The parasites most Americans think of as a tropical problem are already here; showing up as fatigue, asthma, and gut issues that standard tests keep calling "normal." An estimated 1 in 20 people may carry one and never know it.

In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon sits down with Dr. Peter Hotez, a tropical-medicine physician and vaccine scientist, to discuss:

Why toxocariasis, a worm shed by household dogs and cats, may affect 5–6% of the U.S. population, with larvae migrating through the lungs and brain
Why standard PCR panels come back negative and which specific tests (antibody, fecal, eosinophil count) to ask for
How to lower your risk at home, from deworming pets on a vet schedule to knowing which symptoms warrant a targeted test
Why the popular "worm therapy for autoimmune disease" idea has the relationship backwards, worms are a leading driver of IBD and asthma, not a cure

Whether you've been told your labs are fine but still feel off, this conversation gives you a clear, evidence-based framework for what to test for and how to protect your family from infections hiding in plain sight.

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Find Dr. Peter Hotez at:

Website: https://peterhotez.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterhotez/
Book - “Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World” - https://a.co/d/07P0iANS

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: trust in science and nutrition

04:11 - Anti-parasitic drugs sold as snake oil

06:43 - How misinformation gets weaponized

18:23 - The turbo cancer claim debunked

24:41 - Finding experts you can trust

30:52 - Hepatitis B vaccine and how babies get infected

31:56 - The 75 vaccine myth: eight diseases to seventeen

35:42 - Why the COVID vaccine wasn't rushed

40:18 - Toxocariasis: the worm in stray dogs and cats

43:50 - Why parasite tests come back negative

45:57 - Hookworm in rural Alabama

48:05 - Eosinophils and how to test

50:21 - Worm therapy for autoimmune is backwards

54:19 - Deworming pets and family transmission

57:19 - Liver fluke and bile duct cancer

1:01:11 - Climate change and parasites in the US

1:03:16 - Lyme, ticks, and genomic surveillance

1:08:00 - Flu and COVID as cardiovascular threats

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Disclaimers: This episode includes paid sponsorships.

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.

Dr. Peter Hotez - 1 in 20 Americans Has This Parasite and Doesn't Know It!

The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show

Dr. Peter Hotez - 1 in 20 Americans Has This Parasite and Doesn't Know It!