An idyllic life on a Hawaiian island became a living hell as an unseen enemy ravaged his body. But how did it get there in the first place? Find out by clicking the link below. DiscoverMagazine
Jacques “Leokane” Pryor loved his life in Hana, a remote Eden on the island of Maui, known for graceful seabirds and gentle rains. By day, he worked outdoors; at night, using his Hawaiian name, he sang and performed native dances at a hotel. In Hana, Jacques was content. Then his perfect life as aFirst came the itch, fever and painful joints, followed by a migrating rash. Over several weeks, his doctor became increasingly perplexed. Then serious headaches set in.
The next step was treatment. While hospitalized, Jacques received drugs for pain, anxiety and elevated blood pressure as well as high-dose steroids meant to reduce inflammation wherever his parasites had lodged. After returning to Hana, Jacques eventually stopped the steroids and his rashes and headaches slowly abated. But two years later, Jacques was still suffering debilitating symptoms, including daily burning pains and an abnormal gait.
Here’s the twist: So-called accidental hosts, including birds, dogs, horses, crustacea or even people can also consume infected mollusks and other larvae-ridden foods and suffer a different fate than that of rats.larvae still migrate to the brains and spinal cords of human hosts as they do in rodents, but in humans, the larvae eventually die before completing their life cycle.
Today, Jacques lives in California and can still walk on the beach, work in his garden and sing. But he also suffers chronically injured nerves for which he takes several drugs. Others have not been so lucky. Every year, a few local residents and visitors to endemic areas experience far worse outcomes, including paralysis and death.
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