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 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.
Causative agents 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 only one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmins - “worms”) are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye at 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 usually used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas and lice that attach themselves to or burrow into the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months). Arthropods can cause infestations themselves or can carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinchiasis, taeniasis, toxocarosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, trichocephalosis, cysticercosis, enterobiasis,echinococcosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be varied 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 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 stool for eggs of worms and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in case of 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 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 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 rather than at 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 (contamination);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before immersing yourself in the water.
Pets can carry parasites and pass them on to people.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 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 four rules:
- Promptly collect animal waste and dispose of it properly.Be sure 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, take extra care when coming into contact with animals that can transmit these infections.