The parasites who live in the planet they are organisms that obtain their nutrition from another organism, the host, to the detriment of that organism. parasites they need a guest to grow and multiply, and this relationship often causes damage to the host organism.
Parasites have no stone with their victims
It cannot be said otherwise: parasites They have no stone with their victims. His strategies of conquest are noteworthy. From entering and devouring the Guest from inside the host, others replace the victim’s tongue with their own body, others cause blindness. Some conquer the brain of its host by controlling its movements and modifying its behavior in a suicidal manner. There are even parasites that can trigger facial paralysis.
However, there are some who are scariest than others, so below we show you the parasites scariest on the planet (there is one that controls the mind).
The scariest parasites on the planet (there is one that controls the mind)
The parasite that controls the mind
East flatworm parasite Leucochloridium paradoxum It went viral months ago after the appearance on social networks of a somewhat particular snail. The chilling story behind this unusual snail was that it housed this type of parasite which uses snails and other gastropods as intermediate hosts for its end, which is birds. The parasites develop in the body of the gastropod, filling the stalks of its eyes with sacs of larvae and controlling the mollusk. The snail turns into a zombie. The stems of the snail look outwardly like tiny caterpillars, attracting the birds that the parasite needs for the next stage of its life cycle.
Spider Manipulator Wasps
Although parasites harm their hosts, not all kill them, even if only selfishly to stay alive. This is not the case with parasitoids. In the case of parasitoid wasps, which inspired the monster in the movie “Alien”, they lay their eggs inside their victims, and the offspring devour them on their way out. There are various species that control the minds of their guests such as the larvae of the Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga wasp. She causes the spider Plesiometa argyra to weave unusual webs especially suited to supporting their cocoons.
The Australian paralysis tick
Ixodes holocyclus is a tick that can produce paralysis by injecting a neurotoxin into the host. This tick attaches itself to its new host with its teeth, digging its large, sharp mouthparts into the skin before injecting anticoagulant saliva to prevent blood from clotting. In most cases, a tick bite produces nothing more than localized swelling and some itching. On rare occasions, however, it can trigger paralysis and allergic reactions serious. If the tick is not removed, the patient may die of respiratory failure.
The parasite that penetrates the skin
Here we have a parasite that affects humans. Hookworms are small nematode worms less than 1.5 centimeters long that produce diseases known generically as hookworm. Although his infection rarely fatal, tend to produce symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, tiredness, loss of appetite, anemia and skin infection. But if it occurs in children, it can be especially dangerous, since the parasitic infection can cause problems in the physical development and cognitive.
How does it infect? One of the most common ways to contract the disease is walk on the ground barefoot. Since hookworms enter the body by “snagging on the skin”, then burrowing into the body and making their way to the small intestine.
The tongue-eating parasite
It’s the only one parasite It is known that it not only feeds on one of its host’s body parts, it eats its tongue. But also completely replaces what is ingested, that is, it has its home inside the mouth of a fish. There it feeds on blood from the tongue until the organ dries up. Then he parasite adheres to the remaining stump of the fish. Occupying the place where the tongue used to be and feeds on blood and mucus in the mouth.
The head-opening parasite
Cordyceps fungi is one of the best known parasites. Cordyceps fungi release their deadly spores into the air, which affect various insects, particularly ants. In fact, ant colonies are so terrified that there may be infected ants that drive any ant acting suspiciously out of the colony. This is because the infected ants they become disoriented and erratic. Once the infection takes hold, it forces the ant to climb to a very high place, such as a plant stem, and die. It is the moment in which the fungus emerges, tears the infected host and spreads its spores to other potential victims. And the cycle begins again.
the dragon worm
Lastly, the Guinea worm or Dracunculus, sneaks into the body by drinking dirty water that contains tiny water flea-infected larvae. Once inside a person, fleas they die in the stomach, but the infective larvae are released and migrate through the body. The spaghetti-like female worm grows up to a meter long and emerges through the skin, usually in the legs or feet, causing a burning pain. This pain can last for weeks and there is no vaccine.
And you, do you know other dangerous parasites that transit the planet?
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