Poss tmi warning - DH has worm in leg

[sphil]

Dh has just returned from the Gambia with what he thought was an insect bite on his leg. Over the last week it has got bigger and yesterday a small white worm popped out of it (where's the yuk emoticon when you need it?) Went to GP who admitted she didn't know what to do and has referred him to dermatologist at hospital on Friday.

Has anyone heard of this - googling only produces 'guinea worm disease' which causes severe pain, and he says it's just a bit uncomfortable. Dh wants to know what the treatment will be (altho I think he has an idea...) and whether he'll have to take antibiotics.

botflies and ticks are helpful reminders that we are merely a part of the animal kingdom and the food chain.

it keeps me anyway from getting too cocky.

[grin} at threadworm. I hate worms. Will take a live maggot out of my own body because otherwise they itch while the are feeding, esp at night it seems. they also get quite sizable and painful if you leave them in as a biological experiment as some nutty anthropologists, zoologist etc. types are apt to do to find out.

My aunt kept hunting dogs and i have seen large ones. gross.

but I absolutely refuse to touch slugs and earthworms in the garden over here.

you are very brave kiskidee, I run away from spiders, roaches, moths - anything never mind thing what live on you

don't let the bed bugs bite

I heard that the best way to get rid of a tapeworm is to provide yourself with seven apples, six biscuits and a hammer. Every day, for six days, shove an apple up your bum, then a biscuit. On the last day, shove just the apple up your bum. Then when the worm sticks its head out and says, 'Oi! Where's me farking biscuit?' You pop it one with the hammer.

HTH.

The worm has gone but the thread continues?

Tape worms and the worms you get from undercooked pork are different actually. Tape worms can be from any undercooked meat (that has tapeworm eggs in it - pretty unusual in the UK). The worm you get from undercooked pork (trichina worm)is actually really nasty and can cause death in extreme cases as it can travel into the brain.

Tape worms are harmless though amongst adults if you're well nourished as you can just eat more - obviously not great if you are living somewhere where there is famine.

I still wouldn't really want one poking out my bottom and looking around though.

Oooh yes I remember the worm found in pork in an episode of 'House'. Young worm in a coma and it was nasty worm in her brain.