Test Your Freaky Parasites IQ!

By Daniel V. Donatelli

Sure, we all hate parasites. There's Giardia lamblia, the parasite that will turn your insides into liquid fire if you drink untreated water, and there are mosquitoes, which feed on other organisms' blood to reproduce. But then there are the less common, more freaky parasites of the world. Can you match these awful parasites with their nightmarish behavior?

1. Candiru: Swim up the host's urethra. Candiru, or "toothpick fish," are tiny freshwater catfish that can swim up the host's (i.e., your) urethra and attach themselves to the fleshy wall using spines. They then feed on the host's blood until the host does the reasonable thing and sets himself on fire.
2. Cymothoa exigua: Attaches itself to the base of a fish's tongue. Cymothoa exigua is a horrifying parasite that attaches itself to the base of a fish's tongue, feasts on blood until the organ atrophies, and then positions itself as the tongue's replacement in the fish's mouth. What’s the matter, Cymothoa exigua got your tongue?
3. Hookworm: Attaches itself to the host's intestinal wall. Hookworms attach themselves to the host's intestinal wall, feed on blood, and eventually cause anemia, severe abdominal pain, fatigue, and in some cases a bizarre hunger for things like dirt and mud. However, these symptoms have also been attributed to the human parasite known as Love.
4. Human botfly: Chews its way into the host's body. The human botfly maggot will chew its way into a human host's body, feast on the flesh while it grows, and then pop out of a small hole it has eaten from the inside of the host. Ta-da!
5. Loa loa filariasis: Attaches itself to the host's subcutaneous tissues. Loa loa filariasis, also known as the loa loa worm, and commonly known as the African eye worm, is a sight for sore eyes. This beauty is literally in the eye of the beholder. But don’t worry—only 12 to 13 million people have this parasitical worm scurrying across their eyeballs. (Dieters’ Bonus: Do an image search for this parasite; you’ll never be hungry again!)