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A member asked:

Can silverfish infest the human bowel like worms?

2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. James Okamoto answered

Specializes in Family Medicine

No: Very few things can survive the acids in the stomach. The only reason some worms (roundworms, pinworms, hookworms) can infest the bowel is because the eggs are swallowed.

Answered 1/22/2020

4.7k views

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Dr. Heidi Fowler answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

No: Silverfish can damage cellulose (fabric, paper) but infest the human body. They carry no known diseases. Their molted skin can attracts dust which may trigger allergies (ie. 1 study suggested it triggered breathing problems in people wi indoor allergens).

Answered 11/9/2020

28 views

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