Parasite stories follow a predictable shape: an alarming number, a named food or place, and very little about what it actually means for you. Two come round again and again — a produce-linked stomach parasite most summers, and the “brain-eating amoeba” whenever it turns hot. Both are far less dangerous to the average person than the headline implies, and both have genuinely useful guidance underneath. Here is what each one is, and what the coverage tends to leave out.
Naegleria fowleri turned up in waters at Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Lake Mead. It's serious but genuinely rare.
Read →A microscopic parasite that turns up in fresh produce most summers — leafy greens, herbs and berries are the recurring culprits. What it is, the tell-tale relapsing symptoms that set it apart, and how to stay safe.
Read →Is It a Parasite? — four pages, plain English, from CDC and WHO sources. The red flags and a printable prevention checklist.
