Guinea Pig Cookouts Promote Peru's Parasite Plague

Has a visit to the pet shop ever made your mouth water? No? Then you've clearly never had guinea pig. The cuddly rodents have been a reliable snack in parts of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia for generations. Called cuyes in Spanish, the animals are reportedly easier to raise and breed than chickens, and are eaten en-masse during key holidays. However, it's those feasts that could be leading to an unintended consequence: a plague of parasitic bites that is bringing South America to its knees.