Story:
Oh my god, dangerous thin snake worm found inside…be aware of these green vegetables Capsicum and Cabbage
Other Versions
- Be careful in eating Shimla Mirch…ladies watch carefully during chopping it in kitchen
- Surprisingly Thinnest snake in Capsicum. Believe it or not
- Be careful of eating Shimla Mirch in rainy seasons may be home for baby snakes
- (Hindi)
Simla mircha me nikla kidaa –
शिमला मिर्च में कीड़ा आप खुद ही देख लें - शिमला मिर्च से निकला सांप
Fact Check:
Viral videos in heavy circulation on social media warn consumers about a dangerous thin Snake Worm found Inside vegetables Capsicum (Shimla mirch) and Cabbage. Accompanying messages claim the hidden baby snake worms or tape worms appear in rainy seasons. Some also suggested people to avoid eating the vegetables altogether. So, let us examine the details of the thin white worm inside Capsicum, Cabbage and check the authenticity of the health warning.
About Videos of Thin Worm Inside Capsicum & Cabbage
The video showing the thin white worm inside Shimla mirch, also called Bell Pepper, appeared online around early August 2019. Because of the accompanying health warning messages, in no time, the video went viral on social media sites like Facebook.
The worm inside Capsicum is indeed so thin and white, it can go unnoticed. However, worms inside vegetables are not uncommon – they can also appear inside Capsicum like shown in video below.
Earlier in 2017, similar video went viral online claiming to show a dangerous Tapeworm living inside Cabbage. Back then also accompanying messages warned people to stop eating the leafy vegetable Cabbage.
About the Worm and Its Dangers
Firstly, we did not find any credible report warning about dangers of such an invisible thin worm inside vegetables like Capsicum and Cabbage. Cooking the vegetables and human digestive acids after consumption usually take care of worms like it. Back in 2017, when the video of ‘dangerous’ worm inside Cabbage went viral, media channel VTV Gujarati investigated into the matter. When contacted, vegetable sellers said they did not come across any such worm inside Cabbage. They consulted plant experts to know more about the worm.
The expert said the thin white worm inside cabbage is not Tapeworm and is some other species. Helminths like Tapeworms, Pinworms and Roundworms are in fact Parasitic worms usually living inside and feeding on living hosts like Humans and Insects. That reminds us of a disturbing video showing doctors removing Intestinal Parasitic Worms from a human patient.
The thin white worm inside Capsicum (Shimla mirch) and Cabbage is most likely some kind of Nematode worm like here. In reality, there are thousands of types of Nematode worms, some of which are parasitic to Insects and Arthropods. It is possible what you see in the video is a juvenile parasitic Nematode worm (similar to Gordian worms), which left its host insect that somehow ended up inside the vegetable Capsicum or Cabbage.
Thin Worm Inside Brinjal
Below is another old video from September 2016 showing similar nematode worm inside Brinjal vegetable. Note, vegetables like Capsicum are also affected by Root knot nematodes. Again, there’s the less-likely possibility, someone put the worm inside the vegetables to scare people and warn not to eat them.
So, the thin white worm inside capsicum (shimla mirch) and cabbage isn’t any dangerous snake. Ingestion of such plant worms through cooked food is not often harmful to humans. Even in case of some infections and infestations, they can be treated well in initial stages.
For your information, some false messages and unrelated videos online warned eating Cabbage causes Brain tapeworm. Medical experts clarified the misconception that eating cabbage can cause the deadly brain tapeworm (Neurocysticercosis).
Caution Before Cooking Vegetables
Although the warning about dangerous worm inside capsicum and cabbage is not entirely true, worms of other kind do grow inside vegetables. The larvae and eggs of other harmful parasitic worms can stay on vegetables and enter human body if not treated properly. So, consumers are always advised to be watchful while cutting vegetables, wash them well preferably in hot water, and cook food properly.
Hoax or Fact:
Mixture of Hoax and Facts.
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