North Korean soldier shot fleeing across the border

<p><span style="line-height: 1.42857;">A North Korean soldier who was shot fleeing across the border has an extremely high level of parasites in his intestines, his doctors say.</span><br></p><p>The defector crossed the demilitarized zone on Monday, but was shot several times by North Korean border guards.</p><p>Doctors say the patient is stable – but "an enormous number" of worms in his body are contaminating his wounds and making his situation worse.</p><p>His condition is thought to give a rare insight into life in North Korea.</p><p>Humans can get parasites through eating contaminated food, by being bitten by an insect or by the parasite entering through the skin.</p><p>In the case of the North Korean defector, the first case is most likely. Parasites entering the body via contaminated food are often worms.</p>