Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek word 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 in or is inside the host's body and receives food from it or at its expense, i.e. it leads a parasitic lifestyle.All of them can live in the human body, some completely unnoticed, and some can cause serious health damage.
Pathogens of parasitic diseases
There are three main groups 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 allows the development of serious infections from a single organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmines - "worms") are large, multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye in adulthood.Like protozoans, helminths can be free-living or parasitic.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 to or burrow into the skin and remain there for long periods of time (weeks to months).Arthropods themselves can cause infection or carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarynchiasis, taeniasis, toxocarosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinolepiasis, trichosticerobiasis, trichosticephalosis echinococcosis.
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be varied and depend on the type and location of the parasite and the level of immunity of the host.
Protozoa most commonly cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.Depending on the individual organism and the severity of the infection, heartworm infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle pain, cough, skin changes, malnutrition, weight loss, movement and speech coordination difficulties, seizures and many other symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
Diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test to detect specific antibodies and antigens of parasites.
- Blood smear.
- Analysis of feces for eggs of worms and parasites.
- Endoscopic research methods (e.g. colonoscopy, in the case of complex diagnostics).
- X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) for severe damage to internal organs caused by parasites.
The treatment plan depends on the specific diagnosis.Medicines are usually prescribed in the form of tablets, sometimes hospitalization is required, including surgery.
Other treatments can also be recommended to relieve symptoms (diet, water consumption).
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 also live in natural water sources, so while swimming:
- do not swallow the water;
- do not allow children to defecate in the water, do not take children to the toilet and check diapers every hour, change diapers in the bathroom or in the changing room, not at the pool, to avoid germs entering the pool;
- do not swim or let children swim if you have diarrhea;
- perform your mini-inspection (pollution);
- Shower for at least 1 minute before submerging yourself in the water.
Pets can carry parasites and pass them on to humans.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 aches, and fever.
Regular veterinary care protects your pet and your family.There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from animal-borne diseases.Make sure your pet is under the supervision of a veterinarian.
Practice four rules:
- Collect animal waste immediately 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 good food handling procedures to reduce the risk of contamination from contaminated food.
- People with weakened immune systems should take extra care when interacting with animals that can spread these infections.