Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasites - "parasites") are a large group of diseases from the section of "infectious diseases", the causes 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, that is, it lives a parasitic lifestyle. All of them know how to live in the human body, some are completely invisible, 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 unicellular organisms that can live independently or are parasitic in nature. They can reproduce in humans, which contributes to their survival, and also allows serious infections to develop from only one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmin - "worm") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye during the adult stage. Like protozoa, helminths can live independently or parasitize. In their adult form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is usually used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as fleas, ticks and ticks that attach or hide in the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months). Arthropoda can cause their own infections, and can carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinhoses, teniasis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, trichocytosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can vary and depend on the type and localization of the parasite, as well as on the level of immunity of the person who hosts it.
Protozoa most often cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Helminth infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle aches, coughs, skin lesions, malnutrition, weight loss, movement and speech coordination disorders, seizures, and many other symptoms, depending on the individual and severity. infection.
Diagnostics and treatment of parasitic diseases
Diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood tests.
- Blood tests for specific parasite antibodies and antigens.
- Disposal of blood.
- Fecal analysis for worm eggs and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (e. g. , colonoscopy, in the case of complex diagnostics).
- Radiography, 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, the drug is prescribed in tablet form, sometimes required in-patient treatment, up to surgical intervention.
Other treatments may also be recommended to relieve your symptoms (diet, water intake).
Prevention of parasitic diseases
Prevention is always easier than cure, and there are easy ways to protect yourself.
Do not eat:
- uncooked fish, crabs and clams;
- uncooked 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 water;
- prevent the baby from defecating in the water, take the baby to the toilet and check the diaper every hour, change the diaper in the bathroom or in the diaper changing area instead of by the pool to prevent germs from getting into the pool;
- do not swim or let children swim if they have diarrhea;
- do a mini -inspection (contamination) of you;
- take a bath for at least 1 minute before immersing in 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 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 can be carried by animals. Make sure your pet is taken care of by a veterinarian.
Practice the four rules:
- Collect animal feces quickly and dispose of it properly. Make sure you wash your hands after handling household waste.
- Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching animals, and avoid contact with animal feces.
- Follow proper food handling procedures to reduce the risk of contamination of contaminated food.
- For people with weakened immune systems, be careful when dealing with animals that can spread this infection.