MONSTERS INSIDE ME Returns to Animal Planet Tonight

Caution: viewer discretion is advised! When Monsters Inside Me returns tonight, October 2, at 9 PM (ET/PT), prepare to be scared... VERY scared. Monsters could be crawling inside you as you read this!

A parasitic or viral attack is like a tumultuous roller coaster within the body that can take terrifying - sometimes deadly - twists and turns. Host/biologist Dan Riskin provides scientific perspective throughout this 12-part series that vividly recounts the stories of people tormented by the insidious creatures that invade their bodies.

"Parasites are everywhere and could infect any one of us," explains Riskin. "This season, Monsters Inside Me also spotlights nature's most debilitating viruses and even shows what could happen when foreign objects are ingested or left behind after surgery."

Parasites and viruses, which are often microscopic, have mastered the most ingenious survival strategies. Designed to devour nutrients at their hosts' expenses, parasites cause complete chaos, often resulting in the total annihilation of our immune systems and weakening our ability to fight back. Viruses are also enduring microorganisms, able to mutate quickly and destroy the functioning of important cells. This season, The Following real-life cases illustrate just how destructive parasitic and viral attacks can be and just how susceptible we are to the havoc they wreak within us:

· A healthy young yoga practitioner thinks she has a horrible case of the flu; is what's eating her actually a flesh-eating monster?

· You thought Bubonic plague was a thing of the past? Wrong! It's the cause of a little girl's 107-degree fever, which sends her into septic shock and brings her to the brink of death. Does she survive the same "Black Death," which wiped out civilizations during The Middle Ages?

· Is it just in his head, or does a student actually see a worm slithering around in his eye? Find out if doctors concur with this creepy-crawly self-diagnosis.

· A woman finds her husband hallucinating in the bathtub and immediately rushes him to the hospital. Doctors make a shocking discovery that's going to have viewers think twice about how they prepare their next meal.

This season, Monsters Inside Me highlights stories about people who are victim to bot fly larvae, West Nile virus, rabies, rat lungworms and much, much worse. The season also reveals the rare but possible consequences of negligibly washed produce and the dangers of swallowing foreign items.

There are tiny monsters patiently waiting to invade us at unsuspecting moments. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Monsters Inside Me is produced for Animal Planet by Optomen Productions. Nicola Moody and Dominic Stobart are the executive producers for Optomen. For Animal Planet, Erin Wanner is executive producer, and Hilary Tholen is associate producer. Charlie Foley developed this series for Animal Planet.

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