Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasitos - "free load") are a large group of diseases from the section "infectious diseases", they are caused by unicellular and multicellular parasites.
A parasite is a living organism that lives or resides in the host's body and receives food from it or at its expense, that is, it leads a parasitic lifestyle.All of them can live in the human body, some completely unnoticed, and some can cause serious damage to health.
Causes of parasitic diseases
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are microscopic single-celled organisms that can be free-living or parasitic in nature.They are able to reproduce in humans, which contributes to their survival, and also allows serious infections to develop from just one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmins - "worms") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye in adulthood.Like protozoa, helminths can be free-living or parasitic in nature.In mature form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is generally used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas, and lice that attach to or burrow into the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months).Arthropods can cause infestations themselves or carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, lambliosis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchosis, taeniarhynchiasis, taenia, toxocarosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinellosis, trichocephalosis, cysticercosis, enterobiosis, echinococcosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be diverse and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as on the level of immunity of the person who is their host.
Protozoa most commonly cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.Heartworm infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle pain, cough, skin lesions, malnutrition, weight loss, difficulty coordinating movements and speech, seizures, and many other symptoms depending on the individual organism and the severity of the infection.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
The diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test for specific antibodies and parasite antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Analysis of feces for eggs of worms and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in the case of complex diagnostics).
- X-ray, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), computed tomography (CT) in case of serious damage to the internal organs by parasites.
The treatment plan will depend on the specific diagnosis.As a rule, drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets, sometimes hospital treatment is necessary, including surgical treatment.
Other treatments may also be recommended to relieve symptoms (diet, water intake).
Prevention of parasitic diseases
Prevention is always easier than cure and there are quite simple ways to protect yourself.
Do not eat:
- undercooked fish, crabs and shellfish;
- undercooked meat;
- raw aquatic plants;
- raw vegetables that may have been contaminated with human or animal feces.
Parasites can live in natural water sources, so while swimming:
- do not swallow water;
- do not allow children to defecate in the water, take children to the toilet and check diapers every hour, change diapers in the bathroom or diaper changing area, not in the pool to avoid bringing germs into the pool;
- do not swim or allow children to swim if they have diarrhea;
- do your mini-inspection (pollution);
- Take a shower for at least 1 minute before diving into the water.
Pets can carry parasites and pass them on to humans.A zoonosis is a disease that spreads between animals and humans.Sometimes people with zoonotic infections have no symptoms.Other people may have symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle aches and fever.
Regular veterinary care will keep your pet and your family safe.There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from diseases that animals can carry.Make sure your pet is under the care of a veterinarian.
Practice four rules:
- Collect animal waste in a timely manner and dispose of it properly.Remember to wash your hands after handling household waste.
- Wash your hands often, especially after touching animals, and avoid contact with animal feces.
- Follow proper food handling procedures to reduce the risk of contamination from contaminated food.
- For people with weakened immune systems, be especially careful when coming into contact with animals that can carry these infections.