Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasitos - "free loader") 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 resides in the host's body 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 are completely unnoticed, and some can cause serious damage to health.
The causative agent 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.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 - "worm") are large multicellular organisms that can usually be seen with the naked eye in adulthood.Like protozoa, helminths can be free-living or parasitic.In their adult form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasite: This term is usually used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as fleas, ticks and ticks that attach to or hide in the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months).Arthropods can cause attacks on their own 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, enterobiarchosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can vary 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 often cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.Heartworm infection 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 tests.
- Blood tests for specific antibodies and parasite antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Stool analysis for worm eggs and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in complex diagnostic cases).
- 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 relatively easy 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 when 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 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 check (pollution);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before submerging yourself in the water.
Pets can carry parasites and spread them to humans.Zoonotic diseases are diseases that spread between animals and humans.Sometimes people with zoonotic infections have no symptoms.Others may experience 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 care of a veterinarian.
Practice four rules:
- Collect animal waste immediately and dispose of properly.Make sure you 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 a weak immune system, be careful when in contact with animals that can transmit this infection.