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Shock Study: Americans Infected With Roundworms, Playgrounds Affected
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By Lynda Johnson
Dec 27, 2007 |
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Large numbers of the poorest Americans living in the United States are suffering from some of the same parasitic infections that affect the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, according to the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal. As many as 23 percent of inner city African Americans are infected with roundworm, according to a new article published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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| Americans Infected With Roundworms, Playgrounds Affected |
Peter Hotez of the George Washington University in Washington and the Sabin Vaccine Institute said there is evidence the parasitic diseases toxocariasis, cysticercosis and toxoplasmosis, as well as other neglected infections, are very common in the United States, especially among poor and minority populations in inner cities and rural areas.
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Writing in the journal, Hotez said these parasitic infections had been ignored by most health experts in the United States. "I feel strongly that this is such an important health issue and yet because it only affects the poor it has been ignored," Hotez said via e-mail.
The study also said cysticercosis, caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, is emerging as the leading cause of epilepsy among Hispanic populations in the United States. Toxoplasmosis is an important cause of congenital birth defects among Mexican-Americans and African-Americans, the study determined.
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Fox news is reporting that Hoetz also said that said a study released in November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 14 percent of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara roundworms, which dogs and cats can pass to people.
Roundworms are particularly prevalent in urban playgrounds and may contribute to asthma. In addition to urban areas, these diseases are also present in Appalachia and other poor rural communities across the U.S.
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