Parasites, infections in N. Korean soldier who defected reveal country’s conditions
Hospital records from a soldier who defected from North Korea this month offer telling details about health problems in the closed country.
The 24-year-old soldier had parasitic infections and a dangerous hepatitis infection — conditions that speak to poor sanitation and rough conditions in North Korea.
Most shocking, perhaps, are reports of large parasitic worms, some measuring 11 inches, recovered from his intestines.
“An estimated 5 million people in North Korea have intestinal roundworms. That’s 20 percent of the population,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor.
Doctors found the parasites — likely Ascaris roundworms — while repairing intestinal damage from multiple bullet wounds the soldier sustained during his escape. The eggs of these worms are frequently found in the soil, especially in developing countries that use human waste as an inexpensive fertilizer. Once inside the body, these eggs hatch to form larvae that eventually develop into large worms that infect the small intestine. They can grow to more than 13 inches long.
Despite the size of these creatures, Ascaris roundworm infections may not be accompanied by noticeable symptoms. However, Hotez said, they can lead to malnutrition in the infected. In children, this can lead to developmental delays and short stature.
“Instead of feeding the kid, you’re feeding the worms,” said Hotez. “They rob children of nutrition.”
Multiple large worms in an infected person can cause intestinal blockages, and the worms can travel to the nearby liver, gallbladder, or pancreas and cause damage and inflammation to those organs, Hotez said.
