySwitch

Wasn't there an episode of House MD about brain tapeworms?


20 posted on 01/12/2007 2:38:53 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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