William Petri, MD, PhD
Costly deworming treatments are being promoted as cure-alls. Heidi Klum gave it a go — experts disagree.
William Petri, MD, PhD, the Wade Hampton Frost Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, discussed the lack of evidence supporting “parasite cleanses” in an interview with The Guardian.
Parasitic infections are extremely common. These infections are concentrated in the poorest and most deprived communities, where access to clean water and sanitation is limited. Intestinal parasites are less common in places with good sanitation. In the US and UK, the most common intestinal parasites are giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis, says Dr. Petri. Both are transmitted through the ingestion of fecally contaminated food or water.
Do these cleanses work? “There is no evidence that these parasite cleanses are either effective or needed,” says Dr. Petri.
Read the full article at the Guardian.
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