00:00Imagine a worm sliding into your skin, and you feel nothing.
00:04No itch, no sting, no pain, but it could kill you.
00:08This creepy invader is called Schistosoma mansoni.
00:11It's a deadly parasite that causes snail fever, infecting over 250 million people worldwide.
00:17And here's the shocking part.
00:19It burrows into your skin straight from fresh water.
00:22You could get it just by swimming in a lake.
00:25No warning.
00:26No discomfort.
00:27Scientists just discovered why.
00:29It hijacks your body's pain sensors by targeting a protein called TRPV1+.
00:35The worm literally shuts off the signals that tell your brain something's wrong.
00:39So it slides in undetected, and your immune system doesn't even raise an alarm.
00:44Once inside, it releases thousands of eggs.
00:47These can travel to your organs, causing damage, infertility, or even cancer.
00:52And now this disease is spreading.
00:54From Africa to European holiday hotspots like Spain and France,
00:57British travelers are bringing it home in record numbers.
01:01But there's hope researchers believe the worm's pain-numbing powers could inspire new painkillers,
01:06even non-opioid treatments for inflammation.
01:09Until then, avoid fresh water in risk zones.
01:12Because what you don't feel can definitely hurt you.
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