Human parasitic diseases (from the Greek parasitos - "parasites") are a large group of diseases that come from the category of "infectious diseases", which are single-celled and multicellular parasites.
A parasite is a living organism that lives in or is present in the host's body and receives food from or at its expense, that is, a parasitic lifestyle. Everyone knows how to live in the human body, some are completely invisible, and some can cause serious damage to health.
Pathogens of parasitic diseases
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
Protozoa are microscopic single-celled organisms that live freely in nature or can be parasitic. They are able to reproduce in humans, which helps them survive and at the same time allows the development of serious infections from only one organism.
Helminths (from the Greek helminth - "worms") are large multicellular organisms that are generally visible to the naked eye in adulthood. Like protozoa, helminths can be either free or parasitic in nature. In adulthood, helminths cannot reproduce in humans.
Ectoparasites: This term is generally used more narrowly to refer to organisms that attach to or hide from the skin, such as ticks, fleas, and lice, and remain there for long periods of time (weeks, months). Arthropods alone can cause infection, and can carry other diseases.
List of parasitic infections: amebiasis, ascariasis, chimenolepia, diphyllobotriasis, clonorrhea, cryptosporidiosis, lardiya, malaria (imported cases), opisthorchiasis, teniarinosis, teniasis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, trichinosis
Symptoms 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 host.
Protozoa most often cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Depending on the individual and the severity of the infection, helminth infections can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea (diarrhea), muscle pain, cough, skin damage, malnutrition, weight loss, loss of movement and speech coordination, seizures, and many other symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases
The diagnosis of parasitic diseases includes:
- Clinical blood test.
- Blood test for specific antibodies and parasitic antigens.
- Blood smear.
- Fecal analysis for worm and parasite 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. According to the rules, the drug is prescribed in tablet form, sometimes requiring inpatient treatment before surgery.
Other treatments (diet, water intake) may be recommended to relieve your symptoms.
Prevention of parasitic diseases
Prevention is always easier than cure, and there are simple ways to protect yourself.
Do not eat:
- undercooked fish, crustaceans and shellfish;
- undercooked 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:
- su udma;
- prevent babies from defecating in water, take babies to the toilet and check their diapers every hour, change diapers in the toilet or in the diaper change area to prevent germs from entering the pool;
- if there is diarrhea, do not swim and do not allow children to swim;
- do your mini inspection (pollution);
- Take a shower for at least 1 minute before immersion.
Pets can transmit parasites 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 family. Here are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from animal diseases. Make sure your pet is examined by a veterinarian.
Apply four rules:
- Collect animal feces quickly and dispose of properly. Wash your hands after handling household waste.
- Wash your hands often, especially after touching animals, and avoid contact with animal feces.
- Follow appropriate food handling procedures to reduce the risk of contamination with contaminated food.
- For people with weakened immune systems, be more careful when dealing with animals that can transmit these infections.