Profession for blood sucking insects

See Svetlana Pavlovna Nhikiforova sitting behind the table of Kharcov Epidemic Station (Ukraine), many thought she was a researcher. In fact, she was like a " food " to feed on blood-sucking insects, exactly ticks.

During the past 13 years, including holidays and holidays, the 67-year-old pensioner has let the parasites attack her body. The only representative of this profession in Ukraine is not a homeless person but a woman with very carefully decorated nails, very fashionable wigs, lipstick lips and a pretty white robe.

Mrs. Nhikiforova is feeding insects.(Photos: Science & Life)

Kharcov Laboratory of Epidemiology and Sanitation Laboratory studies insects on the potential for disease transmission and their tolerance to drugs. In recent years, in Ukraine, the number of people with tuberculosis has increased, along with this disease is often ticks. They adapt to new living conditions so quickly that they easily digest old poisons, while before they died when they were attacked by drugs.

During the experiment, the parasites were placed in a tall, metal ring on the skin of Ms. Nhikiforova's hand. This tick is cultured exclusively for experiments and is only available in Kharcov Epidemiological Sanitation Station. Svetlana's "predecessor " had nurtured them with her blood for 20 years. After this person quit, the station was in danger of losing an entire line of special insects.

Need to find someone to raise the ticks and not transplant them into animals because they will not be able to adapt. Just a fixed breeder needs to get them used to the air and also because these ticks can transmit blood-borne diseases.

Before working for blood sucking insects, Ms. Nhikiforova was a worker in a factory. During the nightmare, she could not imagine that after retiring, I did such a bizarre job. However, to supplement the modest pension, she went to the Epidemiological Sanitation Station for an extra job and immediately became a rarity for the laboratory in need of sacrifices.

Selecting candidates for this unusual job position is not entirely simple. And the old lady retired Nhikiforova is a great choice because there is a medical primary degree, and it absolutely doesn't feel terrifying when exposed to parasites.

But only the spirit of sacrifice for the bugs to eat is too little. This job requires a person who is capable of raising parasites all day of the year, including new year or birthday. On the other hand, food for the tick must be the blood of healthy people, do not take medicine.

Once, Mrs. Nhikiforova fell ill and asked her neighbor for her. She had to work hard to convince the Epidemiological Station to accept this, but the outcome almost became a tragedy for new farmers and with parasites. Previously, the neighbor had taken medicine, and after contacting the blood-sucking parasite, both of her grandmother blistered, she almost had to go to emergency. And the parasites that she feeds are lying on their stomachs. It took a lot of hard work to revive them.

These dizzy insects must be assured of warm conditions to survive. They live in special boxes kept at human body temperature, high in humidity. Sometimes they go "as guests". It was on winter days, when the lab was cut off (this happened very often), so that the ticks would not freeze to death, Mrs. Nhikiforova brought them home.

Due to her age, Mrs. Nhikiforova wanted to quit her job this year, but the chief doctor persuaded her to stay because they could not lack her.