A parasitic worm that lives inside another animal's body, including tapeworms, roundworms, and flukes.
From Greek 'helminthos' meaning 'worm' or 'intestinal worm.' The term entered medical language in the 1600s as microscopy revealed these parasites. The Greek root appears in many parasitology terms.
Helminths infect about a quarter of the world's human population—they're ancient parasites that co-evolved with us for millennia. Some people's immune systems might actually be 'calmer' because helminths train white blood cells, which might be why certain allergies are more common in clean environments.
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