India

Traveling to India? Find out what you're in for first.

What Dr. Mike encounters in India:

SCABIES
Dr. Mike joins in the end of monsoon festivities on Mumbai’s Juhu Beach and explains how close contact in crowded situations is the perfect way to catch a contagious skin condition called scabies.

Ascaris worm
Dr. Mike explains how you can catch a parasitic worm called the ascaris worm from unwashed fruit and veggies. He's even hoping he can grow some to show us later.

Leech therapy
Dr. Mike heads to a local Ayurvedic clinic for some leech therapy, which is believed to siphon out the bad blood. Doctor Sangupta attaches the leeches to Mike's back and they take their bloody meal.

Sacred Cows and Tuberculosis
Dr. Mike explains that in the Hindu religion, cows are sacred so they wander freely. But these bovines can carry a disease that's killing millions of people –- tuberculosis.

Macaque Monkeys and Herpes B Virus
Dr. Mike visits the Sankat Mochan temple, which is dedicated to the monkey god, Hanuman. He meets the macaque monkeys that live there and describes the deadly Herpes B Virus that humans can catch from them.

Whip scorpion
Dr. Mike heads off the beaten track in search of the whip scorpion. He finds one on a log, picks it up and explains its defense mechanism.

Bombadier Beetle
Dr. Mike moves on and finds the bombardier beetle. He explains how this bug mixes chemicals in its butt to cause an explosion.

Elephant Anthrax
Dr. Mike hitches a ride back to town on an elephant. As he rides along he explains how this friendly giant can carry anthrax and how this lethal bacteria can infect humans.

Sandfly/Leishmaniasis
On the banks of the River Ganges, Dr. Mike is bugged by sandflies; while swatting them away he explains the terrible disease humans can catch from these parasites called leishmaniasis.

Giardia Lab
Dr. Mike has an upset stomach, and he thinks it might have something to do with the mouthful of water he took from the Ganges, so he goes to a clinic to get his stool tested. Professor Mohapatra takes a look under the microscope and tells Mike that he has a Giardia infection.

Body Lice
Dr. Mike takes a ride on some local transport -- a huge trailer -- along with loads of others. He explains that this is the perfect way to catch an unwanted hitchhiker -– body lice.

Ascaris Roundworm
Dr. Mike takes a worming treatment to rid his body of anything that might have grown from the unwashed fruit and veggies he ate in Mumbai. His body reacts, and he has to make an emergency stop where he discovers some ascaris worms have been residing in his body.