If you swim in fresh water during the summer, drink unfiltered water or travel to Africa or Asia for any length of time, you may have picked up a few worms or amoebas. While some parasites show no symptoms, others can prove deadly within weeks. In some cases, surgery is an option to help eliminate some organisms. In other cases, vaccines or medicines may help. In all cases, prevention — such as washing hands, maintaining sanitary cooking conditions, wearing shoes when outside and cooking meat or fish thoroughly — can keep you somewhat safe from the invasion of these human parasites. [click to continue…]