The immediate question that comes to mind when people are informed of this situation is: How can a parasite possibly live in my body and I don't even know it is there?  The answer to this is simple.  The purpose of a parasite is to not make itself known.  A smart parasite lives without being detected because if it is detected, of course, something is going to be done to eradicate it.  If you think parasites are stupid, think again.  They are highly intelligent organisms.  Not intelligent in the same way humans are, but they are intelligent in their ability to survive and reproduce, which is of course, the purpose of any organism on this planet.

Dr. Ross Andersen, N.D. puts it this way:

"Other prominent physicians agree with me; that in human history, the parasite challenge is likely the most unrecognized of all endemic problems. Because they cannot be seen and rarely present immediate symptoms, they remain invisible as a cause or contributing factor to what can be a serious disorder."

We don't know why every generation prior to modern times made de-worming a regular part of their lives, but our generation chooses to ignore this basic practice.  It is recognized that people in third world countries have parasites.  It is also recognized that most of the animals we eat, and pets who live in our homes have an innumerable number of parasites and worms, but for whatever reason we seem to dismiss the notion that we as a modern society might also have foreign entities living within us as well.  For whatever reason the medical profession chooses to try to down-play this fact, but the public is rapidly becoming more and more aware of this knowledge.

Parasites live everywhere and are commonly transmitted to humans in diverse ways, such as insect bites, walking barefoot, human contact, animal contact, drinking water, eating under-cooked meats and fish, and numerous other ways.  Government inspectors do not inspect most of the animals that go through the slaughterhouse.  What about salads, or even raw fruits and vegetables?  Eating raw foods always increases the risk of parasites.  According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), illnesses linked with fruits and vegetables are on the rise.  One reason could be the increased demand for fresh produce.  We now import 30 billion tons of food a year.  Some of the produce comes from developing nations where sanitation facilities are less advanced or they commonly practice the use of human feces as fertilizer (night soil).  The further products travel, the more likely they will pick up illness-causing microbes.  It also increases the chance of being contaminated by infected food handlers.  Food handlers have been in the news lately because of their role in the spread of parasites.  Some people who prepare food, as well as the general population do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.  When you consider that many of the parasites are spread by fecal-oral contact, this lack of personal hygiene may be one of the greatest factors in the spread of parasites.  Consider everything that you touch that is handled by others; money, shopping carts, door handles, menus, salt shakers, and everything else -- the possibilities for contamination are enormous.