A Kidney Worm Infection Kills a Women!

An elderly woman admitted to hospital with stomach pains died after surgeons discovered a huge parasite living in - and eating - one of her kidneys. Hana Foldynova, 76, had been admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pains and after her family doctor discovered blood in her urine.

Doctors at the hospital in Krnov, in the Czech Republic, decided to operate and they were shocked to find a dark red, 3.9-inch long parasite - which they initially mistook for a blood clot - living in one of her kidneys.

Deadly invader: The giant kidney worm was removed, but the woman died a short time later

Worse still, surgeons also had to remove a second, slightly smaller worm measuring 2.4 inches that had crawled into the woman's bladder. Urologist Jan Pulcer said: "When patients have blood in their urine, it is usually caused by some kidney stone, inflammation or cancer. But this was very surprising for us."

The parasite was identified as a giant kidney worm, also known as Dioctophyme renale, a parasite usually found in dogs but extremely rare in humans. A giant kidney worm can live in the human body up to five years. It can only be removed by surgery, and if left will destroy the kidney.

Doctors said the woman, weakened by the worm that had destroyed her kidney, did not recover after it had been removed and had died a short time later. The organisms were sent to the National Laboratory to confirm the diagnosis. Head urologist, Ivo Odstrcil, said it was not clear how the parasite got into the woman's body, although the usual method was by eating badly cooked fish.

“Her family have said that she liked local seafood. We assume that she was infected after she had eaten badly cooked fish,” Odstrcil said.

A giant kidney worm can live in the human body up to five years, according to scientific literature, reported CEN. Human infestation is extremely rare, and the current case is the first and only one recorded in the Czech Republic.

Giant Kidney Worms

Dioctophyma renale or call Giant Kidney Worm, the largest known nematode, has a worldwide distribution. Many other species, including dogs and humans, can become infected. The definitive host contracts the parasite by ingesting encysted larvae in raw fish (eg, pike, bullhead) or frogs, or by ingesting an infected annelid worm. The larvae penetrate the bowel wall and migrate first to the liver and later to the kidneys. In dogs, the parasite often fails to reach the kidneys and may be found free in the abdominal cavity. Kidney worms grow larger in dogs which can be reaching up to 103 cm.

Life Cycle of Giant Kidney Worms

Female worms are larger than male worms, and both are blood red. Both male and female worms must be present in the same kidney to complete the life cycle. Barrel-shaped, yellow-brown eggs with a thick pitted shell measuring 71–84 × 45–52 μm are shed into the urine.

In the kidneys, the worm(s) cause obstruction, hydronephrosis, and destruction of the renal parenchyma. The right kidney is most commonly affected. Kidney failure can result if both kidneys are parasitized. Chronic peritonitis, adhesions, and liver disease are also possible. Clinical signs are hematuria, pollakiuria, weight loss, and renal or abdominal pain. Urinalysis may reveal proteinuria, hematuria, and pyuria. IV pyelography or ultrasonography shows the enlarged hydronephrotic kidney. 

Worms from one single kidney

The diagnosis is made by finding the eggs in the urine sediment if both sexes of the nematode are present in the kidney and the ureter is patent. Alternatively, exploratory laparotomy may reveal the diagnosis. Worms may be found in the peritoneal cavity, between the lobes of the liver, or within the affected kidney(s) via nephrotomy.

Check out the video below for a finding in a dogs abdominal cavity.

Unilateral nephrectomy is the treatment of choice if the opposite kidney is unaffected. Preventing ingestion of raw fish or other aquatic organisms is recommended in areas where the parasite is known to infect wild animals.

Worms (parasites) infections are very dangerous, so next time when you eat, make sure it is well-cooked. Think twice before you try on something raw.

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How to Fight Urinary Tract Infection Naturally?

Painful during urination? or you need to go washroom very frequently? you having strong odour on your urine? You may just having a urinary tract infections (UTI). Doctors typically use antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacterium found in your urine.

Way to Fight UTI besides antibiotics?

There are many ways to fight a urinary tract infection naturally other than taking an antibiotic.

In fact, some remedies don’t require a prescription — and they can be carried out right at home. From drinking lots of water to replenishing good bacteria with probiotics, these home remedies may help ease your agonizing UTI symptoms:

Get yourself fill with water. 

One of the first thing doctors will tell you to do when you have a urinary tract infection is to drink plenty of water. Drinking water helps flush away the bacteria and puts you on the right track for recovery. The question is, how much should you drink? Aim for half of your body weight in ounces of water, up to 80 ounces a day, says Holly Lucille, ND, a naturopathic physician in private practice in West Hollywood, Calif. and author of Creating and Maintaining Balance: A Woman’s Guide to Safe, Natural Hormone Health. If you weigh 140 pounds, that means you should try to get 70 ounces of water a day.

Drink plenty of water

Cranberry fights UTI. 

Cranberry juice is a great beverage, with important antioxidants that help to strengthen your immune system, allowing your body to fight off infections. According to some study, cranberry juice helps to flush away bacteria and keeps them from sticking to the bladder wall, so it can be effective for UTI prevention. Dr. Lucille tells her patients to drink 16 to 32 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice a day — or to take 400 milligrams of cranberry extract in supplement form each day. However, according to the Urology Clinic at UAMS, cranberry juice cannot cure a UTI on its own. Your doctor will still need to prescribe antibiotics to clear up the condition. So, it can be help at supplementary level to prevent a UTIs.

Cranberry Myth

Take some vitamin C. 

Vitamin C makes your urine more acidic, which fights bacteria in your urinary tract. If you have an active UTI, taking vitamin C supplements may help.

Blast bad bacteria with good bacteria. 

Yogurt contains probiotics, which is the good bacteria that helps to keep bad bacteria that can cause UTIs at bay, says Kandis Rivers, MD, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich. It’s always a good idea to eat yogurt regularly, but it’s particularly important when you’re taking an antibiotic for UTI treatment, which can wipe out your body’s natural good bacteria too. You can find yogurt with live active cultures that can do the job or take probiotic supplements in pill form, Dr. Rivers says.

Soothe the pain with heat. 

The inflammation and irritation from UTIs cause burning, pressure, and pain around your pubic area, Rivers says. Applying a heating pad can help soothe the area. Keep the heat setting low, and limit it to 15 minutes at a time to avoid burns. Ban the burn with baking soda. If painful, burning urination is a problem for you during a UTI, it can help to ease down the pain by drink half of a teaspoon baking soda mixed with a glass of water.

Heat reduce the pain

Cut out irritants. 

Things like caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, nicotine, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners can irritate your bladder further and make it hard for your body to heal. Focus on healthy foods, such as high-fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats like olive oil, which are good for your digestive health, Lucille says.

No Coffee for the day

Empty your bladder. 

Every time you empty your bladder — even if it’s just a small amount — you rid it of some of the bacteria that’s causing the infection. So keep making those bathroom runs, Rivers says.

Empty your bladder

Use herbal remedies. 

You may find some relief from taking the herb urva ursi, which works as an anti-inflammatory. In addition, the herbs goldenseal and Oregon grape root can help your body fight E. coli, a common bacteria that causes UTIs. However, be sure to tell your doctor about any herbs you’re taking, because side effects can sometimes be serious.

Natural herbal remedies

When to See a Doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you suffered from UTI hat lasts for more than two days or if you have additional, unusual symptoms. If you have severe symptoms such as sweet-smelling urine, mental confusion, bloating, nausea, or vomiting, see a medical professional right away.

Consult with your doctor

You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

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