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Looking Information On Intestinal Spider Parasites

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Posted on Tue, 6 Nov 2012
Question: Please tell me where I can find info on intestinal spider parasites
Email YYYY@YYYY
Thank you
I have seen something in the toilet after I have had a BM, about 8 different times. The legs were red! This is gross.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (1 hour later)
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in to Healthcare Magic!
The spider can not remain alive in the intestine and so can not be a parasite there because it never learnt to live there.
A spider needs oxygen in the air to survive and there is no chance of a spider being a parasite in the gut due to this simple reason.
May be you mistook some stool content as spider.
If you have a doubt of parasite in intestine then they can easily be detected by stool sample microscopic examination.
If you have any further query please let me know I would try to answer it for you.
Wish you a great health!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ram Choudhary (42 hours later)
The answer I received from the doctor did not take into consideration that there are intestinal spider parasites. I have personally held one that came out of my feces; I picked it up from the toilet with a piece of tissue and looked at it fairly carefully. It had several legs that were red. It is gross to think that I have such a thing inside my body. Over the last several months I have seen about 7 or 8 of these in the toilet (one at a time). This type of parasite is acknowledged on the Internet in several places. Most articles say the spider parasite has black or brown legs; I did find one article that said the legs could also be XXXXXXX or red. I have not yet tried to verify the creditials of the authors but at least one had a PhD in Nutrition. I understand that this parasite is not the same as the normal spider we see around the house.

I have not been able to find any information about this parasite that tells how it is acquired or how to get rid of it.

Thank you for your help.

XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (8 hours later)
Hi XXXXXXX,
Welcome back to Healthcare Magic!
madam I have strongly considered your concern but the possibility of spider is remote.
I have checked medical resources and talked to my Microbiologist colleague.
All sources say only one thing that a spider is an arachnid insect and can not survive/infect human gut.
I think you have seen some thing else may be a bit of parasite- like the proglottid of a tape worm and mistook it for a spider.
If you still think it is a spider, next time get a close photo graph and send it in attachment to the query to me.
It is also advisable that you should take the sample to a Microbiologist in your locality lab and get it examined there. Also get the stool examined to detect any other parasite in the stool.
If you have any further query please let me know I would try to answer it for you.
Wish you a great health!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ram Choudhary (9 hours later)
What I am finding in my feces is not a spider. It just looks like a spider. There are quite a few articles on the internet that list this look-alike as one type of intestinal parasite. I just cannot find out how people obtain this parasite and how to get rid of it. I did not mention previously that I have had a bout with roundworms and was treated with albendazole. It was sometime after this treatment that I first saw this peculiar thing in the toilet. I have low immunity to help protect me from parasites or other types of illnesses. My physician says that is most likely the reason I am susceptible to obtaining parasites. She does not know the details about this parasite. Thanks for all your efforts.
XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (4 hours later)
Hi XXXXXXX,
Welcome back to Healthcare Magic!
I think you are getting them from some of the contacts in the daily life or from vegetables.
Small children continue to put their fingers in mouth and infect themselves and thus are potential reservoir. If you happen to be exposed to small babies at home/work you might be contracting it from there, you should treat them as well to limit the reservoir.
Another thing do not eat outside, even if you eat eat boiled things but never the salad and fruits.
Once I had a patient of neurocysticercosis who worked as a helper cook in a five star hotel, he used to eat lot of salad in the hotel kitchen. When I asked him he told the processing of food as risky and unhygienic.
So may be you are having it from world class services.
wash the home salad and fruit twice using liberal amount of water.
And try to get the stool sample tested.
If you have any further query please let me know I would try to answer it for you.
Wish you a great health!
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ram Choudhary

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 2270 Questions

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Looking Information On Intestinal Spider Parasites

Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in to Healthcare Magic!
The spider can not remain alive in the intestine and so can not be a parasite there because it never learnt to live there.
A spider needs oxygen in the air to survive and there is no chance of a spider being a parasite in the gut due to this simple reason.
May be you mistook some stool content as spider.
If you have a doubt of parasite in intestine then they can easily be detected by stool sample microscopic examination.
If you have any further query please let me know I would try to answer it for you.
Wish you a great health!