Eye-invading parasites may be on the rise in the U.S.

There’s a wriggly uprising you probably haven’t heard about that at the very least will give you the heebie-jeebies and at the worst could make you very ill.

That’s because just two years after the first case of eye-invading parasites from cattle were found in humans, they’re back!

Yup, worms from cows were found wriggling around in the eyeballs of a woman from Nebraska who experts believe ended up with the eye worms when she ran through a swarm of flies while trail running in California.

So, what are these eyeball worms?

The cattle eye worm, known as Thelazia gulosa or T. gulosa, is actually very common in cows and has been infesting the eyes of herds across our country since World War II.

If the thought of these eyeball worms weren’t gross enough on their own, how they get there is probably enough to stimulate your gag reflex since they move around between the eyes via face flies. Ugh!

The larvae of the worms sit in the eyeball chowing down on the cow’s tears until the fly picks it up, allows it to grow inside the fly’s tissue and then delivers it ready to take over and do damage to the next eyeball.

And, these wriggly suckers are now in people!

In fact, according to the CDC, they may represent, “An emerging zoonotic disease in the United States” — meaning a disease that has crossed species and is now transmissible from animals to humans.

Major examples of these types of diseases include Lyme disease, malaria, and even Ebola.

And, while even the thought of ending up with a parasite like these eyeball worms might creep you out, I’ve got far worse news for you…

Some parasites could give you cancer.

Parasitic cancer is for real

That’s because numerous parasites that have migrated to humans have been incontrovertibly linked to the development of the Big C.

In fact, in countries where parasitic infections are more common, like the Middle East, Africa and Asia worms have been linked to certain types of cancers, including liver and bladder cancer.

They are so dangerous that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies some parasitic worms as class 1 carcinogens — the same group that includes smoking, asbestos, and black mold.

So, how do parasites cause cancer?

According to scientists, the way it works is this…

Parasites constantly wound and re-wound their host (you) as they latch on with their feeding cavity, burrow through your organs, and deposit eggs in their walls. This leads to chronic inflammation as your body tries endlessly to heal — leading to increased cell division and lots of opportunities for cancer-causing mutations to accumulate.

To top it off, worms and their eggs also excrete proteins that exacerbate this chronic inflammation, which promotes even more possibly cancerous cell division and the increased blood vessel growth required to feed it.

In other words, those wriggly worms create the perfect storm to fuel cancer.

Parasite protection

So, if the number of parasites we’re exposed to is growing such as those eyeball worms that can now cross to humans from cattle, what can you do if you suspect you’ve come in contact with parasites that like human hosts?

First, unless you live near a dairy farm or trot the globe, you’re probably not at high risk of literally running into eye worms, like the unlucky lady in Nebraska, or cancer-causing parasites.

But you could have a higher chance of coming into contact with a parasite that sets up camp in your intestines. So, understanding how to protect yourself from these types of worms is paramount.

Related: Rid your body of intestinal parasites — now

Besides talking to your doctor about it, avoid eating raw or undercooked food. It’s also important to make sure you void your bowels regularly.

Going every day lessens the likelihood that something like tapeworm eggs have time to hatch inside your body. That means getting more fiber and using natural stimulants to help you go if you have a hard time.

Some natural treatments that could help are:

1. Wormwood

Wormwood not only contains powerful antioxidants, but it’s also been shown in scientific studies to fight off both dwarf tapeworm and the parasitic worm infection, schistosomiasis.

In fact, in a head-to-head study, wormwood was faster acting and had fewer side effects than traditional medication when it came to schistosomiasis treatment.

2. Oregano Oil

A study reported in Phytotherapy Research found that all patients with parasitic worms given 600 mg of oregano oil over six weeks showed a reduction in parasite numbers plus a decrease in gut symptoms.

And, a whopping 77 percent of the patients were completely cured of their parasites.

Other supplements commonly used in case of parasite include:

• Black walnut
• Clove
• Olive leaf
• Neem
• Propolis

Sources:

1. Cattle eyeball worms found in second human, raising worry of wriggly uprising — Ars Technica
2. Types of zoonotic diseases — Medical News Today
3. Mapping the zoonotic niche of Ebola virus disease in Africa — eLife
4. Zoonotic Diseases: Disease Transmitted from Animals to Humans — Minnesota Department of Health
5. Parasites that can lead to cancer — American Cancer Society
6. Parasitic worms cause cancer — and could help cure it — Frontiers
7. Group 1 Carcinogens in Food – Is Consuming Processed Meat as Dangerous as Smoking?! — Food Safety Focus
8. Everything you need to know about parasite cleanses — Medical News Today
9. Inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo — Phytotherapy Research