Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasitos - "freeloader") 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 is in the body of the host 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 others can cause serious damage to health.
Agents causing parasitic diseases.
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are single-celled microscopic organisms that can be free-living or parasitic in nature.They are capable of reproducing in humans, which contributes to their survival and also allows serious infections to develop from a single 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 or parasitic in nature.In their adult 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 or hide in the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months).Arthropods can cause infestations themselves or transmit other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, taeniarynchiasis, taeniasis, toxocarosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, trichocephalosis, cysticercosis, enterobiasis, echinococcosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Its manifestations can be varied and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as the level of immunity of the person who is its 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 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 parasite antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Analysis of feces for worm eggs and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in case of complex diagnoses).
- X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) for severe damage to internal organs by parasites.
The treatment plan will depend on the specific diagnosis.As a rule, medications are prescribed in tablet form, sometimes hospital treatment is required, including surgery.
Other treatments may also be recommended to help relieve your symptoms (diet, water intake).
Prevention of parasitic diseases.
Prevention is always easier than cure and there are fairly simple ways to protect yourself.
Don't 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 them to the bathroom and check diapers every hour, change them in the bathroom or diaper changing area instead of in the pool to avoid introducing germs into the pool;
- do not swim or allow children to swim if they have diarrhea;
- do your mini-inspection (pollution);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before soaking in the water.
Pets can carry parasites and transmit them to people.A zoonotic disease is a disease that is transmitted between animals and humans.Sometimes people with zoonotic infections have no symptoms.Other people 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 transmit.Make sure your pet is under the care of a veterinarian.
Practice four rules:
- Quickly pick up animal waste and dispose of it properly.Be sure to wash your hands after handling household waste.
- Wash your hands frequently, especially after handling animals, and avoid contact with their feces.
- Follow proper food handling procedures to reduce the risk of contamination from contaminated food.
- People with weakened immune systems should take special care when coming into contact with animals that can transmit these infections.