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, i. e. leads a parasitic lifestyle. They all know how to live in the human body, some completely invisible and some can cause serious damage to health.
Agents causing parasitic diseases
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are microscopic unicellular organisms that may be living or parasitic in nature. They are able to reproduce in humans, which contributes to their survival, and also allows serious infections to develop in just one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helminths - "worms") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye during the adult stage. Like protozoa, helminths can be free-ranging or parasitic in nature. In their adult form, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is most commonly used more closely to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas and lice that attach or hide in the skin and stay there for a long period of time (weeks to months). Arthropods can cause infection on their own, and can carry diseases of others.
List of parasitic infections: amebiasis, ascariasis, hymenolepiaza, difilobotriaza, clonorchiasis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinosis, teniaza, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichopococcosis, trichopocystosis, trichosis
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can be different and depend on the type and localization of the parasite, as well as the level of immunity of the person who is their host.
Protozoa most often 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 severityof infection.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
Diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test for specific antibodies and parasitic antigens.
- Blood slander.
- Stool analysis for worm and parasite eggs.
- Endoscopic examination methods (for example, 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, medicines are prescribed in the form of tablets, sometimes requiring hospital 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 simple ways to protect yourself.
Do not eat:
- uncooked fish, crab and shellfish;
- uncooked 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;
- prevent babies from defecating in the water, take babies to the toilet and check diapers every hour, change diapers in the bathroom or nappy changing area rather than in the pool to avoid the entry of germs into the pool;
- do not swim and do not let children swim if they have diarrhea;
- do your mini-inspection (contamination);
- shower for at least 1 minute before soaking 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 you can take to protect yourself and your family from diseases that can be transmitted by animals. Make sure your pet is cared for by a veterinarian.
Practice the four rules:
- Collect animal feces quickly and dispose of 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 with contaminated food.
- For people with weakened immune systems, take extra care when dealing with animals that can transmit these infections.