Parasites, Up Way Too Close and Personal!

06/30/2010

Parasite Central

If you've been hooked by "Monsters Inside Me," airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m., you know the irresistible pull of this series, even if, like The Mole, you're a squeam queen. Those mysterious, invisible invaders that take up residence in humans seem far more menacing than a rampaging elephant or cruising shark--after all, no one invited these little beasts to set up housekeeping in a bloodstream or brain! Even worse, sometimes their sneaky presence goes undetected, unlike real house guests, who openly leave towels on the floor or eat up all the ice cream.

Dan Riskin of "Monsters Inside Me" is a biologist and parasite expert extraordinaire. The Mole caught up with Dan for some parasite dish:

Dan, how did your own fascination with parasites begin?

I have a passion for bats, and through them, I've learned that some of nature's most interesting creatures are often overlooked or misunderstood. When Animal Planet approached me about a show on parasites, I leapt at the chance to participate. I'd learned about parasites in my training as a biologist, but diving deep into the material for "Monsters Inside Me" gave me a new level of appreciation for them.

What is it about these invisible critters that draws the interest of viewers?

I think people have a visceral reaction to parasites because evolution has shaped us that way. Parasites are a REAL threat. They kill millions of us every year. We're scared of them because they're actually very dangerous. We know to be scared of lions and tigers and bears, but the most dangerous animals on earth are the small ones.

On this season's episodes, what's the one situation you found most surprising or outrageous?

The guy with the nosebleed in Tibet. That blew my mind. What did he have? Watch the show!

The people on the series are very "ordinary" people in what are often extraordinary situations. Can you tell viewers what THEY can do to avoid similar predicaments?

Educate yourself. If you're traveling, try to find out what kind of parasites and diseases are present where you're going. If you're going to the tropics, avoid mosquitoes at all costs. If you're preparing foods at home, cook your pork all the way through, wash your vegetables, and freeze your sashimi before you prepare it.

Is there one particular parasite that you deem to be the most dangerous?

Malaria. No question. Each year, half a billion [yes billion with a B!] people get malaria, and between one and three million of them die every year. That's the population of Chicago. And most of those victims are children.

Dan, thanks so much for your parasite insights. We'll be checking out "Monsters Inside Me" for more of those scary, slithery little monsters. And, be sure to watch full episodes from last season.