Parasitic infections: Causes, symptoms.

Parasitic infections are a diverse set of symptoms and diseases caused by the entry of eggs or parasites for adults into the human body.Often the first signs of the disease cannot be detected for several days, and in some cases several months or even years.This is due to the life cycle of the parasites and their basic functions: good camouflage and maintaining their own lives by receiving nutrients from the host's body.

Types of parasites and their characteristics

Parasitic infections, depending on certain properties of their manifestation, are divided into three groups:

1. Ectoparasites.
   The main place is the surface of the human body.These include lice, fleas, ticks and bed bugs.They feed mainly on human blood, although in some cases, such as mites that cause demodicosis, the main food is the secretion of the sebaceous glands or dead epithelial (skin) cells.The first signs of parasitic infection are quite easy to recognize as they cause itching and burning in their habitats.Some ectoparasites are carriers of serious diseases: typhoid, anthrax, encephalitis and tripanosomosis.They cause tremendous damage to human health, including death.
2. Endoparasites (protozoa).
   It mainly affects the internal organs.They are unicellular in structure, hence the name protozoa.However, they can lead to severe diseases.The main diseases of this group are parasitic blood infection caused by toxoplasma and intestinal infections caused by amoeba or giardia.
3. Helmints.
   They are the causes of the most common forms of parasitic infections.In the human body, their cycles of development are mainly conducted in the intestines and tissues, where the symptoms of the disease begin.

Roundworms (nematodes)

These are parasites whose body is circular in the cross section.Sexual characteristics differ easily.Females are usually bigger than men.But representatives of this class also have hermaphrodites.All nematodes go through stages of development: egg, larva and adults.This class includes:

1. Worm.The disease is caused by enterobiasis.It mainly affects children from pre -school and primary school age.
2. Whip.Causes the trichuriasis of the disease.It has a distinctive body shape.2/3 of the length of the body has a thin diameter reminiscent of human hair or thread.The other end of the body is greater with a diameter and contains the intestine.
3. Ascaris.The disease is caused by ascariasis.Adults reach dimensions of 25 cm (men) and 40 cm (women).After the larva enters the human body, it passes through the stomach and enters the small intestine.From there, through the pores with blood flow, it enters the liver, then to the heart and then to the lungs, where it develops within 7-10 days.Then the larvae begin to rise to the larynx.Once they reach the oral cavity, they heat up again.Once in the small intestine, the larvae cannot re -enter the blood through the pores due to their large size.There they grow in adults within 2-3 months.Then the reproduction begins and the cycle is repeated.The female can lie more than 200,000 eggs a day.

Tapeworm (cestodi)

These are parasites whose body looks like a ribbon shape.A distinctive feature of this class is the lack of a digestive system.These include:

1. Echinococcus.The disease is caused by echinococcosis.This parasite is small in size (2-9 mm) and consists of several segments and suction.The uterus of a sexually mature individual contains a large number of eggs inside which there are larvae.The main places for the localization of echinococcus are the liver and lungs.It causes a chronic disease called a hydatide cyst.
2. Bull Tapeworm.Causes Kiniarinchiasis.At the stage of the larvae there is an intermediate host - cattle.Once in the human body, it develops in the small intestine to the stage of the tape.The body of an adult parasite has up to 1000 segments and can reach 4-10 meters in length.
3. Pork tapeworm.Causes taeniosis disease.Externally, it is very similar to a bull tapeworm.In addition, there are intermediate hosts: pigs, dogs, camels, rabbits and rabbits.In humans, this is a parasite in the intestine.The size of an adult individual does not exceed 4 meters in length.
4. Theopil is wide.The disease is caused by dipylobotry.He lives in freshwater bodies of water.He uses crustaceans and fish as an intermediate host.In the human body, it parasites the small intestine.An adult can reach several meters in length.

Flat Worms (Flukes)

During their life cycle, these parasites can change several intermediate hosts.In humans, they can be parasitized in any organ.This group includes:

1. Schistosomes.The disease is caused by schistosomosis.They can enter the human body through contact with contaminated fresh water.The parasite penetrates the skin and enters the circulatory system, where it begins to actively multiply.Females can produce 300 to 3000 eggs a day.In addition, when blood flow, eggs spread throughout the body and continue their development in each organ.The length of their body does not exceed 0.1-0.2 cm.
2. Liver fluckers.The disease is caused by opishorchiasis.The length of an adult varies from 3 to 5 cm.When it enters the human body, it parasites the bile ducts, gall bladder, liver and pancreas.It is fixed in these organs using suction glasses located on the body.

Ways to penetrate parasites into the human body

1. The nutritional pathway of infection is considered to be the most common.One becomes infected with the parasite by eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits.Meat, which has not suffered enough heat treatment, is particularly dangerous.Also, one becomes infected with a parasitic infection if the rules of personal hygiene are not respected.For example, not to wash your hands before you eat.
2. Transplacental route.The parasitic infection is transmitted by a pregnant woman through the placenta of the child.For example, these are diseases such as toxoplasmosis, malaria or ankylostor.
3. Percutaneous road.The parasite enters the human body through the skin.These are mainly schistosomes and ankylostoms.
4. The contact path.The parasite is transmitted through dirty hands, contaminated personal effects and underwear.Here's how lice, scabies and pins are transmitted.
5. The way of transmission.The infection occurs after an insect bites that carry parasites.For example, malaria.

Symptoms

Many parasitic diseases have no symptoms in the early stages.This is due to the stages of pathogen development.Each individual type of parasite manifests itself differently as it grows.The common common symptoms of a parasitic infection include:

1. Itching.
2. Redness of the skin like urticaria.
3. Diarrhea.
4. Constipation.
5. Flatulence.
6. Nausea, vomiting.
7. Cramps and pain in the gastrointestinal tract.
8. Weight loss of body weight without diet or increased physical activity.
9. Feverish condition.
10. High body temperature (38-40 ° C) for a long period.
11. Prolonged dry cough attacks.
12. Enlarged lymph nodes.
13. Painful sensations in the muscles.
14. Psycho-emotional disorders.

Diagnostics

If you suspect the presence of parasitic diseases, you should undergo a series of tests.The diagnosis of parasitic infections allows us to determine the presence or absence of a parasite, its type and location in the body.The data obtained will help the doctor to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment.

Diagnostic methods include:

1. Review of the stool.Allows you to determine the presence of most types of parasites that live in the intestine.Their eggs, larvae and segments of the body are separated into the stool.There are two types of analysis:
   1. The stool sample is examined for eggs and helminth larvae.The analysis is delivered to the laboratory where the doctor does smears and examines them under a microscope.This method is often used but not accurate enough.In order to make a final diagnosis, the patient must undergo this test up to three times at short intervals.This is due to the life cycle of the parasites and the laying of eggs found by this method of examination.
   2. Scraping (washing) from the folds of the anus.This test is used to detect only one type of helminth - pincori.Parasit infections are more common in children than in adults.For this reason, this analysis is performed mainly for children.The laboratory technician moisturizes a cotton or glass eyes in water or glycerin and rinses it from the perianal folds.The resulting material is then applied to a glass slide and examined under a microscope.This analysis is also performed using a different method: a laboratory assistant sticks a piece of adhesive tape to the anal passage, presses it and peels it off.The adhesive tape is then glued to a glass slide and also viewed under a microscope.The parasite is diagnosed quite accurately.Using these methods, laboratory assistant is able to examine not only helminth eggs, but sometimes adult individuals.
2. Cerebrospinal fluid examination, phlegm, duodenal content (bile), urine.Prescribed based on the results of a patient study to determine the presence of the parasite and to determine its location.These biological fluids are analyzed using microscopy and macroscopy.First, the resulting sample is examined for the presence of adult individuals and then a microscopy is performed to detect eggs and larvae of parasites.
3. Blood test.Modern blood testing methods for parasitic infections make it possible to determine the presence and type of pathogen with high accuracy.Three types of such diagnostics are used:
   1. Serological reactions.Allows you to determine the presence of parasitic antibodies in the patient's blood serum.This method is considered to be highly specific, but a lower than PCR diagnostics.
   2. PCR diagnostics.This method is based on the identification of DNA of parasites in any biological fluid that is taken for analysis.
   3. Genetic studies.It involves detecting the parasite genome in the patient's blood sample.This method is used much less than all others, but has high accuracy.
4. Study of biopsy material and lymph nodes.For this analysis, the doctor distorts a small area of organ, tissue or an entire lymph node and sends it for histological examination.In this way, the presence or absence of parasites is diagnosed.

Testing Recommendations

Before doing tests for parasitic infections, you must properly prepare for them.If the recommendations are followed, the accuracy of the diagnosis is increased as the material does not contain interfering factors that affect the effectiveness of the examination methods.

Preparation for stool test:

1. Antibiotics, anti -inflammatory drugs and antacids should be stopped.The use of drugs and other medicines containing bismuth and iron is also unacceptable.
2. If an X-ray examination is performed using a barium or colonoscopy, during which an enema is performed to cleanse the bowel, then the stool test can only be taken after 2-3 days.
3. It is not recommended to donate stools if menstrual bleeding begins or hemorrhoids worsen.

Preparation for blood test:

1. You need to stop taking pharmacological drugs that affect the blood count.
2. Three days before the test, you should follow a light diet, not eat fatty foods and give up alcohol.
3. A blood test for parasitic infections is taken on an empty stomach.Drinking a small amount of clean drinking water is allowed.

For other tests, special preparation is not required.All you have to do is follow the doctor's recommendations.

Treatment

Unfortunately, the symptoms of parasitic infections cannot always be detected in the initial stages of the disease.In such cases, treatment begins late.It is important to understand: the longer the parasite remains in the body, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it.

The therapy of infectious and parasitic infections is divided into two areas:

1. Symptomatic treatment.Aimed at eliminating the clinical manifestations of the disease.These include a decrease in body temperature, release from redness and itching and normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. The etiological treatment of parasitic infections is aimed at getting rid of the cause of the disease.

In some cases, surgery may be required.It is applicable to alveococcosis, echinococcosis and some types of trematode infection.

When the body is dehydrated, solutions containing salt are prescribed.

Only a doctor can prescribe treatment of parasitic infections based on laboratory tests and patient interviews.

Prevention

It is very important to observe the prevention of parasitic infections.In most cases, this will help prevent pathogens from entering the body.

Preventive measures include:

1. Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene: You should wash your hands before eating food after visiting the toilet and getting out of the street.
2. Vegetables and fruits should be washed well.
3. It is mandatory to carry out sufficient heat treatment of meat, fish and seafood.
4. Water with tap should not be used as drinking water as it may not always be without parasites.Using home filters as additional cleaning will not help.The best option is to drink boiled or bottled water.
5. If pets live at home, they should be decontaminated once every six months.You should also limit contact with your pet if it shows signs of parasitic diseases and contact a veterinary clinic.
6. You need to iron underwear (especially for children) after washing.
7. After visiting exotic countries, when working with land, as well as employees of childhood institutions, it is recommended to be examined once a year for the presence of parasitic infections and, if necessary, to carry out prevention with medicines.