They’re Not Just in Your Gut: Where Parasites Really Live—And How You Get Them
Feeling bloated, tired, or foggy—despite eating clean?
Most people think of parasites as a third-world problem. But they’re shockingly common… and they don’t just live in your gut. Let’s break down where they hide, how they get in, and why your chronic symptoms might not be so random after all.
⚠️ How Parasites Get In
You don’t have to travel internationally to pick up a parasite. They can enter your body through:
🌊 Freshwater lakes, rivers, hot springs, hot tubs, and even public pools – Parasites can enter through the skin, nose, or large pores on your feet, especially when standing barefoot in wet sand or murky water (source: CDC, WHO)
🥬 Unwashed produce – Lettuce, herbs, berries (source: CDC)
🍣 Raw or undercooked meat and fish – Pork, crab, sushi, lamb, wild game (source: CDC)
🐱 Pet feces – Cats and dogs may carry Toxoplasma, Toxocara, Giardia, or Echinococcus (source: CDC)
🦟 Insect bites – Mosquitoes, blackflies, tsetse flies, sandflies, and ticks can transmit parasites or coinfections (source: WHO)
🧽 Fecal-oral route – Via contaminated hands, toys, bedding, toilets, or food prep surfaces (source: CDC)
💨 Airborne eggs – Especially pinworm eggs, which are light enough to float in the air and be inhaled (source: CDC)
🧠 Brain
Toxoplasma gondii – From cat feces or undercooked meat; forms cysts in brain tissue, linked to seizures and behavior changes (source: CDC)
Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) – Ingested eggs form cysts in brain; causes seizures and hydrocephalus (source: CDC)
Naegleria fowleri – Found in warm lakes/hot tubs; enters through the nose and causes fatal brain inflammation (source: CDC)
Plasmodium falciparum – Malaria parasite; clogs brain capillaries in cerebral malaria (source: WHO)
👁 Eyes
Toxocara canis/cati – From pet feces or dirt; causes vision loss through ocular larva migrans (source: CDC)
Loa loa – “African eye worm” spread by deerflies; visibly crosses the eye (source: WHO)
Taenia solium – Cysticercosis can involve the eyes (source: CDC)
🫀 Heart
Trypanosoma cruzi – Causes Chagas disease; damages heart tissue (source: CDC)
Toxoplasma gondii – May infect heart muscle in immunocompromised individuals (source: NIH)
Echinococcus spp. – Rare cysts can form in heart tissue (source: PubMed)
🫁 Lungs
Paragonimus westermani – “Lung fluke” from raw crab/crayfish; causes lung cysts and chronic cough (source: CDC)
Strongyloides stercoralis – Migrates through lungs after entering through the skin (source: CDC)
Ascaris lumbricoides – Larvae migrate through lungs during life cycle (source: CDC)
🩸 Blood
Plasmodium spp. – Malaria parasite spread by mosquitoes (source: WHO)
Babesia microti – Tick-borne; destroys red blood cells and mimics malaria (source: CDC)
Trypanosoma spp. – Includes sleeping sickness and Chagas (source: WHO)
🦷 Mouth & Tongue
Trichinella spiralis – From undercooked pork or wild game; may encyst in jaw/tongue (source: CDC)
🦠 Gut & Intestines
Giardia lamblia – “Beaver fever” from untreated water or produce; causes bloating, gas, and diarrhea (source: CDC)
Entamoeba histolytica – From contaminated water; causes bloody diarrhea and ulcers (source: NIH)
Blastocystis hominis – Linked to IBS-like symptoms (source: PubMed)
Hookworm, whipworm, Strongyloides – Enter through bare feet; cause anemia and nutrient loss (source: CDC)
Cryptosporidium spp. – Highly chlorine-resistant; found in pools and daycares (source: CDC)
Schistosoma mansoni – From lakes/rivers; eggs lodge in gut and liver (source: WHO)
🧫 Liver
Fasciola hepatica – “Liver fluke” from sheep/cattle feces; humans get infected by eating aquatic plants like watercress, not from meat (source: CDC)
Echinococcus granulosus – From dog exposure; causes large liver cysts (source: WHO)
Schistosoma mansoni & japonicum – Eggs accumulate in liver, leading to fibrosis and portal hypertension (source: CDC)
Entamoeba histolytica – Can spread from intestines to liver (source: NIH)
🥤 Pancreas & Biliary Tract
Fasciola hepatica – May block bile ducts and gallbladder (source: CDC)
Ascaris lumbricoides – Can migrate into bile or pancreatic ducts, causing obstruction (source: PubMed)
🚽 Bladder & Urinary Tract
Schistosoma haematobium – Freshwater exposure; causes blood in urine and bladder damage (source: WHO)
👩🦰 Female Reproductive Organs
Schistosoma spp. – Eggs can embed in the cervix, vulva, and uterus (source: WHO)
Trichomonas vaginalis – Sexually transmitted protozoan; causes irritation and discharge (source: CDC)
💪 Muscles & Joints
Trichinella spiralis – From undercooked pork or wild game; encysts in muscle, causing pain and swelling (source: CDC)
Toxoplasma gondii – Forms dormant cysts in muscle tissue (source: NIH)
Strongyloides stercoralis – In severe infections, can cause muscle and joint pain (source: PubMed)
🧍 Skin
Onchocerca volvulus – “River blindness” from blackfly bites; causes nodules, intense itching, and vision loss (source: WHO)
Leishmania spp. – From sandflies; causes skin ulcers (source: WHO)
Strongyloides stercoralis – Entry site causes “larva currens” rash (source: CDC)
🧠🦴 Other Tissues
Echinococcus spp. – Cysts may form in lungs, spleen, bones, or brain (source: WHO)
Toxocara spp. – Larva migrans can affect the liver, lungs, or CNS (source: CDC)
Schistosoma spp. – May affect the spine, spleen, or reproductive tract in chronic cases (source: NIH)
🍑 Anus & Perineal Area
Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) – Most common U.S. parasite; causes nighttime anal itching. Eggs can float in the air like dust and be inhaled or transferred on hands, bedding, and surfaces (source: CDC)
🧬 Chronic Coinfections (Often Overlooked)
These are not parasites, but they frequently co-occur with parasite infections and worsen symptoms:
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) – From tick bites; affects joints, nerves, and brain (source: CDC)
Bartonella henselae – From cats, fleas, or ticks; causes neurovascular symptoms (source: NIH)
Babesia microti – Already listed in blood; coinfection with Lyme is common (source: CDC)
Mycoplasma spp. – A bacterial coinfection that causes fatigue, inflammation, and autoimmunity (source: PubMed)
⚠️ These infections can hide from labs and mimic parasite symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and chronic illness.
❗ Cooking & Food Safety Notes
Not all parasites die with “normal” cooking. Some survive:
Cold smoking, flash searing, or marination (like in sushi or ceviche)
Undercooked game meat or pork
Improper freezing or low-temp prep
✅ Safe practice:
Cook fish to 145°F
Cook pork/wild meat to 160°F
Freeze raw fish to -4°F for 7+ days before consuming raw
Wash produce thoroughly—even organic
