Parasite infections: causes, symptoms.

Parasitic infections represent a variety of symptoms and diseases caused by egg or adult parasites to enter the human body.The first signs of the disease can often not be detected for several days and in some cases for several months or even years.The reason for this is the life cycle of parasites and their main functions: good camouflage and maintaining their own lives by receiving nutrients from the host's body.

Types of parasites and their characteristics

Parasite 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 bedding.They primarily feed on human blood, although in some cases, such as mites that cause demodicosis, the main food is the secretion of sebaceous glands or dead epithelial (skin) cells.The first signs of parasitic infection are quite easy to recognize as they are itchy and cause burning in their habitat.Some ectoparasites are carriers of serious diseases: typhus, anthrax, encephalitis and trypanosomiasis.They cause enormous damage to human health, including death.
2. Endoparasites (protozoa).
   It primarily affects the internal organs.They are unicellular structure, that is, the name protozoa.Nevertheless, they can lead to serious illnesses.The main diseases of this group are parasitic blood infections caused by toxoplasm and intestinal infections caused by amoba or giardia.
3. Helmints.
   These are the causal agents of the most common forms of parasitic infections.In the human body, their developmental cycles are primarily in the intestine and tissues, where the symptoms of the disease begin.

Roundworms (threads)

These are parasites whose body is in a round cross -section.Sexual qualities are easily distinguished.Females are usually larger than men.But the representatives of this class also have hermaphrodites.All the nematodes go through developmental stages: eggs, larvae and adults.This class includes:

1. Pinworm.The disease is caused by Enterobiasis.It primarily affects children of kindergarten and elementary school age.
2. Whipworm.The disease causes trichuriasis.Distinctive body shape.On 2/3 of the body length, it has a thin diameter, reminiscent of human hair or fiber.The other end of the body is diameter and contains the life.
3. Ascaris.The disease is caused by ascariasis.Adults reach the size of 25 cm (male) and 40 cm (female).After the larva enters the human body, it passes through the stomach and enters the small intestine.From here, through blood flow pores, enters the liver, then into the heart and then into the lungs, where it develops within 7-10 days.Then the larvae begin to rise on the larynx.After reaching the oral cavity, they shake again.In the small intestine, the larvae cannot enter the bloodstream through the pores due to their large size.They grow into adults within 2-3 months.Then the reproduction begins and the cycle is repeated.The female can invest more than 200,000 eggs a day.

Tapodes (Cestodes)

These are parasites whose body is similar to the shape of the tape.The distinctive property of this class is the lack of digestive system.They belong to:

1. Echinococcus.The disease is caused by echinococcosis.This parasite is a small size (2-9 mm) and consists of several segments and suckers.The uterus of the sexually mature individual contains a large number of eggs with larvae.The main place for localization of echinococcus is the liver and lungs.There it causes chronic illness, called hydatid cyst.
2. Bull tapeworm.The disease caused teniatiarinchiasis.In the larva stage, you have an intermediate host organization - cattle.Once in the human body, it develops in the small intestine to the strip section.The adult parasitic body has up to 1000 segments and can reach 4-10 meters.
3. Pork -tape worm.Caused by taeniasis disease.Externally, it is very similar to the bull tape worm.It also has intermediate hosts: pigs, dogs, camels, rabbits and rabbits.In people, this is a parasite in the gut.The size of the adult individual does not exceed 4 meters.
4. The tapeworm is wide.The disease is caused by diphyllobothiasis.He lives in freshwater bodies.Use circles and fish as an intermediate host.It is parasitized in the human body by the small intestine.An adult can reach several meters.

Flatworms (flukes)

During their life cycle, these parasites can change several intermediate hosts.People can be parasitized in all organs.This group includes:

1. Schistosomes.The disease is caused by schistosomiasis.They can enter the human body by contact with contaminated freshwater.The parasite penetrates the skin and enters the circulatory system, where you actively reproduce.Females can produce 300-3000 eggs a day.In addition, the blood flow is spread throughout the body and continue to develop through any organ.Their body length does not exceed 0.1-0.2 cm.
2. Liver species.The disease is caused by opisthorchiasis.The length of the adult varies to 3-5 cm.When entering the human body, it parasitizes the bile ducts, the gallbladder, the liver and the pancreas.In these organs, it is fixed using the suction couple on the body.

Ways to penetrate parasites into the human body

1. The nutritional method of infection is considered the most common.A person is infected with the parasite when eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits.It is particularly dangerous to meat, which has not undergone sufficient heat treatment.In addition, a person is infected with parasitic infection if the rules of personal hygiene are not complied with.For example, do not wash your hands before a meal.
2. Transplacental route.The parasitic infection spreads from a pregnant woman through the placenta.For example, these are diseases such as toxoplasmosis, malaria or hook worm.
3. Perkutan road.The parasite enters the human body through the skin.These are primarily schistosomes and hook worms.
4. Contact path.The parasite is distributed by dirty hands, contaminated personal belongings and lingerie.This is how the lice, crabs and pinworms are most common.
5. Transfer route.The infection occurs after biting parasites.For example, malaria.

Symptoms

Many parasitic diseases have no symptoms in the early stages.The reason for this is the stages of the development of the pathogen.Each parasite type type manifests itself differently as it grows.The general symptoms of parasitic infection are as follows:

1. Itchy.
2. Redness of the skin like urticaria.
3. Diarrhea.
4. Constipation.
5. Bloating.
6. Nausea, vomiting.
7. Cramps and pain in the stomach tract.
8. Loss of body weight without diet or increased physical activity.
9. Feverish condition.
10. High body temperature (38-40 ° C) for a long time.
11. A prolonged attack of dry cough.
12. Increased lymph nodes.
13. Painful feelings in the muscles.
14. Psycho-emotional disorders.

Diagnosis

If you suspect the presence of parasitic diseases, you should take a series of tests.Diagnosis of parasitic infections allows us to determine the presence or lack of parasite, its type and location in the body.The data obtained help the doctor with the correct diagnosis and prescribing the correct treatment.

Diagnostic methods include:

1. Chair test.It allows the presence of most types of parasites in the intestine.Their eggs, larvae and body segments are excreted in the stool.There are two types of analyzes:
   1. The stool sample is examined for helmin eggs and larvae.The analysis is transported to the laboratory, where the doctor prepares smear and examines them under a microscope.This method is often used, but not accurate enough.To make the final diagnosis, the patient must perform this test three times with short periods.The reason for this is the life cycle of parasites and the egg eggs, which is detected by this research method.
   2. Scraping (washing) from the folds of the anus.This test is only used to detect one type of helmin - pinworms.Parasitic infections are more common in children than in adults.Therefore, this analysis is primarily carried out for children.The laboratory technician moisten the cotton or glass eye washing in water or glycerol and rinses from the perianal folds.The resulting material is then applied to a glass plate and examined under a microscope.This analysis is performed by another method: a laboratory assistant sticks a piece of adhesive to the anal passage, pressed and cut off.The adhesive tape is then glued to a glass plate and viewed under a microscope.Parasite is diagnosed quite accurately.By applying these methods, the laboratory assistant can examine not only Helmin eggs but also adults.
2. Cerebrospinal fluid, sputum, duodenal content (bile), urine testing.Based on the results of patient survey, it is required to determine the presence of the parasite and to determine its location.These biological fluids are analyzed by microscopy and macroscopy.First, the sample obtained is examined for the presence of adult individuals and then microscopy to detect eggs and larvae of parasites.
3. Blood test.Modern methods of blood testing of parasitic infections allow high precision to determine the presence and type of pathogen.Three types of such diagnostics can be used:
   1. Serological reactions.It allows the presence of parasitic antibodies in the patient's blood serum.This method is considered to be very specific, but the PCR diagnostics is considered to be lower.
   2. PCR diagnostics.This method is based on the identification of the DNA of parasites in all biological fluids for analysis.
   3. Genetic research.This includes detection of the parasite genome in the patient's blood sample.This method is much less common than all the rest, but it has high accuracy.
4. Examination of biopsy substances and lymph nodes.For the analysis, the doctor empties a small portion of an organ, tissue or a complete lymph node and sends it for histological examination.In this way, the presence or absence of parasites is diagnosed.

Recommendations to prepare for testing

You should be properly prepared for them before testing parasitic infections.If the recommendations are followed, the accuracy of the diagnosis increases as the substance does not contain disturbing factors that affect the efficiency of the research methods.

Preparing for a stool test:

1. Antibiotics, anti -inflammatory drugs and antacids should be stopped.Medicines and other drugs containing bismut and iron are also unacceptable.
2. If an X-ray examination with barium or colonoscopy was performed, during which an enema was performed to clean the bowel, the stool test can only be performed after 2-3 days.
3. It is not recommended to donate stool donation when menstrual bleeding begins or hemorrhoids deteriorate.

Preparation for blood tests:

1. Stop taking pharmacological drugs that affect the number of blood.
2. Three days before the test, you should follow a light diet, do not eat fatty foods and give up alcohol.
3. Blood testing of parasitic infections should be performed on an empty stomach.A small amount of clean drinking water is allowed.

Other tests do not require special preparation most often.You only have to follow your doctor's recommendations.

Treatment

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

Therapy for infectious and parasitic infections is divided into two areas:

1. Symptomatic treatment.Eliminating clinical manifestations of the disease.This includes reducing body temperature, reduction of redness and itching, and normalization of the functioning of the stomach system.
2. Ethiological treatment of parasitic infections is to get rid of the causal agent of the disease.

In some cases, surgery may be required.It can be used for alveococcosis, echinococcosis and certain types of trematode infection.

When the body dries, salt -containing solutions are prescribed.

Only one doctor can prescribe the 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 are as follows:

1. Following the rules of personal hygiene: You have to wash your hands before eating food after visiting the toilet and coming home from the street.
2. Vegetables and fruits should be well washed.
3. It is essential to heat the meat, fish and seafood.
4. Tap water should not be used as drinking water as it may not always be free from parasites.The use of home filters as additional cleaning does not help.The best solution would be to drink cooked or bottled water.
5. If the pets live at home, they need to be treated once every six months.You should also limit contact with your pet if you show signs of parasitic diseases and contact the veterinary clinic.
6. After washing, iron protein (especially children) should be ironed.
7. After visiting exotic countries, employees of cooperation with Earth and childcare are recommended to examine the presence of parasitic infections once a year and, if necessary, prophylaxis.