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Dear Dr. Roach: After learning that my brother drank a recommended solution to detox his body of worms, I did a little research. Sources claim that parasitic infections are found in many unsuspecting people. They claim that 300,000 people have Chagas disease per year, and cysticercosis causes the hospitalization of 1,000 people per year. About 14% of the population has been exposed to toxocariasis, and 60 million people are chronically infected with toxoplasmosis on a yearly basis. How accurate are these statistics, and should I detox my body system? -- M.C.
Answer: These numbers are (mostly) accurate but misleading. Most of these diseases are seldom acquired in the United States. However, people with serious defects in their immune system are at risk for some of these diseases.
For Chaga's disease, also called American trypanosomiasis (a parasite disease of the protozoa T. cruzi), the vast majority of people with this condition acquired it as children in Mexico, Central America or South America and have since moved to the U.S. The insects that carry and transmit the disease do live in the Southern U.S.
Cysticercosis is caused by a tapeworm, Taenia solium, whose larvae can be deposited in the muscles, brains and livers of people who eat infected pigs. Treating cysticercosis can actually worsen the situation, causing seizures and even death in people with brain lesions.
The 14% seroprevalence of toxocara (a roundworm) data are obsolete; the new estimate is 5%. This disease is transmitted by companion animals, especially puppies and kittens. Most people with toxocariasis don't need treatment. Toxoplasmosis is common, with 11% of the population being chronically infected. This parasitic disease is a significant problem for people with immune system diseases and pregnant women. However, treating a chronically infected person who doesn't have symptoms isn't recommended except in people with immune system diseases.
What concerns me about your question is the assumption that taking medication to get rid of a possible and asymptomatic parasite is a good idea. I strongly recommend against doing this.
I do understand that people have an instinctive revulsion to the idea that they might be harboring a parasite -- even one that is inactive and will likely never become a problem -- but treatments always have the potential for side effects.