• Question: How long could parasites survive inside the human body?

    Asked by ILuvScience to Franco on 13 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Franco Falcone

      Franco Falcone answered on 13 Jun 2016:

      Good question ILuvScience
      Some parasites can survive for several years, for example 3-4 years for hookworms and 10 years or more for blood flukes (Schistosomes). Some bugs like Helicobacter pylori will remain in your stomach for the rest of your life, unless you treat them with antibiotics.

Comments

  • Photo: Claire

    Claire commented on :

    Great answer from Franco. How long a parasite survives really depends on its ‘life cycle’, that’s the steps it goes through to achieve maturation, nutrition and reproduction to make new parasites. Short-lived parasites such as many biting insects can often achieve all these steps very quickly, whereas other that move more slowly need to survive for longer in order to complete their life cycle.

  • Photo: Mark

    Mark commented on :

    I agree with Franco and Claire. Parasite longevity is often, but not always, tied to the life-cycle of their host. Once the host dies, the parasite has no environment to help it survive. Lots of parasites have short life cycles compared to their host (e.g. Ascaris worms of humans) but they are still very successful because they produce hundreds of thousands of eggs per worm and these can cause rapid re-infection so people can build up huge burdens if they are not treated with medicine.

  • Photo: Linda

    Linda commented on :

    Well answered franco