Human parasitic diseases (from Greek parasite - "parasite") are a large group of diseases belonging to the section "infectious diseases", they are caused by unicellular and multicellular parasites.
A parasite is a living organism that lives or stays 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 go completely unnoticed, and some can cause serious damage to health.
Parasitic pathogens
There are three main types of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are microscopic single-celled organisms that can be free-living or parasitic in nature.They can reproduce in humans, which contributes to their survival and also allows serious infections to develop from just one organism.
Helminths (from Greek helminth - "worm") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye in their adult stages.Like protozoa, helminths can be free-living or parasitic in nature.In their adult form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Parasites: This term is often 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 infections themselves or can carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepsis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinchchiasis, taenzemia, toxocarosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, trichocephallosis, schistosomiasis, enterobiosis, echinococcosis.
Signs of parasitic disease.
Their manifestations can vary and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as the level of immunity of the person who is their host.
Protozoa often cause diarrhea and other digestive symptoms.Heartworm infection can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle pain, coughing, skin lesions, malnutrition, weight loss, difficulty coordinating movements and speech, seizures and many other symptoms, depending on the individual and the severity of the infection.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
Diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood tests look for parasite-specific antibodies and antigens.
- Blood stains.
- Analyze stool to find worm eggs and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, endoscopy, in case of complex diagnoses).
- X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) to detect parasites that cause serious organ damage.
The treatment plan will depend on the specific diagnosis.As a rule, the drug is prescribed in tablet form, sometimes requiring hospital treatment, including surgery.
Other treatments may also be recommended to help reduce your symptoms (diet, fluid 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, crab and shellfish;
- undercooked meat;
- raw aquatic plants;
- Raw vegetables may have been contaminated with human or animal feces.
Parasites can live in natural water sources, so when swimming:
- do not swallow water;
- Do not let children defecate in the water, take children to the toilet and check diapers every hour, change diapers in the bathroom or diaper changing area instead of at the pool to avoid introducing pathogens into the pool;
- Do not swim or let your child swim if they have diarrhea;
- carry out minor inspection (contamination);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before submerging yourself in water.
Pets can carry parasites and transmit them to humans.Zoonotic diseases are diseases that spread between animals and humans.Sometimes people with zoonotic infections have no symptoms.Others may have symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle pain, and fever.
Regular veterinary care will protect your pet and your family.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 the four rules:
- Timely collect livestock waste and dispose of in the right place.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 extra careful when coming into contact with animals that can transmit these infections.