Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasitos - "parasite") are a large group of diseases from the section "infectious diseases", the cause of which are 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, or leads a parasitic lifestyle. They all know how to live in the human body, some completely imperceptibly, 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 to live or parasitize by 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 during the adult stage. Like protozoa, helminths can be either free-living or parasitic in nature. In their adult form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is commonly used to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas, and lice that attach or hide in the skin and remain there for extended periods of time (weeks to months). Arthropods can cause infection on their own, and can carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphillobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinhoses, teniasis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, tichinosis,
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be different and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as on the level of immunity of the person who hosts them.
Protozoa most commonly cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Helminth infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle aches, cough, skin lesions, malnutrition, weight loss, impaired coordination of movement 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 test for specific antibodies and parasite antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Analysis of feces of worm eggs and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in the case of complex diagnostics).
- Radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) for serious damage to parasites on internal organs.
The treatment plan will depend on the specific diagnosis, and medications are usually prescribed in tablet form, sometimes inpatient treatment is required, all the way to surgery.
Other treatments (diet, water intake) may be recommended to relieve symptoms.
Prevention of parasitic diseases
Prevention is always easier than cure, and there are simple ways to protect yourself.
They 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 during bathing:
- do not swallow water;
- prevent babies from urinating in the water, take them to the toilet and check diapers every hour, change diapers in the bathroom or diaper changing area, not by the pool to avoid germs entering the pool;
- do not swim and do not let children swim if they have diarrhea;
- perform your mini examination (contamination);
- take a shower for at least 1 minute before immersing in water.
Pets can carry parasites and transmit them to humans. 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 to protect yourself and your family from diseases that can be transmitted by animals. Make sure your pet is kept by a veterinarian.
Practice the four rules:
- Collect animal feces quickly and dispose of them properly. Wash 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 with contaminated food.
- For people with weakened immune systems, be especially careful when dealing with animals that can transmit these infections.