Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasites - "parasite") are a large group of diseases from the section "infectious diseases", the cause of which are monocytes 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, ie leads to a parasitic lifestyle. They all know how to live in the human body, some completely unnoticed and some can cause serious damage to health.
Causal factors of parasitic diseases
There are three main types of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are tiny unicellular organisms that can be free or parasitic in nature. They are able to reproduce in humans, which contributes to their survival and also allows the development of serious infections from a single organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helmins - "worms") are large multicellular organisms that are usually visible to the naked eye during the adult stage. Like protozoa, helminths can be either free or parasitic. 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 to or hide in the skin and remain there for a long time (weeks to months). Arthropods can cause infection on their own, and can transmit other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amoebiasis, ascariasis, hymenoplasia, bifurcation, cloning, cryptosporidiosis, shingles, malaria (imported cases), epilepsy, tenarinosis, tension, toxocariasis, trichotoxic
Signs of parasitic diseases.
Their manifestations can vary and depend on the type and location of the parasite, as well as the level of immunity of the person who is the host.
Protozoa usually cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Helminth infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle pain, cough, skin lesions, malnutrition, weight loss, impaired coordination of movement and speech, seizures and many other symptoms, depending on the individual and the severity. .
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
The diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test for specific antibodies and parasite antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Fecal analysis for worm and pest eggs.
- Endoscopic research methods (for example, colonoscopy, in the case of complex diagnostics).
- X-ray, 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, drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets, sometimes requiring treatment in inpatients, up to surgery.
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.
They do not eat:
- uncooked fish, crabs 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 and not by the pool to prevent germs from entering the pool.
- Do not swim or let children swim if they have diarrhea.
- do the mini inspection (infection).
- shower for at least 1 minute before immersing in water.
Pets can transmit parasites and transmit them to humans. Zoonosis 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 animal-borne diseases. Make sure your pet is cared for by a veterinarian.
Practice the four rules:
- Collect animal feces quickly and dispose of them properly. Be sure to wash your hands after handling household waste.
- Wash your hands often, especially after contact with 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, be especially careful when dealing with animals that can transmit these infections.