• pageflight@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Beth Mole, a writer at Ars Technica, has a fun example with Rat Lungworm: Burning in woman’s legs turned out to be slug parasites migrating to her brain.

      It started with a bizarre burning sensation in her feet. Over the next two days, the searing pain crept up her legs. Any light touch made it worse, and over-the-counter pain medicine offered no relief.

      and so on until it’s diagnosed, then some lifecycle/vector explanation:

      For instance, if a slug or snail traverses a leaf of lettuce, leaving a slime trail in its wake, the leaf can be contaminated with the larvae.

    • Lemminary@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Yup, you’re especially at risk from liver worms from things like watercress and other usual parasites when animals defecate over crops, or from farmers using egg-infested water. Always wash and disinfect.