Horror as Woman Shares Symptoms That Discovered Mom's 40-Year-Old Parasite

We all have strange health blips that are most often temporary and can be explained away, but what if you found out that your psoriasis, or your gut problems were actually caused by a parasite living in your body for nearly 40 years?

Kat Jamieson-Harwood, who lives in Australia, recently took to TikTok to explain that her mother, who had been bounced around hospitals for years with the same symptoms, burning in the stomach, dizziness, reflux, even having her gallbladder removed and being accused of being an alcoholic, was in fact suffering from a rare parasite she picked up while living in Africa that had been living inside her for 36 years.

The illness is known as Schistosomiasis, or bilharzia, and is caused by parasitic worms.

In a disturbing twist, it turns out that Jamieson-Harwood also has the parasite, and that her doctors are sure she could only have picked it up while living in Nigeria, a country she left when she was 2 months old.

"I feel fine within myself," she said, "I'm just in shock."

Schistosomiasis is considered the second most important neglected tropical disease, according to Dr. Emmitt R Jolly, professor of biology at the Case Western Reserve University.

"There are several species of schistosome and they are described by whether they reside in the venules of the intestines (intestinal schistosomiasis) or bladder *urinary schistosomiasis), where they feed on red blood cells," he told Newsweek. "Urinary schistosomiasis is primarily found on the African continent whereas intestinal schistosomiasis is most common outside of Africa."

Although the worms that cause schistosomiasis are not found in the United States, the illness affects people worldwide as people spread it through travel.

"In terms of impact this disease is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease. Schistosomiasis is considered one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote on its website.

The disease is predominantly found in tropical and subtropical areas, and "globally, it is estimated that the disease affects over 250 million people in 78 countries of the world and is responsible for some 280,000 deaths each year," according to an article written by Phillip LoVerde in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

Jamieson-Harwood lived in Nigeria until she was 2 months old where Schistosomiasis affects roughly 10 percent of the population, according to Jolly. "Some areas have low prevalence while rural areas have high schistosome infection levels. Like many places, children and adults are often infected due trips to draw water, to take baths, or swim," he said.

While the disease itself is not life-threatening, Jolly says that long-term infection results in around 300,000 deaths annually. Interestingly, Jolly explains that Schistosomiasis is an ancient disease, "with schistosome eggs being identified in Asian mummies."

Normal worming tablets will not work against these parasites and the primary form of treatment globally is an oral drug called praziquantel.

"Praziquantel can kill adult worms, but cannot prevent reinfection from new schistosome larvae," said Jolly. "There is no schistosome prophylactic and treatment with praziquantel must occur after each reinfection, there is a cause of serious concern around resistance to praziquantel."

Newsweek has reached out to Kat Jamieson-Harwood via email for comment.

TikTok Users React

"Your digestive health and any related health issues can improve now!! I'd be excited, I guess I'm a weirdo," wrote one user.

"I would have to be on something for anxiety if u told me I was possibly full of eggs and worms," commented another.

"Hoping that this explains somethings for you and you come out feeling great," a third user wrote.

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