Parasites.

The entire idea of parasites just gives me goosebumps. I know that a lot of people are scared of big tough animals like sharks, and rhinos, but personally, I would say parasites. Why?  Well, because animals such as sharks and rhinos can be visibly seen from miles away, and thus easily avoidable. Parasites, however, aren't usually noticed with the naked eye, and can sneak up on you when you least expect it, and if you think that just because of their size correlates with the amount of harm they can inflict on a person, you are dead wrong.  Parasites lives off of their hosts, exploiting them for food, water, heat, and pretty much everything else that they need to survive. These nasty little organisms can kill you from the inside, slowly. and painfully.

I apologize for the following comparison. It's completely been stuck in my head ever since I through of "parasites". It's kind of like, comparing that big, huge bully in your school, to a sneaky, conniving, backstabbing classmate. You already know the bully is a threat to you, so you would do anything to avoid making any direct eye contact with them, in hopes that you are not their next target. Even if you are, you know what to expect from them. However, what may be even worse than the bully is an evil classmate, who thrives on the drama, always takes the chance to stir the pot a little but never gets directly involved, so that they are able to live through you. This classmate would usually be a bigger threat because they take you by surprise, when your guard is down, and you get knocked completely off your feet.

Okay, so now that we have established the hazardous level of parasites, we can move onto solutions on how to prevent for parasitic infections!

Ways of getting infected with parasites:
 To be perfectly honest, there are lots of ways you can be infected by parasites, because there are so many different types of parasites, but I'll just list a few of the more common ways:

• Eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated with feces (especially that of contaminated humans or animals)
• Raw meat
• Through insects such as mosquitoes
• Sexually transmitted infections

Don't be afraid though, because there are always signs to tell whether you have parasites living inside you or not:

• Stomach or intestinal infections
• Fatigue and problems with sleep
• Skin Disorders or Allergies
• Mood and anxiety problems
• Weight and appetite problems
• Muscle and joint pain
• Sexual and reproductive problems

*As I learned in biology class, however, you should not always depend on the symptoms to diagnose the disease, so it's always best to get tested as well!

Now, onto methods of prevention:

• Washing your hands (generic, but useful!)
• Disinfecting your drinking water (especially when you travel to places where there is no sources of clean water)
• Thoroughly cooking your food, and be aware of where you are getting your food from!
• Getting yourself, your family, and your household pets checked regularly  

Overall, I've had WAY too much fun writing about parasites, so I really think I should stop here. BUT, while searching for information, I've come across this website, which is interesting, in a disturbing way. If I saw this, you have to see it too. Be careful of parasites, everyone!

http://listverse.com/2010/01/13/top-10-most-horrific-parasite-infections/