GoryFiles

Wild Romance - Courtship Tips From the Nature

2014-04-02T20:28:00.000+08:00

Romance is often one of the most important pursuits in life. Getting the right partner makes you feel blessed; on the other hand the not-so-right one will make your life more miserable than hell! Learn some courtship tips from the wild today, some can be really helpful while some are hmmm……. Up to you to consider.

Rule #1: You must have a beautiful house, preferably well-furnished

Male Bowerbird and his bower

Renowned for their unique courtship behavior, where the male bowerbird builds a bower with remarkable decorations to attract his mating partner. In courtship, the male bowerbird will perform a dance to its love-at-first-sight, at the same time presenting her the collections he has. In and around the bower, the male places different variety of brightly colored objects he has collected and has spent hours arranging. These objects may include hundreds of shells, leaves, flowers, feathers, stones, berries, and even discarded plastic items, coins, nails, rifle shells, or pieces of glass. Some of the items could be stolen objects from his neighbours! Some studies have shown that the colours combination of the collections males use on their bowers match the preferences of females. The females often will visit several bowers, watching the elaborating performances by the males, inspect the quality of the bowers and tasting the colours the males used to decorate their bowers before she consider which males to be her mate.

Rule #2: Master the art of Seduction - Erotic but without being rude

The twelve-wired Bird of Paradise male has red iris, long black bill, rich yellow plumes along its flanks, and most uniquely from the rear of the plumes, emerge 12 blackish, wire-like filaments that give the bird its name. The males of the species really know how to “tickle” the ladies!

Bird of Paradise

During the intimate act of courtship, other than elaborating his fantastic feathers, the male repeatedly uses his wire-like filaments from his torso to gently brush the female’s face. And apparently, the lady seems to enjoy the sensation and often put her head among the filaments as she approaches the male from rear.

Rule #3: Be a swinger….. Erm... This sounds a little way too Wrong

Let’s take a look at the ‘courtship’ (maybe we shoudn’t use this word here) of the Sea hare, they are the true swinger of the sea slug realm, and the true practitioners of Free Love. Sea hares are hermaphrodites, with both sexual organs and can act as both sexes. They mate in ‘chains’, the first sea hare acts solely as a female, and is mounted by a second sea hare, there comes the third sea hare who mounts on the second sea hare who now acts as a male to the first and female to the third. This chain continue so on down the line, till the last hare, who acts solely as a male. Things are getting a little too complicated here…

Sea hare in mating chain
Photo courtesy: Anne DuPont

Rule #4: Be a clingy boyfriend, I mean literally “CLINGY”

Living in the deep sea, the female anglerfish has a long protruding filament with a bulb to lure preys, this feature is unique to only the females. Seeking easy access to food, the male will hitch a permanent hike on a female by sinking his teeth into the female’s body and fuse with her forever! Now he is so ‘clingy’ that he has become a parasite, the only benefit from the male is, when the female need to fertilize her eggs, she has the male gonads on her ever-so-ready.

Female Anglerfish with a male attached to her back

Rule #5: Love is a battlefield, fight with your...... what!?

Like the Sea hare, flatworm is hermaphrodite with ovaries and testes. Love is a battlefield, to the flatworms, this involved “PENIS Fencing”. (Yes, this isn’t a typo.)

During this (erm…) fencing, each flatworm tries to pierce the skin of the other using one of its penises (again, no typo here). The first who does the piercing will become the ‘male’ delivering its sperm into the other. This battlefield is serious business, as whoever becomes the ‘female’ must extend considerable energy caring for the developing eggs.

Flatworms penis fencing

Fighting Extinction #2 - Egyptian Tortoise, the Smallest Tortoise in Northern Hemisphere

2013-05-15T17:09:00.002+08:00

Testudo Kleinmann, often known as Egyptian tortoise, is a critically endangered species. It is the smallest tortoise in the northern hemisphere, females larger than males. The desert-living tortoise is regconized for its high-domes, golden colored shell, which provide good camouflage for the species in desert habitats.

They become sexually mature about 10-20 years of age, the females lay their eggs in shallow bowls beneath bushes which will hatch in approximately 3-4 months time. Each reproduction cycle will give rise to 1-5 eggs. The new hatchlings are very small in sizes and can grow up to 15cm with a weight of 500grams, they can live up to 50 years.

Source: Click here

The species was once found in Egypt, and now, the Egyptian tortoises are close to complete extinction there. Other than destruction of their natural habitats due to human activities, illegal traders poise another great danger to the species. Egyptian tortoise is classified under critically endangered species currently, more efforts have to be put in to prevent the slow-maturing species with few off-springs from subsequent extinction that might follow.

Fighting Extinction #1 - Kakapo, the Giant Parrot

2013-05-12T21:06:00.000+08:00

Kakapo is one of the largest species of parrot on earth (approximately 60cm tall) which is also a flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot found in New Zealand. The flightless kakapo is defenseless and once thrived in its New Zealand habitat as there were no natural predators. However, as kakapo was eventually hunted by the natives and introduction of predators such as cats by the new settlers, its population has almost been wiped out. And now, kakapo one of the critically endangered animal species with less than 150 individuals in the wild.

Source: Click here

During mating season, males attract females with loud call and elaborate display. The slow process of reproduction resulted from late sexual maturity as males reach sexual maturity at approximately age of 5 while female around 10 and also they only start breeding when there is abundance of food supply. Average kakapo lives around 60 years, and it is not uncommon for kakapo to be nearly 100 years old.

The Dung Rollers - Let's Dine on Dung

2013-05-10T10:28:00.001+08:00

Dung beetles, as the name implies, are beetles that feed on dung. The most prominent trait of this beetles is that they roll dung into round balls, which are either used as food supply or as brooding chamber where their off-springs hatch and grow.

To search for dung, dung beetles make use of their sensitive sense of smell, while some species simply attach themselves to dung-providers (usually herbivores) to wait for their sumptuous meals. Some cunning dung beetles will try to steal dung balls from another, so when dung pile is found they have to roll dung ball rapidly away to prevent theft.

Two dung beetles rolling dung ball

Dung beetle larva hatches within dung ball
Source: Click here

Some species have interesting mating ritual. The male and female first meet at the dung pile, if love at first sight occurs, the male will start to make a dung ball. The female will ride on the dung ball as the male rolls it away. During this period, other males will try to steal her and the dung ball from him. When they finally arrive at the burial spot (soft ground), together they bury the dung ball and mate. The male will leave and find the next mating partners. Some species the females will stay and wait till the eggs are hatched, while some will leave after mating. The dung ball provides all necessary nutrients for the larvae to feed and become mature.

Dung beetles benefit the nature through recycling dung to nutrients-rich soil for agriculture. Without them, the animal kingdom would be inundated with feces, try to imagine a world without Dung Beetle!

Poisonous Animals - Creatures that Summon Death

2012-08-11T10:02:00.000+08:00

Number 5: Inland Taipan

The Inland Taipan, also known as Small Scaled Snake or Fierce Snake, inhabits in Australia and is regarded as the most venomous land snake in the world. The Inland Taipan has a dark tan which range from dark brown to olive green depending on the seasons for them to adapt to the environment through thermo-regulation. They feed on rodents, small mammals and birds and can reach up to a length of 2.8 meters.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

They have a very accurate and rapid strike, and unlike other venomous snakes, the Inland Taipans deliver eight venomous bites in a single attack. With the powerful venom containing mostly neurotoxin, Taipans paralyze the victims waiting for them to die before returning to consume the meals. And yes, their venom is so powerful that one bite is enough to kill 100 people! However, no reported case of human being killed by the venom of the snake due to effective anti-venom treatment available.

Number 4: Blue Ring Octopus

Colorful and beautiful as it seems, the illusionist regarded as one of the world’s most venomous creatures, the Blue Ring Octopus. Inhabiting in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan and Australia, they can be recognized by their pale brown to yellow color and their trademark blue and black rings. The 50-60 blue rings that cover the Blue Ring Octopus will only ‘light up’ when agitated or being threatened.

Photo Courtesy of BBC

The Blue Ring Octopus hunts for small crabs, hermit crabs and shrimps, and may bite other animals including humans when provoked. The toxin that it uses to paralyze its victims is known as Tetrodotoxin and is somewhat similar to that found in the pufferfish and cone snail. Interestingly, the toxin is produced by bacteria that are found in the salivary gland of this creature. Currently there is still no known antidote for its venom.

Number 3: Marbled Cone Snail

Looking at its beautiful shell, one might think that it’s harmless but it’s actually rank third in this post of the most poisonous animals.

Photo Courtesy of Worlds Most Unique

Being a master of deception, the Marbled Cone Snail camouflages itself making others unable to spot it. Waiting patiently, the unknowing prey steps on the snail and is being attack by the snail with the powerful venom and then turns the animal into its sumptuous meal.

It’s venom? Like any other potent venom, contains neurotoxin that attacks the nervous system or nerve cells and in turn paralyses its victim.

Number 2: King Cobra

I believe that almost everyone know or have heard about cobras, specifically the existence of our next contestant...

King Cobra, being the longest venomous snake in the world reaches up to 5.5 meters in length and weigh up to 9kg. It can be found in the rainforests of India, Southern China and Southeast Asia. The King Cobra feeds on a wide range of animals including other snakes, lizards, small animals and also eggs. Fortunately, humans are avoided by King Cobras whenever possible but are fiercely aggressive when cornered.

Being the longest among snakes, their venom however, is not the most potent. Even so, the amount of neurotoxin (toxins that attack the nervous system or nerve cells) it can deliver in one bite (roughly 7 millimeters) is more than enough to kill 20 people or an adult elephant.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

King Cobras are quite a good parent as they are the only snakes in the world that build a nest for their egg. Besides building, they also guard the nests and their eggs ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.

Number 1: Box Jellyfish

The Box Jellyfish, also known as sea wasp and marine stinger, can be found in the waters off Northern Australia and Indo-Pacific. They are pale blue and transparent with a cube-like shape of their bells thus getting the name Box Jellyfish. They can grow up to 15 tentacles and reach up to 3 meters in length.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

Being a carnivore, it stuns or kills its prey with powerful venom before feeding on them. Humans are also one of the victims of the Box Jellyfish attack. The venom attacks the heart, nervous system and the skin. Due to the overwhelming and excruciating pain of the sting, a human normally goes into a shock and drown or some die of heart failure immediately. Survivors are able to experience certain amount of pain lasting for weeks and also scarring on the areas where the tentacles made contact.

Although the venom of the Box Jellyfish is so powerful, there’s a creature which is the nemesis of the jellyfish and it’s none other than the sea turtles. Surprisingly, the sea turtles are unaffected by the sting and immune to the venom of the Box Jellyfish and often eats them.

Ugliest Land Animals

2012-08-03T13:35:00.000+08:00

Number 5 : Star nosed mole

The star nosed mole definitely does not have the most attractive nose but definitely the most effective one which helps it sniff out if something is edible and at a remarkable speed. As its name implies, it has a star nose and to be more specific, fleshy, star shape nose made up of 22 tentacles.

The Star nosed mole which is covered in blackish brown fur, is a small semi-aquatic mammal which inhabits in the wetlands and the eastern part of United States. Like any other moles, the star nosed mole makes underground network of tunnels and also digs shallow surface tunnels for the purpose of finding food such as small amphibians, insects and worms.

Being virtually blind due to poorly developed eyes, the creature relies on its nose to navigate its way through the complete darkness of the underground, basically using its nose to see! The fleshy area of the nose contains 25,000 sensory receptors (6 times more sensitive than the human hand) that constantly touches objects near itself to identify the surroundings and edible food nearby.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

The star shaped nose of the mole is in fact the most sensitive organ in the animal world making it able to identify and decide whether the food is edible within 25 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds.

Number 4: Sloth

I believe everyone is familiar with the movie Ice Age and also the character Sid, the sloth (voiced by John Alberto Leguizamo).

Sloth, the slowest mammal in the world, is classified into two species, the two-toed and three-toed. Sloths have grayish-brown furs but at times grayish-green with the green coming from algae, allowing them to camouflage in the forest. The long arms and hooked claws allow them to hang upside-down from trees for hours. The claws also serve a self-defense weapon when facing an attacker.

Sloth’s main source of food are leaves, shoots and fruits. It sleeps on trees and can sleeps up to 20 hours long. Basically a sloth spends most of its life on trees, even during mating and giving birth.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

On land, the species is very vulnerable as they are unable to move swiftly due to their weak back legs and long claws. They can only dig into the ground using their long claws and pull themselves along, making them difficult to evade predators. Despite being vulnerable on land and highly adapted to living on trees, sloths are pretty good swimmers.

Number 3: Mexican Burrowing Frog

As its name implies, the Mexican burrowing frog is a burrowing animal, spending most of its life underground, making it different from most of the amphibians. It only emerges out of the soil after a heavy rain to lay eggs in a water source. It can travel up to 1.6 kilometers to find a suitable water source for the eggs to be laid.

Photo Courtesy of One More Generation

The species can grow up to 6 to 8 centimeters and has a large bloated body carrying a stripe on their back. They have short powerful legs and shovel-like feet which aid them in digging. They are found in the southern part of USA and Central America. They feed on insects mainly ants and termites.

Believe it or not, this specific animal dates back to the Jurassic Period!!!

Number 2: Naked Mole Rat

The naked mole rat is a burrowing rodent that spends most of their lives underground too. They come out from ground some times to search for seeds and plants. Possessing a strong and well adaptable characteristics enable these mole rats to survive under the harsh conditions underground.

Although they are rodents, they live in communities similar to that of many insects such as ants. This means that there is a dominating queen leading the colonies and the queen is the only female to breed and bear youngsters. Worker mole rats are responsible for digging the burrow where the colonies live in using their teeth and also to gather food for the colonies.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

The naked mole rat can be found in the eastern part of Africa and the tunnel systems built by them can stretch up to 3 – 5km in total length.

Number 1: Aye Aye

Aye ayes are the largest nocturnal creatures and can be only found on the island of Madagascar. They are actually relatives to the chimpanzees, apes and even to us human (in a certain way).

Aye ayes are omnivores feeding mainly on insect larvae, seeds, fruits etc. The food choices may vary depending on the habitats and the food available.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

The thin, elongated middle fingers found on each of their hands are probably the trait mark of the aye ayes. The main usage for this elongated finger is to dig for insect larvae found under the barks or to scoop the flesh out from fruits such as coconuts.

Though aye ayes are harmless, they are classified as an endangered species. Superstition is the main factor for these near extinct species as natives believe that they symbolize death or bad luck. For these reasons, they are being hunted and killed on sight. Hunting, together with habitat destruction has caused the aye ayes to be endangered. Fortunately, they are now currently protected under the law.

Gross Human Parasites IV - Sparganosis for the Flesh-Lover

2012-07-26T12:05:00.002+08:00

Keeping pets at home? Love sushi? Enjoy frog-congee?

Sparganosis is a parasitic infection, the culprit is a type of tapeworm belonging to the genus Spirometra. Mammals such as dogs, cats and raccoons are the definite host (final host) of the parasites.

Copepods, Frog, Cat. (The first, second and definite hosts)

The adult Spirometra living in the intestines of their hosts lay uncountable eggs which discharge during hosts' defecation. The eggs are then consumed by copepods, the first intermediate hosts; amphibians such as snakes and frogs preying on copepods are the second intermediate hosts. Within the first intermediate hosts, the eggs hatches and the larvae live in the body cavities of copepods; after passing to the second intermediate hosts, the larvae continue to proliferate and penetrate into the muscles and subcutaneous tissues of the hosts. The second intermediate hosts of this parasites are eventually consumed by wild carnivores such as dogs and cats, and the parasites mature in their definite hosts and complete their life-cycle.

And how do human get Spargonosis?

Human are actually the accidental hosts of Spirometra (or maybe not accidental).

consumption of raw water from rivers or lakes
open wounds on body contacted with Spirometra sources such as animal feces or raw flesh
consumption of uncooked or not-fully-cooked flesh

Once infected, the parasites will move to various organs such as eyes and brains of the patients or subcutaneous tissues in various body parts. No symptoms will be seen from the beginning, and eventually as the parasites grow, bulges (nodules) will develop on the infected regions along with pain. For infection in the eyes, patients' eyes will bulge out. For infection in the brains, neurological symptoms such as loss of motor control can occur.

A boy with ocular Sparganosis
Source: click here

Surgical removal of adult Spirometra from eye.

It has been reported in China rural areas that villagers believed in old traditional methods of applying raw frog flesh to wounds to speed up recovery, and thus resulted in being infected by Spirometra. Majority of human Spirometra infection cases occur in Japan, Korea and China.

Retracting an adult Spirometra from a frog.

Antibiotics have been given to patients infected with Spirometra, however this is not really beneficial as a cure. The best way to get rid of the parasites is through surgery.

Ball Cutters - Ultimate Man Castration

2012-07-11T21:58:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wonder why the Pacus are notorious as “Ball Cutters”? The only reason for the given name is the fish has been reported biting off the testicles of fishermen and men!

Pacus have teeth resemble human’s teeth, meaning that their teeth are supposedly made for crushing. The fish originated from rivers and streams in Amazon, and have been recently introduced to river systems of Papua New Guinea where the cases of man-castration have been reported. The fish use their teeth to crush nuts and seeds in their native habitat, however, after introducing into a new habitat lacking the suitable vegetation for survival, Pacus turn from herbivore to omnivore, converting their nuts-chombing ability into balls-chombing ability.

Ball-cuter's teeth (resembles human's teeth)

Pachus are relatives to the piranha, this explains their ability to "chomb" off their preys (including men's testicles). So guys, before going for a swim in the wild, make sure there isn’t any Ball-cutters looming out there, or else, put on your armor as you swim, I bet you wouldn’t want a 40pounds Ball-cutter going after you!

The Insect that Creeps in the Night

2011-12-13T14:04:00.046+08:00

Bedbugs

Have you ever wonder why every time you wake up in the morning, you would find yourself having red spots and itching all over? Isn't this very frustrating?

If you are facing this problem, one possiblity might be bedbugs.

A bedbug in comparison with a grain of rice
Source: click here

Bedbugs also known as Cimex lectularius, belong to the family of Cimicidae. They are actually small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals.

Bed bugs are small and oval in shape bearing a darker brown when mature and reddish after feeding. Their lifespan varies from species to species and also from their feeding and they can grow up to 5mm in length and 3mm in width. They're able to crawl at a very fast pace to compensate not being able to fly.

Bedbugs dwell in areas of the home and as the name implies, they mostly inhabit in beds, including mattresses, bed frame etc. Bedbugs can survive in a wide range of conditions such as surviving at temperature as low as 16.1 degrees celsius or as high as 40 degrees celsius. They prefer feeding at night and hate the sunlight. However they will feed even in the day time when required. Bedbugs are attracted to to their hosts primarily by carbon dioxide (CO2), then by warmth. Bedbugs can live for up to a year without feeding but they will normally try to feed every few days unless conditions do not permit (making them able to survive in desolated areas).

After having some knowledge about the bedbugs, now let's talk about the symptoms of being bitten by them and the eradication of them.

Source: click here

When you are bitten, the bitten area will turn red and become swollen, often accompanied with intense itching (normally caused by the saliva of the bedbugs). It is similar to a mosquito bite, red, swollen and itchy making it difficult to distinguish. You're tend to be bitten by bed bugs in a roll, normally 2 to 3 bites in a row. The possible reason is that the bed bugs are disturbed while feeding (turning over,scratching etc) making the bed bugs have to leave its host before returning back again to feed and biting on a different area. Another reason might be that it is trying to find a vein where it can get lots of feed (blood) from, thus trying several attempts to find the right spot.

The common symptoms as mentioned would be redness, swelling and itching at the area of the bite. In some rare cases, anaphylatic reaction may occur such as causing an asthma attack.

So how do you eradicate these nasty bugs??

Pesticides, vaccuumming and also high heat. Pesticides can be a real help to remove those bedbugs that have not been expose to pesticides before (not often seen nowadays) as there have been an increasing resistance to pesticides. So more people are opting for vaccuuming where bed bugs are. By vaccuuming every single corner of the house which is possible for it to inhabit or using high heat (above 46 degrees celsius), it is possible to leave your house bedbug-free. High concentration of carbon dioxide has been proven to kill bedbugs too!

The Ultimate Body Invaders

2011-12-07T23:51:00.011+08:00

In the world of Nature, every organisms are trying very hard to win the game of survival. In order to win the game, some come up with an extraordinary method---to invade another kind and manipulate the host to create a condition favoring the survival of the invaders, while putting the hosts in great danger. The following are 5 ultimate body invaders that adopt the unique mechanism to ensure the survival of their species.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps invaded host.

Cordyceps are fungi from the genus ascomycete fungi, among which there are a lot of different species. The fungus parasites on insects and different species parasites on different hosts. As the cordyceps fungus infects an insect host, its mycelium (fungus part) replaces the host's body tissues. The fruiting body of the fungus will eventually puncture the host body and protrude out to allow the release of ascospores (spores). Many of the times, during the development stage, the fungus manipulate its host such as controlling the insect to climb up a plant and attaches itself there before it dies, ensuring optimal dispersal of the spores of the fungus. Some cordyceps genus are proven to have medicinal properties.

Paragordius tricuspidatus

Parasitic worm emerging out of cricket.

Paragordius tricuspidatus is well-known for manipulating behaviour of its cricket host. The eggs of this parasitic worms are laid at the river edges where the crickets reside. The microscopic size eggs are ingested by accident by the crickets, and hatch within. The larvae of the worm get nourishment from the host and grow, eventually filling the entire body cavity of the cricket. They can grow up to 10 - 15cm in lengths. Upon maturation, the parasitic worms are ready to exit the hosts, the worms will induce an abnormal behavior to the cricket hosts --- to jump into the water. Most of the crickets will drown, while some will survive and lead a normal life after the excision of the parasites. After which, the worms will slither out and find its mating partners. The manipulation in behaviours are believed to be cause by a release of proteins that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) of the crickets.

Dinocampus coccinellae

Paralyzed ladybug guarding cocoons

Dinocampus coccinellae is a species of wasp that parasites on Ladybug. The female wasp lays one egg in the soft abdomen of the ladybug. After the egg hatches, the larva starts to consume the ladybug's eggs, then the gonads and the body of their host. However the ladybug host is still alive. When the parasites are ready to emerge, they paralyze the ladybug and tunnel out of its body. Then the parasites pupate in a cocoon attaching to the leg of the living ladybug, The ladybug's occasional twitching ward off any potential preys of the parasites, making the ladybug the "bodyguard" of its parasites. A few days later, the wasps will emerge from the coccoon. 1 out of 4 ladybugs will recover from the paralysis and come back to health after all the cocoons have emptied.

Leucochloridium paradoxum

Snail with infection.

Leucochloridium paradoxum, a kind of parasitic flatworm, infects a snail and alters the original behaviors and appearance of the snail; after which increasing the chances of the snail being eaten by a bird which is the next and final host of the parasite. To do so, the parasite resides into the translucent eye-stalks (preferably left one) of the snail, altering the normal eye-stalks into yellow-greenish stripes, inducing caterpillar mimicry. Birds do not usually snack on snail, however the altered eye-stalks of the snail, resembling a caterpillar results in birds mistakenly consuming the infected snails. The parasites also cause the snail to be more visible to the birds by making the snails stay under the sunlight instead of hiding in the shade.

Myrmeconema neotropicum

Normal ants.

Infected ant with red gaster raise up high to mimic wild-berries.

Myrmeconema neotropicum is tetradonematid nematode parasite that induce berries mimicry in tropical ants. The parasites mate and lay eggs inside the gasters (the hindmost abdomen) of the ants. The infected ants will develop bright red, egg-filled gasters that resemble red berries available in tropical forest. The parasites also cause the weakening of the exoskeleton linking the gasters to the rest of the body of the infected ants. The infected ants will walk with their gasters raise up high, allowing birds to mistaken them as wild berries and pick up the gasters which detach easily from the ant.The parasite eggs will be passed in the birds' dropping and later collected by the tropical ants again.

Buruli Ulcer - Infection that Consumes Skins

2011-12-07T16:44:00.002+08:00

Buruli Ulcer is a disease caused by infection by the Mycobacterium ulcerans. It is one of the most neglected disease in the world, specifically in the developing countries. Mycobacterium (other bacteria of the same family) is also the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosis; however, Buruli ulcer has received the least attention.

Infection of this disease occurs mainly in tropical areas such as Australia, West Africa, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. Among which, this disease has the largest impact in developing countries, mainly due to the lack of knowledge in the disease.

It has been reported that the mycobacteria strives within aquatic environments (such as small aquatic animals, biofilms). Transmission mode to humans is still under investigation. Thus, Buruli ulcers usually occurs near water sources, infecting children under 15 years mainly. There is no evidence that this disease can be transmitted from person to person.

A young boy with Buruli ulcers
Picture Source: click here

Symptoms in General

Buruli ulcer begins with a painless mobile swelling in the skin (any part of the body). The more severe infection can be painful. Buruli ulcer is a long term, necrotizing disease that slowly destroys the skin and soft tissue by the toxin secreted by the mycobacteria.Without treatment, massive ulcerations take place and if the bone is affected, gross deformities will be the consequence. If the ulcers develop on the limbs, the movement of the patients will be greatly restricted; even after the lesions have healed, the massive scarring will affect the mobility of the patients. In more severe cases, lifetime disabilities are norm in the patients. Can you imagine the pain the patients are enduring?

Treatment And Prevention

The most efficient treatment of Buruli ulcer is the surgical removal of the ulcers. For disease in more advanced stage, prolonged treatment with skin grafting will be necessary. However, surgical practice is scarcely available in developing countries. A combination of antibiotics can be used to reduce the requirement for surgery.

Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination has been observed to provide short-term protection against the disease. Although only limited protection is available, it will still be useful by ensuring a complete coverage of this vaccine in the heavily affected regions. Once again, people in developing countries have very minor chances to receive such vaccination due to extreme poverty as well as lack of knowledge in diseases.

Noma - The Disease that Destroys Smiley Faces

2011-12-06T20:52:00.004+08:00

There are many unfortunate people around the world, especially people in the developing countries. They do not even have the basic food and necessities to allow them to live healthily. Horrifying diseases roam, leaving the people in great agony.

Gangrenous stomatitis, commonly known as Noma, is a condition whereby the mucous membrane of the mouth and other tissues of the patients are destroyed. This disorder usually occurs in developing countires where there is malnutrition and poor cleanliness. This is also more often seen in young, severely malnourished children of young age (2- to 5-year-old).

Once infected, Noma causes rapid tissue destruction, the gums and cheeks become inflammed and ulcers develop. The ulcers and destroyed tissues lead to severe breath odor. Infection of the tissues then spread to the skin, lips and cheeks, eventually destroying the soft tissue and bone around the infected regions. The infection will lead to deformities and loss of teeth. The patients' facial features will be severely disfigured and the normal functions of the jaws will be greatly impaired.

The actual cause of the disorder is still not known. However, it might be due to a type of bacteria. Antibiotics and improved nutrition can aid in controlling the disorder. The condition can be fatal in some cases if left untreated; on the other hand, the condition might heal eventually even without treatment. To treat the disorder, surgery might be required to remove the destroyed tissues, and plastic surgery will be required to reconstruct the facial bones. Patients recovered from the disorder will have horrifying scars on their faces.

This might look horrifying to you, do bear in mind that this kid
do not have a choice, if he does, a life free of disease is all he desires.

To reduce the risk of Noma, it is important to improve hygiene level and nutrition. However, sad to say, these two basic preventions are often the hardest to fulfill in most of the developing countries.

Monstrous Looking Sea-Creatures

2011-12-03T01:11:00.003+08:00

We know that organisms living underwater are beautiful, such as the clownfish in Finding Nemo. However, we will not be discussing about these beautiful underwater creatures today; instead we will be discussing about the 5 ugliest fishes that exist which will definitely give you a real heart attack if you ever got the chance to run into one.

Blobfish

The Blobfish, also known as Psychrolutes marcidus, is a deep sea creature dwelling in the deep waters of Australia and Tasmania at a depth of 800m, thus it is rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish basically comprises of gelatinous mass (making them totally inedible). They have density lower than water, allowing them to float above the sea floor without needing to spend much energy. Their food sources comprise of any edible matters and living organisms such as crabs. Food sources that float around in deep waters could be easily swallow down by the blobfish when they pass by it.

They may sound as though they are having a luxury life down in the sea, but in fact, the blobfish are facing a possible extinction. This is due to deep-sea fishing in Australia or Tasmania where the blobfish are caught in net as by-catch with other edible sea creatures such as crabs, lobsters etc.

These sad-looking creatures do have a sad life to begin with thus reflecting the big frown shown on their faces.

Lamprey

Lampreys, also known as lamprey eels, belong to the family of Petromyzontidae. The lampreys, the jawless fish, with circular mouth that acts as suction and teeth around the mouth and tongue; can be either parasitic (attaching to their hosts, mostly other larger fishes and sucking their blood) or non-parasitic.

Adult lampreys, ranging from 13 to 100cm, have no scales. The lamprey larvae, on the other hand, are blind and toothless. Most Lampreys inhabit around the coastal or fresh waters where the waters are cold or temperate, there are also some which live in the ocean. Some species such as the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), have been observed to migrate from the ocean to fresh waters to spawn.

Unlike the Blobfish, lampreys are edible. Yes, there are people out there who find lampreys a delicacy, such as the people in ancient Roman and the upper classes throughout Europe during the Middle Ages.

To be frank, this is an "EXOTIC dish" that I’ll NEVER try even if it is highly appreciated by others.

Anglerfish

Anglerfish, a type of fish belonging to the family of Melanocetus, can be found throughout the globe. Some Anglerfish inhabit in the open water (Pelagic) while some dwell under the deep sea (Benthic).

Anglerfish are generally dark gray to dark brown in color, having a huge head and enormous mouth with razor sharp, translucent teeth. They can range from three inches (7.5cm) to around four feet (120cm) in length, depending on the species and sex. They can be found throughout the world and inhabit at depths over 900m where sunlight is totally scarce and the water is freezing cold.

The distinctive feature owned only by the female anglerfish, is a dorsal spine that protrudes above their mouth like a fishing pole and having a luminous flesh (Esca) at the tip. Its purpose, to serve as a bait to lure preys close enough so that they can swallow them. What's more impressive is that the enormous mouth that they possess allow them to consume prey that is up to TWICE their own size!

The reproductive system of the Anglerfish is extraordinarily special. The male, which is much more smaller than the female has a completely different appearance. When a male angler matures, its digestive system will start to degenerate causing them to be unable to feed on their own. In order to survive, the male must search for a female or they would die due to starvation. Once the male has a found a female, it will bite into the her skin. Enzymes produce by the male angler will dissolve the skin of his mouth and that of the female's body, allowing them to fuse together. Once fused, the male will be part of the female's body (serves as a gonads) for the rest of its life like a parasite, getting all of his nutrients from her body. A female can have up to six males on her body at a time, allowing her to be ever-ready to spawn as the males on her serve as gonads to produce sperm.

Fangtooth

First look at it, I thought it was the anglerfish but actually it isn’t. Following closely behind at the fourth place is the Fangtooth.

The fangtooth, belonging to the family of Anoplogastridae, can be found in temperate and tropical regions of the oceans. They inhabit in deep sea waters at depths of 200–2000m and can even go as deep as 5000m where the water is icy-cold. As food source is scarce in the deep waters where they live, fangtooths basically consume any food that floats around them.

Fangtooth, as the name implies, has sharp, fang-like teeth which encompass around its huge mouth. This allows the Fangtooth to swallow its preys with little chance for them to escape the deadly fangs. The difference between the Anglerfish and the Fangtooth is that the Anglerfish uses esca as a bait to lure its prey while the Fangtooth just wait for its prey to swim around it and take the chance to swallow them.

The spawning rate of the Fangtooths and the time taken for them to mature are actually uncertain. One thing for sure is that they are very slow growing and reside in the deep sea.
Given the ferocious-look, Fangtooth are actually harmless to humans due to their small size (grow up to a maximum length of only 16 centimetres). If so happen that you got a chance (which is usually rare) to run into one, don't worry, it will not swallow you, but it will definitely freak you out!

Frilled shark

Look at the fish at the right, is that an eel?

The answer is NO! It’s a type of shark that has a body resembles to an eel. Here comes the Frilled Shark.

Frilled shark or Chlamydoselachus anguineus, belongs to the family of Chlamydoselachidae. It is distributed across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, but most of the catches come from the Japanese waters. Like the other fishes mentioned above, the frilled sharks also inhabit in deep waters at a depth of between 120 to 1500m.

The frilled shark, having a dark brown, eel-like body is very flexible. It has long flexible jaws which allow them to swallow their preys whole. Within the jaws, there are many rolls of small needle-like teeth to grip firmly and prevent its preys from escaping. Its diet, usually small sharks, fishes and squids that can be found in the waters.

The frilled shark is an aplacental viviparous species and its reproduction occurs oviparous (the eggs hatch in the body of the mother and emerge as young Frilled Sharks). The gestation period/hatching of the eggs takes about one to two years usually and can even go up to three and a half years. It has the longest gestation period among vertebrates (organisms having backbones). Due to the low reproductive rate of this species, accidental catches may threaten its numbers causing them to deplete and face the risk of being extinct.

Care For Your Pets - Roundworms in Dogs

2011-11-30T22:46:00.002+08:00

Do you have a family dog at home? If your answer is yes, this is a post you might be interested to know more about parasites that might live within your dogs.

Roundworm is the most common kind of infectious parasite in puppies and dogs; if not treated, roundworm infection in puppies can be fatal.

The Dog Roundworm, Toxocara canis, lives within puppies and dogs and the adult worm is ranging from 9 to18cm (about 3.5 to 7 inches) in length. A female can lay about 200,000 eggs of microscopic size daily. The eggs are protected by thick cell wall and can survive for months in the soil. These make roundworm infection highly transmittable among dogs.

There are several ways puppies and dogs can get roundworm infection. For puppies, prenatal infection is the most common type, whereby the roundworm larvae from the mother dogs migrate into the placenta and infect the developing puppies before birth. On the other hand, puppies can get infected through ingestion of mother’s milk that contains roundworm eggs. Puppies and dogs can also get infected by ingesting eggs in the soil, this is the most frequent route of infection in adult dogs.

Life cycle of roundworm in puppies (of age up to 3 months):

Step 1: Roundworm eggs ingested by the puppies (through milk or from soil) enter the stomach and then hatch in the small intestines.
Step 2: The larvae travel through the bloodstream and enter the lungs and liver of the pup.
Step 3: After residing in the lungs, the larvae move their way up the windpipes and are swallowed by puppies.
Step 4: The larvae develop into adult worms in the intestines, completing their life-cycle. The adult worms mate pass eggs into the faeces of puppies. (Fortunate to mention that the eggs in the faeces will only become infective after 3 to 4 weeks of incubation in the soil)

Roundworms in stools
Picture source: click here

For older dogs, they have developed immunity against the roundworm, therefore very few larvae will be able to complete their life cycle within the dog. If any larvae completed the life cycle, the adult worms will reside in various body tissues in the dog, and develop a tough shell (encyst) that protects them against the host’s immune system. At this stage, even the de-wormer might not be able to kill the worms. However, during pregnancy, the encysted worms get activated again and migrate to the placenta to infect the next generation.

In adult dogs, roundworm infection can be no symptom at all; while in puppies some symptoms might be vomiting, diarrhea, dull-coat and bloated belly. Worms might appear in the vomit and the feces, which look like white threads or white spaghetti strands that wriggle.
In general, an infection of roundworm can be gotten rid of with the use of de-wormers prescribed by vet, and your doggy will be back to health in no time! HOWEVER, severe infection in young puppies can be fatal, and roundworm infection is not only contagious among dogs, there are risks whereby roundworm transmits from dogs to human. Be warned!

For more information on roundworms in Human, click here: Roundworm in Human

Living with Elephant's Body Parts

2011-11-22T22:15:00.020+08:00

The "Elephant-syndrome", elephantiasis, by the name of it, patients develop thickening of skin and and underlying tissues (resembling the elephant's trunks) in the body parts. The areas of thickening of skin and tissues can occur in face, legs and even male genitals. The disease results in the affected body parts to swell up to the size of a fist or head. The abnormalities triggered by the disease not only lead to great inconvenience in the patients' daily lives, and also agony in the patients.

Extreme case of lower limb swelling.

The disease is initiated by thread-like parasitic worms with Wuchereria bancrofti being the most common cause, and is transmitted by mosquitoes. As the mosquito sucks blood from a human, it introduces the larvae of the parasitic worms which will travel to the human lymphatic system and develop into adult worms to a length ranging 1 to 4 inches. The worms will be living within the infected person for years (usually about 7 years), the longest ever recorded is 40 years.

A woman with enlarged arms.

The sexually matured worms will mate and release millions of microscopic larvae into the blood stream. As the adult worms live within the lymphatic, obstruction of the vessels will lead to swelling, especially in the lower body especially the legs and the genital areas. Therefore, the parasites, as well as the body immune system, contribute to the development of elephantiasis which takes years to show. On the other hand, the disease may develop without being infected by the parasites.

Picture source: click here

The picture shows an enlarged scrotum, affected about 4% of the infected males.

It has been evident that if a pregnant woman got infected by W. bancrofti, her child will have the chance to be infected as well. This can be explained by the parasite's antigens being passed to the fetus' blood circulation. Another scenario will be the fetus becomes tolerant to the parasites' antigens. In future, parasite infection (of the same antigens as the one presented in fetus stage) will be able to evade the host immune system of that child and leading to the development of elephantiasis more easily.

Currently, the medication available is only able to kill the adult worms within the lymphatic system, while the larvae not responsive to treatment.

The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

2009-10-31T08:18:00.021+08:00

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as the sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. Sleeping sickness is caused by protozoa of 2 organisms from the Trypanosoma Genus - namely the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Trypanosomoa brucei gambiense.

T.b.rhodesiense - infection emerges in a few weeks and is more virulent and faster developing as compared to T.b.gambiense. (10% of the reported cases of sleeping sickness)

T.b.gambiense - results in a chronic condition which can extend in a passive phase for months or years before symptoms emerge. When the symptoms show up, the patient is already in an advanced disease stage where the central nervous system is affected. (90% of the reported cases)

Causes

Tsetse flies act as a vector of the Trypanosoma. Tsetse flies are infected when they consume blood from infected people, the parasites enter the midgut of the fly and multiply in the salivary glands.

Infected Tsetse flies go around biting people, leaving behind red, painful swollen wound when they inject the parasites into the skin tissue. The parasites will then enter the lymphatic system and pass into the bloodstream.

Symptoms of the disease

General

Anxiety

Drowsiness

Fever

Headache

Increased sleepiness

Swollen lymph nodes

Patients often feel very sleepy in the day but have difficulty sleeping at night and this gives the

disease it's name.

Infection

Mother-to-child infection occurs when the trypanosome cross the placenta barrier and infect the fetus.

Accidental infections have occurred in laboratories due to pricks from contaminated needles.

If no treatment provided, Sleeping sickness is 100%

fatal!

Screening

Diagnosis must be made as early as possible before the neurological system is affected

to reduce complications.

Microscopic observation of:

Blood smear

Lymph node aspirates

bone marrow

Cerebrospinal fluid tests (in the later stage of the disease)

Treatment

Melarsoprol - used for both forms of infection. It is derived from arsenic and can be fatal to as much as 10% of the patients taking the drug.

Eflornithine - effective against T.b.gambiense. Less toxic, alternative for Melarsoprol.

Pentamidine - used for the treatment of 1st stage of T.b.gambiense infection. However, it can cause toxic or allergic side-effects.

Suramine - treatment for the 1st stage of T.b.rhodesiense infection. Side effects in urinary tract and allergic reaction.

Mutant Human Eater in India

2009-07-25T09:14:00.013+08:00

In some places in India, people throw burnt corpses into the river after funeral ceremonies. Never do they know that, due to this particular cultural practice of theirs, a mutant breed of fish has changed their diet from scavenging to human-hunting as they developed a special fondness of human flesh after consuming the dead bodies. And it was said that this mutant fish is responsible for the deaths of many people swimming in the Great Kali, a river that flows along the India-Nepal border.

This mutant breed of human-hunting fish is a type of catfish, called goonch, it is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

"The locals have told me a theory that this monster has grown extra large on a diet of partially burnt corpses. It has perhaps got this taste for flesh by feasting on remains of funeral pyres." Jeremy Wade, a biologist investigating the creature.

During Jeremy's investigation, he caught one goonch that weighed 161lb (73kg) and was nearly 6ft (about 183cm) long!

"If that got hold of you, there'd be no getting away." He said.

The first victim of this extraordinary creature was a 17-year-old Nepalese boy in April 1988. According to eyewitnessess, he was cooling himself in the river when something suddenly pulled him below the water surface. He was killed.

Three months after the first case, another young boy was dragged underwater right infront of his horrified father who could do nothing to save his son.

In year 2007, an 18-year-old Nepali disappeared in the river after being dragged by something described as "elongated pig".

There are still a lot of "monsters' of these kinds lurking in the river, deep seas or whatever, I think that the appearances of these 'monsters' are not by chance. More or less, human should take the responsibilities for destroying the natural habitats of animals and deprive them from their natural diets. *sigh.

Maggot Therapy - The Smallest Surgeons

2009-06-22T07:15:00.012+08:00

For centuries, maggots have been well known for their ability to accelerate the healing of wounds. During warfare, the military doctors observed that the wounds of soldiers that were infested by maggots had a faster recovery rate and the soldiers' chances of death from infection of wounds were much lower than those whose wounds were not infested with maggots. However, after the discovery of the antibiotic penicillin, the Maggot Therapy is outdated due to several reasons. People believe that the use of penicillin to cure wounds is a more hygienic method, and patients find the antibiotic much more acceptable as compared to the use of maggots.

Source: Click here.

Many years later, the ideal healing rate of wounds induced by the maggots resulting in the reintroduction of maggot therapy (also known as Maggot Debridement Therapy) in modern medical field. One of the reasons is that the bacteria that causes infections has grown to be immune to antibiotics. The medicinal maggots work in three actions:

Remove (by eating) the dead necrotic, infected tissue on the wounds. In order for a wound to heal, it is vital to remove the dead tissue as it will promote the growth of bacteria on the wound and thus resulting in further infections.
Disinfect the wounds by killing bacteria. The secretion by the medicinal maggots create a condition that is not suitable for bacteria to strive.
The secretions of the maggots also found to have the ability to stimulate the growth of new tissues (human fibroblasts).

After seeing the benefits of maggot therapy, let's have a look at the limitations of it.

Maggot therapy does not work on dry wounds and the wounds on body cavities. For a medicinal maggot to feed, the wounds must be moist, and adequate amount of oxygen is present. Also, many patients may reject the use of live maggots on their wounds. As a result, a dressing is applied to the wounds where the maggots feed to prevent escape and hide the sight of maggots having their meals on the wounds from the patients.

The Man Who Lives Within the Present

2009-06-15T18:58:00.014+08:00

In real life, there are people experiencing the same condition as Lucy Whitmore in the movie ' 50 First Dates'. In the movie itself, Lucy has memory of only one day, meaning that everyday she wakes up no longer having memories of the previous day. This could be a real big problem in life!

Clive Wearing, an expert in early music at the peak of his musical life back in 1985, contracted a virus which supposedly only causes cold sores. In Clive's case, the virus damaged the part of his brain which is resposible for storage of memory. Clive suffers from an acute and long lasting case of Anterograde Amnesia since then which greatly changed his life.

From that day onwards, Clive can no longer form new memories. To him, every moment is like waking up from a dream, he cannot remember things that happen seconds ago. Instead, Clive's memory only lasts for 7 seconds! As a result, he becomes a man without past. He is unable to remember any of his friends. However, he still recognizes his wife Deborah, but remembers her as his girlfriend. He greets Deborah happily every time they see each other, as if they have not seen each other in years, though she may have just left the room to deliver him a glass of water. Clive also lost the ability to link a type of food with taste, as he has forgotten.

Deborah has written a book titles " Forever Today" based on the condition of her husband's condition.

Axolotls, Pink Body Creature!

2009-06-13T20:53:00.011+08:00

What is that actually?! This thing looks like an alien, don't you think so? When I first saw this creature, I thought it is a mutated lizard with human-like features. Though it looks weird, it's smiley face does show some friendliness.

Actually, this creature is called Axolotl, the best known of the Mexican neotenicmole salamanders. At the baby stage of this species, the larvae fails to undergo metamorphosis (eg the process whereby a tadpole grows into a frog). As a result, the adult Axolotl remains aquatic and has gills instead of lungs.

At adult stage, this species is around 15 to 45 cm in length. Just like the salamander larvae, the Axolotls have the same features as the typical types, with external gills and a caudal fin extending from behind of the head. They have lidless eyes, and a wide head. They also have long, thin digits on their underdeveloped limbs. And Axolotls feed by suction. Axolotls strive at temperatures ranging from 14°C to 20°C.

With the pinkish body and the big wide smile on their faces, Axolotls can be adorable.

Meet the Alien In Deep Sea

2009-06-10T21:06:00.012+08:00

Anglerfish is a type of very rare creature living in the deep sea. In most Anglerfish species, there is a long filament protruding out above the fish's eyes, at the tip of the filament there is an irregular growth of flesh (looks like a bulb, called esca). The long filament can move in all directions, while the esca acts as a bait to lure prey to the Anglerfish. When the prey is close enough, the Anglerfish will open its huge jaws and devour the prey whole! The Anglerfish can swallow a prey that is twice its own body size.

In some species of Anglerfish that lives deep under the sea where sunlight is scarce, the esca will emit light due to symbiosis with bacteria. The bacteria enters the esca, starts to multiply rapidly till their collective glow is bright enough to attract other fishes to become the prey of Anglerfish.

Here comes the interesting part, the reproduction of Anglerfish. As Anglerfish is extremely rare, it is very difficult to find a mating partner. In order not to become extinct, the Anglerfish has a very distinct way of reproduction.

At birth, the males are born with well developed olfactory organs (sensory system for smell). When the male Anglerfish mature, its digestive system starts failing, resulting in not able to feed independently. As a result, before the male dies from failure of digestive system, it has to find a female using its powerful olfactory organ. The male can detect pheromones from a mature female using its olfactory organ. So what will happen after the male found his mating partner?

After the male found a female, the male will bite into the female's skin, and digest the skin of his mouth and her body using a type of enzyme secreted. This will enable the couple to fuse with each other to the blood vessel level. The male then degenerates into a pair of gonads that parasites on the female. The gonads (male) release sperm in response to the hormones in the female's bloodstream signalling eggs release. This ensure that, whenever the female is ready to spawn, there will be sperm available to fertilise the eggs.

One of the species of Anglerfish, the little thing protruding

out at the back of the fish is the male that fused with the female

For the Anglerfish, the males reduce to parasites on females after maturation. The males are deemed to sacrifice in the reproduction system in this species, in order to ensure the survival of the species of Anglerfish.

Deadly Bites

2009-06-08T20:09:00.011+08:00

Have you ever been bitten by a snake before? What will happen if you are bitten by a Rattlesnake?

Rattlesnakes are venomous and they were given the name due to the rattle located at the end of their tails. This species is a little bit different from most of the snake species, they give live births instead of laying eggs.

When rattlesnake bites, it will inject hemotoxic elements which results in tissue damage and affect the circulatory system by destroying blood cells, skin tissues thus leading to internal hemorrhaging! Its venom contains neurotoxic that can paralyse the nervous system of a person, sometimes stopping the breathing of its victims. Therefore, being bitten by rattlesnake is very dangerous!

After rattlesnake's bite

Once bitten, these are the symptoms:

extreme pain at the location of the bite, together with burning sensation
swelling
bruising and discoloration occurs
numbness
nausea, vomiting, light-headedness
breathing difficulty
swelling of mouth and throat

You should NEVER:

cut the bitten area
apply ice pack on the swollen part
immerse bite location into water
use your mouth to suck out the venom ( you're not acting in a movie)

And you SHOULD:

wash the bite with water and soap
Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart
Seek medical attention immediately

Do not think that you are safe after you kill the snake that threatens you and start to play with the dead snake. I mean it, many people have the tendency to examine the specimen that they have killed in the wild. Snake can still bite after it dies, this can last for one hour after its death!

Creepy Surgeons

2009-06-07T09:52:00.014+08:00

There is a type of surgeons who do not have hands, legs, but they can be considered as a professional especially in the field of reconstructive surgery.

With them around, patients' reconstructive surgeries will have higher chances of success, and time taken for the wound to heal will also be much faster.

However, even though the surgeons has such a good reputation in this area, many patients do not like to be treated by them.

This is because, the surgeons are flesh-craving and uses their mouth to treat patients!

The use of leeches to cure illnesses took place more than 2500 years ago in Egypt, where the Egyptians used leeches to drain "impure blood" from the body to cure many kind of illnesses. Nowadays, leeches are still widely used in post surgical treatments. The components in the saliva of the leeches have quite a number of therapeutic values, the saliva can relieve venous congestion (accumulation of blood abnormally) and improve blood flow to the compromised free tissue flaps.

The leeches' saliva contains anticoagulants that prevent blood from clotting. After a full meal of blood, the leech will detach itself from the patient, the anticoagulants left behind will still be effective for up to several hours. As a result, blood will continue to ooze out of the wounds.

Source: Click Here

This may sound scary, but this is essential to prevent venous congestion and encourage re-establishment of blood flow through the tissues after reconstructive surgery. If venous congestion occurs, and blood does not flow through the replanted tissue, the reconstructive surgery is deem to fail. Without proper blood flow, the replanted tissue is unable to get oxygen supply, it will turn black and become useless.

During leech therapy, leeches ensure constant blood flow in the areas, new veins will extend into the reconstructed part from the healthy tissue and promote re-establishment of adequate blood drainage.

However, there are still some adverse effects in leech therapy.

Patients may experience local pain during the therapy. As the anesthetic effect of the leech saliva may take a while to occur, the initial biting may trigger pain.
Local itching will happen after the bite.
Infection may take place if the leeches are not properly sterilised.

Leech therapy is an effective post surgical treatment, though it has its shortcomings, its advantages still shouldn't be overlooked.

Parasitic Twins

2009-06-06T10:48:00.011+08:00

In my opinion, it is really awesome to have a twin sibling, as in identical twin. Not only your appearences are exactly the same, many of the twins will have telegraphy which is so cool! However, when you look at your identical twin sibling, other than the striking resemblance, what will be in your mind?

Just imagine...

For non-identical twins, two eggs are fertilised by two sperms in the ovary. For identical twins, an fertilised egg is split into two, and grows into two individuals. The person right in front of you is your closest sibling, but none of you is older or younger. You two are of the same age, exist at the same second of time.

Long long time ago when both of you were in the womb of your mom, actually is not "both" of you, as there is only one egg. Therefore, the person living with you is not your sibling! The person used to be a part of you, or you are just used to be a part of the person.

Above is just my personal opinion. In the following, I am going to write about Parasitic Twins.

Parasitic twin occurs when a twin embryo fail to separate fully during development in the uterus, and one of the twin fail to develop as per normal. The undeveloped twin will be incompletely formed on the fully developed twin.

An example is Sanjay Kumar in India. In the case of his, it is known as fetus in fetu. This is a condition whereby one of the twin envelops the other as they grow in the womb at early pregnancy. The poor twin that has been wrapped inside the other will attach itself to the blood vessels in its sibling and feeding off him as a parasite! So the undevelop twin in the body is alive, absorbing nutrients from its host sibling and continues to grow in size!

Sanjay Kumar before the sugery

At the age of 36 back in 1999, Sanjay had been living his life with a huge bulge on his belly, he looked like 9 months pregnant. At that time, he could hardly breathe due to his extremely swollen belly. He went through a surgery to remove the "tumor" which would threaten his life sooner and later.

As the surgeons cut the lump in Sanjay's stomach, gallons of pus gushed out from the lump. Finally, he decided to get rid of the "tumor" in order to lead a more normal life. To the horror of the surgeons operating on the tumor, they found Sanjay's twin sibling! The weird, strange half-formed body of Sanjay's sibling had fully developed limbs, its finger-nails were long signifies that it was still living and growing inside Sanjay at the time of removal.

The deformed twin

For the deformed twin, it could not survive by itself, but through the blood vessels of its brother host, it could acquired nutrients to grow in size. After the sugery, Sanjay explained "Before the operation, life was very tough, but now I'm much better". Sanjay now leads a normal life without the burden of his parasitic twin that feeding off him for as long as 36 years!

Living "Sausages"

2009-06-04T18:28:00.019+08:00

Watch the video, what would you name these creatures? Don't let your mind run wild!

Those weirdos are known as Spoon worms (they are one of the spoon worm species). Yes, they do look a lot like uncooked sausages, but they are alive. Spoon worms are unsegmented and soft-bodied that live in the sand or mud in the water and they are also marine burrowing creatures. Usually, these worms have a body length of 3 to 15 cm, however, they can grow to as long as 75 cm in some cases.

Spoon worms secrete a lot of sticky mucus which forms a net attaching to the inner wall of its burrow funnel that acts as a filter to trap small marine organisms. Once the net is loaded with food particles, the Spoon worm will then swallow the whole net together with the food particles. After that, it will create another mucus net.

The Spoon worms are a type of delicacy in some countries. For those who have never seen these "sausage-like" creatures before, eating one of them may be a huge challenge just like those challenges in Fear Factor. I have never tried before, and never will.