While certain sicknesses die off, others from parasites like psoriasis can latch on almost permanently, living in their host for decades. As such, this happened with a certain mom recently discovered to have been living with psoriasis for 36 years.
Decade-Living Psoriasis
According to Newsweek, certain health blips are temporary; most vanish over time. As such, a recent discovery revealed that a woman's psoriasis was caused by parasites in her body for around 40 years.
The story revolves around Kat Jamieson-Harwood's mother, who had been going to different hospitals for years with little to no progress on her condition. The mother had been accused of being an alcoholic due to the symptoms she experienced, including stomach burns, reflux, dizziness, and such, which have even resulted in her gallbladder being removed.
Kat Jamieson-Harwood uploaded the story to TikTok, where she explained that her mother suffered from a rare parasite that had resided in her body for 36 years. She then explained that the parasite came from Africa.
As for the specific illness, it was explained that its cause came from parasitic worms, which resulted in bilharzia, otherwise known as Schistosomiasis. The story took a more profound turn when Jamieson-Harwood was found to have also had the same parasite.
Schistosomiasis Parasitic Disease
The World Health Organization reports that Schistosomiasis comes from parasite larvae, which freshwater snails release. These parasites often penetrate a person's skin upon contact with infested water.
Transmission of Schistosomiasis can happen when people carrying the illness contaminate freshwater sources with urine or feces. Should the urine or feces have the parasite eggs, they would hatch in water, and the contamination would spread.
Upon entry to the body, these larvae would then grow into adult Schistosomes, with adult worms living in the blood vessels where they hatch. However, these worms could also be stuck in a person's body tissue, resulting in progressive organ damage and causing immune reactions.
Regarding Kat Jamieson-Harwood's case, she picked up the parasite while living in Nigeria, which she left after being only two months old. Although she said she felt fine, she was still surprised that the bacteria managed to live that long.
Risks of Schistosomiasis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights that Schistosomes were only second to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease. The CDC also maintains that they are categorized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
An Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology article by Philip LoVerde explains that the disease is often found in tropical and subtropical areas. Schistosomes are responsible for an estimated 280,000 yearly deaths, affecting over 250 million people across 78 countries.
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