A Bit Scared..

[diunaylomo]

So I was dissecting an Ascaris two months ago. Didn't wash my hands while eating crackers during the lab. Don't know if i might have eaten some of the eggs. The Ascaris wasn't alive. Preserved. Don't know if the eggs are dead or not... Should I go get it checked out?

 

[cityboy-stl]

OK, I had to look up Ascaris, now I wish I hadn't. Maybe you should ask your lab teacher about it. But if it were me I sure wouldn't want one of those disgusting things in my stomach. I'd feel like "Alien".

 

[boredman321]

ok a couple of things...

1. i kinda regret looking up Ascaris...

2. you broke rule number 3 in lab rules, Dont eat or drink at or around a lab table

3. you broke rule number 4 in lab rules, Always wash your hands after a lab

 

[LotusOnBuddha]

ok a couple of things...

1. i kinda regret looking up Ascaris...

2. you broke rule number 3 in lab rules, Dont eat or drink at or around a lab table

3. you broke rule number 4 in lab rules, Always wash your hands after a lab

Seriously, why would you eat during a helminth lab....thats totally gross. It curls my hair just thinking about it. Got i hated that part of Immunology. shudder. I think i actually lost 15lbs that semester i was afraid to eat anything!

...i pitty your boy friend if your a bottom..

 

[enderwiggen]

A: I DEFINATELY regret looking that up...

B: go to the doctor. Go to your Lab teacher.

Just go...


NOW.

 

[KaraBulut]

Were these worms that were preserved in formaldehyde or were they live?

 

[shea]

You are concerned, have yourself checked out. It may be alright
but you really need to know. So you can stop worrying.
shea

 

[mike_n_herrin]

lol i'm one of the few folks here who didn't have to look up Ascaris. i'm a biologist. i'm pretty sure you can't have or are not supposed to have food/drink in lab. especially a dissection lab.

regardless of whether the specimens were in formalin or in alcohol, they would have been dead (probably for a very long time, as schools don't get new specimens with each lab group), so i honestly wouldn't worry about it. But if you are and it would make you feel better, then you should see your health care provided and explain what happened.

 

[3nipples]

You say this happened 2 months ago, so what makes you scared about it suddenly now? Some kind of symptoms?

 

[Atomw7]

I don't know much about Ascaris' but wouldn't the stomach acid kill the eggs?

 

[KaraBulut]

Quoting MikeNHerrin: i'm one of the few folks here who didn't have to look up Ascaris.

And one of the few who doesn't have traumatic amnesia from the O&P lectures in pathophysiology. I'm still not able to go barefoot without thinking about hookworms.


Quoting MikeNHerrin regardless of whether the specimens were in formalin or in alcohol, they would have been dead

Exactly. And very few living things survive in formalin and alcohol, including roundworm eggs. Very low risk.


Quoting Atomw7: I don't know much about Ascaris' but wouldn't the stomach acid kill the eggs?

Worms have been around much longer than the rest of us (apologies to creationists). They have developed eggs that are uniquely adapted to survive in the GI tracts of animals. If you want to sleep peacefully at night, don't ponder what may be going on in your GI tract when you're not looking.

 

[Atomw7]

If you want to sleep peacefully at night, don't ponder what may be going on in your GI tract when you're not looking.

Too late.

 

[confused01]

There are a few things I would like to say:
I'm studying pharmaceutical sciences, and we have to work with lots of toxic products. Sometimes we have dissections too.
We ALWAYS wash our hands. If any of the assistants sees that you left the lab without washing your hands, you won't pass your practical exam!!!
Secondly: when in a lab... do not eat! I can't even imagine what they'd do to us when we would eat in the lab.

But now for your problem: If you ate some eggs it would depend on for how long and how they were preserved. In most cases animals are preserved in formaldehyde which would give you clearance there'd be no harm. Same with ethanol. However if you mean by 'preserved' that they were just contained in a bacteriostatic fluid with low temperature they could still be harmful.
I advise you however not to take a risk, and

HERE'S YOUR SOLUTION:
I just studied about anti-parasital medicins. Just go to your Pharmacist and ask for an anti-parasital product based on 'MEBENDAZOLE'. If you can't remember the name just explain the situation and tell them it's about ascaris. You don't need a prescription for it.

I don't know any names of medicins with mebendazole in since I don't know where you're from. Here in Europe there are two products called Docmebenda and vermox. But if you just ask your pharmacist for mebendazole I'm sure he'll help you out.
I'm glad I could help you out ;-)

 

[Dave1958]

I remember the teacher in fresh College zoology telling us that the eggs of the parasites could live through the preservation process because of the encasment, so to always wash our hands. I dont know if it was to scare us or reinforce lab procedures, or it is true they can survive. Now why do you even think that you may have worms. Are you paranoid, have you seen worms in your stool. I would not want to take medication without having worms, as the cure could be worse that the diease. Go to physican have a stool culture and find out for sure.