A worm that lives in human skin has been photographed by one of our readers, who wonders if we can tell her what kind of worm it is. The worm in question appears to be a pinkish-yellow color and is attached to a long piece of flat, white matter. Continue reading [...]…

At any given time, the human body may be infected with dozens of different types of parasites, such as worms. Some parasites are microscopic while other worms in humans are quite visible to the naked eye. Certain types of parasites are found more often in animals; for example, the bloodworm typically infects horses. Other types of parasites may affect humans more often. In all, there are more than 3,200 types of parasites in existence today and they are divided into the following categories: Cestoda, Nematoda, Protozoa, and Trematoda. Continue reading [...]…

A reader recently sent a picture to us of two worm-like creatures that she found in her carpet in her home. Because of the two pairs of legs per body segment, it is very possible that these creatures are millipedes. Continue reading [...]…

The pin worm belongs to the family Oxyuridae, order Oxyuroidea, and the phylum Nematoda. Pin worms are classified as Enterobius vermicularis. Threadworms are also classified as Enterobius vermicularis. Pin worms are also called “seatworms” and they have several spellings, including “pinworm” and “pinworms.” Continue reading [...]…

According to the Cornell Waste Management Institute of the famed Cornell University, worms do not bite. In fact, in nature wax worms do not feed on anything but pollen, honey, cocoons, and beeswax. Wax worm breeders have no problems feeding their inventory of wax worms without the help of pollen and cocoons. These squirmy little creatures can also survive off of an artificial diet of a mixture of dog food, water, and honey or a mixture of Gerber's mixed cereal, glycerin, honey, and water. Continue reading [...]…

We received a question from a reader recently via the All About Worms Facebook page about what we think is a millipede or centipede in her shower. The question has a bit of a backstory, so we'll quote the relevant part of the reader's message and then move on to address her concerns: "I had an episode of Vertigo yesterday and I thew up in the trash can. I cleaned the trash can out in the shower. So I am kinda freaking out thinking that it might have been inside me! Or hopefully it is just a coincidence that is was in there." The reader is first of all wondering what she found, and she is also wondering if the creature has its origin in her body. Continue reading [...]…

One of our readers emailed us after she had an incident with some worm-like creatures in her food. She told us that she had baked a potato and began to dress it with butter and the usual toppings. As she began to eat the potato, she noticed that there was an area of about 1 to 2 inches of small stuff that looked like dental floss. She said that it looked to be a pocket of worms. She is curious what these creatures are. She did not include a picture, but there is a strong possibility that it could be one of two types of worm-like creatures such a wireworms or potato tuber worms. Continue reading [...]…

Pin worms or “pinworms” belong to the family Oxyuridae, order Oxyuroidea, and the phylum Nematoda. The pin worm is classified as Enterobius vermicularis. Threadworms are also classified as Enterobius vermicularis. Continue reading [...]…

We recently received a seemingly straightforward question from a reader: "How did a Phoenix Worm end up in my toilet?" This question about Phoenix Worms, although refreshing in its brevity, is actually a little bit tricky to answer, as it gives rise to other questions: what is a Phoenix Worm exactly (hint: it's not a worm), and could this creature possibly end up in a toilet? If not, then what is our reader finding in his toilet? Then again, if our reader did find a Phoenix Worm in his toilet, we only have one question to answer: how did it end up there? Continue reading [...]…

"Found these in the Birdseye breaded green beans!" writes Susan about the tiny, maroon worms pictured below. "Yuck! Are they parasites? Concerned that my family and I have been eating these before seeing!" Yuck indeed: Susan seems to have lived many people's worst nightmare, finding worms in their food. It reminds us of that scene from Mousehunt where someone finds a cockroach in their food. In any case, we have to tell Susan right off the bat that we will not be able to confirm or deny if these are parasites. Continue reading [...]…

At a minimum of 8 inches long, the ribbon worms body is long and lean with finlike appendages. Some giant ribbon worm species or ‘Lineus longissimus’ may reach up to 100 feet long. Continue reading [...]…

We received a rather heart-breakingly desperate letter from a mother who is worried about herself and her 2-year-old daughter. They live in Walker County, AL and she is convinced that they are both infested by worms or another parasite. The symptoms she lists include: Continue reading [...]…

A woman in Florida states that she is infested with parasites (as seen in the images below), and that she is desperate to get them identified. The first image displays a black worm, with an arrow-shaped head and a thinner, red tail, and the second image displays a long, semi-transparent worm. Continue reading [...]…

Worms in humans are often, but not always, filarial worms. Filarial worms are parasitic worms in humans that require a human host to survive and complete the life cycle. Continue reading [...]…

Loa Loa worms (also known as the "eye worm") are classified as filarial worms, meaning they thrive in human tissue. Loiasis, often misspelled as "loaisis", is the infestation of loa loa worms in humans. Continue reading [...]…

The Guinea worm is often referred to as the "fiery serpent", likely due to the painful symptoms of Guinea worm disease. The life and survival of the Guinea worm is unique in many ways, often requiring a year for full development of the parasite, during which entire time the Guinea worm is painfully impacting a human host with that Guinea worm disease. Continue reading [...]…

"Little bitty worms no bigger than a piece of rice was flying everywhere", reports this reader about the organisms she found at work. "I'm wondering if they may have caused me to get sick." Continue reading [...]…

"Just wondering what type of worm(s) these are?" asks this reader, who took this picture "from the end of [his] sewer cable whilst clearing an underground sewer [...] at a house". The worms he refers to are all writhing over each other in one big mass: they are purple in color, seemingly long and thin, and slimy-looking. Continue reading [...]…

A reader from Portugal writes to us after finding the organisms pictured below in her stool. The organisms vary in size and color, some being black/dark brown with segmentation along their 'backs', while others are a beige brown with a smoother body. Continue reading [...]…

"I have had a scalp and hair problem for a bit now" begins this reader in her submission concerning the "pod-like things" she has been finding in her hair. Our reader asks for our advice on the issue, and wonders if she should consult a specialist. Continue reading [...]…