Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parazitos - "free loader") are a large group of diseases caused by unicellular and multicellular parasites from the section "infectious diseases".
A parasite is a living organism that lives or resides in the body of a host and receives food from it or at its expense, that is, it lives a parasitic lifestyle.All of them can live in the human body, some of them are completely invisible, and some of them 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 helps them survive, but also allows the development of serious infections from just one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmins - "worms") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye in the adult stage.Like protozoa, helminths can be free-living or parasitic in nature.Adult helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas, and lice that usually attach to or burrow into the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months).Arthropods themselves can cause infestations or carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchosis, teniarynchosis, taeniasis, toxocarosis, trichoplasmosis, trichoplazosis cysticercosis, enterobiosis, echinococcosis.
Symptoms of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be different and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as the level of immunity of the person who owns them.
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 movement and speech, seizures, and many other symptoms, depending on the individual organism and the severity of the infection.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
Diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test for specific antibodies and antigens of parasites.
- Blood smear.
- Analysis of feces for eggs of worms and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, during complex diagnostics).
- X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) for serious damage to 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, including surgery, is required.
Other treatments may be recommended to relieve your symptoms (diet, hydration).
Prevention of parasitic diseases
Prevention is always easier than cure and there are some pretty simple ways to protect yourself.
Do not eat:
- undercooked fish, crustaceans and shellfish;
- undercooked meat;
- raw aquatic plants;
- raw vegetables that may be contaminated with human or animal feces.
Parasites can live in natural water sources, so when swimming:
- do not swallow the 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 in the diaper changing area, not in the pool, to prevent germs from entering the pool;
- do not allow children to swim or swim if they have diarrhea;
- conduct a mini-inspection (pollution);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before submerging yourself.
Pets can carry parasites and transmit them to humans.A zoonotic disease 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 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 supervision of a veterinarian.
Follow these four rules:
- Collect pet waste immediately and dispose of it properly.Be sure to wash your hands after working with 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 careful when in contact with animals that can transmit these infections.