Types of parasites in the human body

Scientists suspect that around 2/3 of the world's population is affected by this or that parasitic disease. Among the various parasites in the human body, there are the most dangerous, which can not only cause discomfort to the patient, but also provoke the appearance of dangerous complications, up to and including death. In our article we will tell you everything about parasites, that is, we will describe the most terrible parasites and list the symptoms of the most dangerous helminthiases.

Varieties of parasites

There are different types of worms and protozoa that live in the human body:

1. Helminths. These worms mostly live in the intestines, but it is possible that they can colonize the liver, brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, muscles and other organs. Worms provoke dangerous diseases and complications.
2. Parasitic protozoa and multicellular (protozoal parasites). These pests are common in different latitudes. These human protozoal parasites can infect the intestines, eyes, brain, esophagus, heart, muscles, nerves, liver, skin and even the genitourinary system. The most common protozoal parasites living in humans are lichens, lamblia, toxoplasma, trichomonas, blastocysts, etc.
3. Other organisms that are also parasites to humans are lice, beetles, ticks and fly larvae. Their name is ectoparasites. They can parasitize not only on the surface of the skin, but also in wounds, hair follicles and eyelashes.
4. Other parasites are species that more often affect the subcutaneous tissue, but can parasitize the urethra and nasopharynx. These are the larvae of some flies, mosquitoes and sand fleas.

We have listed the main types of parasites in humans. However, if we talk about what types of parasites live in the human body in our latitudes, the most terrible are the following:

• pork tapeworm;
• wide band;
• pinworms;
• Chinese coincidence;
• roundworm;
• coincidence;
• Trichinella;
• alveococci;
• Whipworm
• dwarf tapeworm;
• bullish tapeworm;
• liver fluke;
• lung fluke;
• Echinococcus.

The diseases that cause them

The most dangerous parasites in the human body can cause a wide variety of diseases. Very often a disease caused by a particular parasite has the same name as it. Thus, different types of parasites in the human body can cause the following diseases:

• certain parasites in a person (leeches) provoke trematodes;
• Cestodoses occur when tapeworms are affected.
• If an adult or a child has roundworms in their intestines, nematodes are diagnosed.
• leeches cause hirudinosis;
• Anthocephalosis is caused by scratching.

However, parasites in the human body can infect more than one organ. Depending on the localization of the parasites in the human body, a distinction is made between the following parasitic diseases:

1. If the eyes are affected, onchocerciasis, demodicosis, cysticercosis, and myiasis can occur.
2. diseases of the gastrointestinal tract caused by unicellular parasites and helminths, - ascariasis, trichinosis, ankylostomiasis, enterobiasis, intestinal myiasis and metagonimiasis;
3. diseases of the brain - echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, alveococcosis and cysticercosis;
4. Dermatological diseases - demodicosis, head lice, scabies, pulicosis, thrombidiasis, phthiriasis;
5. lung pathologies - echinococcosis, ascariasis, acariasis, alveococcosis, tominxosis, etc. ;
6. Liver diseases - opisthorchiasis, alveococcosis, echinococcosis, clonorchiasis;
7. In the mouth, ears, and mouth, parasites can cause different types of myiasis.
8. heart disease - dirofilariasis and echinococcosis;
9. diseases of the genitourinary system - alveococcosis, uratic myiasis, echinococcosis;
10. Vascular pathologies - filariasis and schistosomiasis.

Symptoms

What are the parasites in the human body, we thought. Now let's consider the main symptoms caused by the simplest human parasites and different types of worms. It is worth noting that cysts from pathogenic worms and protozoa often become the cause of infections, which can remain in the external environment for a long time and wait for the right moment. Under favorable conditions of a person's internal environment, larvae emerge from the cysts and actively develop into adults.

Regardless, it is worth explaining what cysts are. Most often, cysts form the simplest single-cell organisms, bacteria and protists. Protozoal cysts are a temporary form of an organism's existence under adverse conditions. Indeed, it is a protective cover. Cyst formation occurs at some point in the life cycle of the parasite or under unfavorable conditions.

Ascariasis

The disease is caused by roundworms. These parasites can only live in the human intestine. The complex of symptoms depends on the intensity of the invasion and the age of the patient. Common signs of the disease are:

• itchy allergic rash (such as a vesicular or urticarial rash);
• febrile state;
• general malaise;
• excessive sweating;
• weakness;
• enlarged liver;
• in the migration stage: shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing in the lungs;
• loss of appetite;
• diarrhea and constipation;
• nausea;
• from the side of the central nervous system: irritability, sleep and memory disorders, convulsions, meningitis;
• Liver abscess, obstructive jaundice, appendicitis, pancreatitis, and obstruction can develop with massive invasion.

Teniarinhoz

This disease causes beef tapeworm. In the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic and can last for years. Sooner or later you will experience the following symptoms:

• heaviness in the epigastrium;
Nausea, heartburn;
• increased salivation;
• gagging;
• appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, obstruction of the biliary tract;
• loss of body weight against the background of increased appetite;
• vitamin deficiency;

• allergic reactions;
• dizziness, weakness, sleep disorders, increased nervousness and irritability;
• arterial hypertension and tachycardia.

Enterobiasis

Pinworms cause this disease. This is the most common parasitic disease. The symptoms are as follows:

• Itching in the anus, worse at night;
• scratches and redness in this area;
• Sleep suffers, bruxism, drowsiness, lethargy occur;
• loss of appetite;
• abdominal pain, urinary incontinence in children;
• unstable stool, nausea, flatulence, vomiting;
• allergic reactions.

Toxocariosis

Toxocara worms can parasitize in various tissues and organs of a person. However, regardless of the place of localization, they always cause allergic reactions in the body, which are based on the following type:

1. Skin rash that resembles mosquito bites. The rash can appear on different parts of the body.
2. Bronchial asthma, manifested as a dry persistent cough with a small amount of sputum.
3. Quincke's edema. A person has swelling of the skin on their face and neck that can lead to suffocation and death.

With the exacerbation of the toxocariasis, the patient's temperature rises, symptoms of intoxication with loss of appetite and headache occur, the lymph nodes increase.

Necatorosis (hookworm)

This disease is caused by helminths known as the necator and hookworm. The invasion manifests itself in the following symptom complex:

1. When the larvae are introduced through the skin, dermatitis, urticaria, and various rashes appear. At the point of penetration, there is swelling, itching and burning. The invasive period lasts up to 12 days.
2. The migration stage is also accompanied by allergic manifestations. In this case, the airways are injured, and bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis and laryngitis appear. The patient has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, and a hoarse voice.
3. In a few months, the intestinal stage of the disease will begin. At this stage, symptoms of iron deficiency anemia and duodenitis are present. The patient has an increased irritability, fatigue and sleep disturbance. Women have menstrual irregularities.

Important! Hookworm infection in childhood can lead to mental and physical disability.

Giardiasis

Giardia is a parasitic protozoal disease. A quarter of the population has asymptomatic transport of this microorganism. The following signs occur in the acute stage:

• malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract;
• The patient is tormented by pain in the right hypochondrium and in the area around the navel.
• Flatulence, decreased appetite, belching, nausea are observed;
• Diarrhea alternates with constipation, there can often (up to 5 times) be frothy stools;
• If the course is subacute, the intestinal symptoms persist, the patient loses weight;
• with massive invasive poisoning and fever;
• Children have itching, hives and fainting;
• during the coprogram, cysts of protozoa are found in the feces.

Amebiasis

The disease is caused by a histological amoeba. The disease can be asymptomatic or symptomatic. There are two forms of the disease: extraintestinal and intestinal. These protozoa can affect the brain, lungs, skin, and the genitourinary system. However, the most common is intestinal amebiasis. The symptoms are as follows:

• At the beginning of the illness, diarrhea occurs with very frothy stools, then jelly-like feces such as raspberry jelly appear. Their frequency is up to 20 times a day;
• severe pain is localized on the right side of the abdomen;
• mild subfebrile condition;
• after 6 weeks the acute process can decrease;
The
• examination can reveal protozoa in the feces.

Important! Amebiasis never goes away on its own and often relapses. If left untreated, an amoeba forms, which leads to intestinal obstruction.

Diphyllobothriasis

The wide tapeworm is the culprit of this disease. This representative of cestodes causes the following clinical picture of the disease:

• Weight loss, irregular bowel movements, decreased appetite;
• low temperature;
• tiredness;
• cramping abdominal pain;
• anemia, weakness, dizziness, increased heart rate;
• Fragments of the worm can be found in the feces;
• painful cracks appear in the mouth;
• Depression and increased irritability.

Teniosis

The disease is caused by the pork tapeworm. The parasite is localized in the small intestine and causes the following symptoms:

• constipation, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea;
• Vomiting and feces may contain segments (proglottids) of the parasite;
• Anal itching, abdominal pain;
• Sleep suffers, dizziness occurs.

Echinococcosis

Echinococcus can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then there is pain in the area of the formation of an echinococcal cyst. Usually the symptoms are characteristic of neoplasia of a particular organ. If the cyst ruptures, general poisoning, anaphylactic shock, and urticaria occur.

Types of parasites that live in the human body

All kinds of parasites in the human body are detrimental to its health. They infect organs, feed on nutrients necessary for human life, and release harmful toxic substances. That is why it is so important to get rid of them in a timely manner.

The human body is affected by various parasites, some of which live in the body, others on its surface. They differ in size, in the way they enter the body, in the characteristics of their vital functions.

Which parasites live in the human body? How can you get rid of them? What preventive measures are there? These problems are discussed below.

Classification of parasites

Human parasites are very common and are divided into groups:

1. Endoparasitesare organisms that parasitize a person. This group is in turn divided into protozoa (consisting of a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest parasites in the human body are amoeba, lamblia, trichomonas and toxoplasma. The worms are also divided into round worms (nematodes), flat worms and tapeworms.
2. Ectoparasitesare organisms that parasitize on the surface of the human body - lice, ticks, fleas, bed bugs. In addition to the fact that they feed on human blood, cause great discomfort (bites, burning, skin wounds), they carry quite dangerous diseases: typhoid, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.

1. Giardia.Giardiasis infection is a fecal-oral mechanism. After cysts (parasites that have not yet formed, covered with a protective membrane) are removed from the anus of a sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other foods. As a result of poorly washed hands, standing water, inadequately washed fruits and vegetables, cysts get into the human oral cavity, from where they safely enter the intestines, where they turn back into adults and reproduce again. The result is a vicious circle that will continue until appropriate treatment and hygiene measures are followed. The symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gas. Itching in the anus, rashes, bronchial asthma can occur. The pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia, and weakening of the immune system. Treatment - metronidazole, furazolidone, tinidazole. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor.
2. Toxoplasma.Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected domestic animals. In this case, a person is an intermediate host, since the cycle of sexual development of the parasite takes place in the animal's body. The disease manifests itself in a prolonged rise in temperature to subfebrile values, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, joint and muscle pain appear. The functions of the gastrointestinal tract and eyesight are also disturbed, the central nervous system can suffer, there are signs of heart disease and the endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics of the tetracycline group and sulfonamides.
3. Trichomonas.Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of infection through contact is minimal but still present. Symptoms of the disease in women include itching, redness of the genitals, burning sensation, and foamy discharge. Men may have difficulty urinating and have discharge. Treatment - anti-Trichomonas drugs.

Pinworm is an intestinal parasite

The most famous internal parasites are pinworms. They live in the intestines and cause a disease called enterobiasis. This type of parasite affects not only humans but also monkeys. Risk group - children of preschool age According to statistics, enterobiasis is diagnosed in half of children between the ages of 2 and 10 years.

Worms are transmitted from person to person. You can get infected from any object that a sick person has used or from a handshake. The main condition for pinworm egg transmission is that hands are not washed after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or rather their eggs, can be carried by flies and cockroaches.

Pinworms can only live in the intestine; they are particularly comfortable in thin sections, in the large intestine and in the appendix. For mating, the parasites select the ileum, from where the female crawls through the anus and lays eggs in the anus. The symptoms of pinworms in the body are itching in the anus, allergies, fatigue, anemia, abdominal pain, exhaustion.

Levamisole, mebendazole, albendazole, and other anthelmintics are prescribed to treat enterobiasis. Pinworm prevention is based on hand hygiene. They need to be washed after visiting public places.

Roundworms - roundworms

The length of an adult can reach 40 cm. Roundworms live in the human intestine, their eggs are hatched naturally, then they continue to develop in the soil, where they remain until they get back into the human body. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits can become infected with roundworms. Roundworm eggs are covered with a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach, allowing roundworms to survive and enter the intestines, where mature individuals develop.

Ascariasis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then symptoms appear, which depend on the location and stage of development of the parasite. In the first phase of migration of ascariasis, the patient is concerned about fever, cough with sputum, rashes, migraines, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In the late phase, when the parasite has already entered the intestine, stool disorders are observed (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid may occur). There are painful sensations in the abdomen, severe weight loss and fatigue.

Wide ribbon

An infection with this parasite occurs through fish. This is the worm's intermediate host. It is not necessary to eat for an infection, sometimes contact with infected fish is enough. This is why it is so important to be very careful with your hands, knife and board after cutting the fish.

Neither worms nor their larvae are transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. Symptoms of infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased or decreased appetite, dyspeptic disorders. The first signs of the disease may appear a month or two after infection. As a result of the long-term presence of the parasite in the human body, there are paleness of the skin, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness and anemia. Treatment is aimed at killing the worm. To do this, use praziquantel, niclosamide.

Bull tapeworm

Beef tapeworms can grow up to 12 m long. It is a hermaphrodite that can produce over 100, 000 eggs that are excreted in excrement. Eggs fall into the ground, then onto plants, these plants are eaten by cattle. In the body of an animal, eggs turn into larvae, which are localized in the muscles. When a person eats contaminated beef, the larvae enter the intestines. Larvae are not transmitted from person to person.

Adult worms have a head with four suction cups, a neck, and a body made up of segments. The number of segments is constantly growing, mature segments can separate from the worm and crawl out of the human intestine.

Symptoms of the disease are nausea, vomiting, dyspeptic disorders, increased salivation, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, tiredness, abdominal pain with uncertain localization, allergies, appetite fluctuations.

To remove the beef tapeworm from the body, there is a scheme that consists of three steps: preparation (cleansing the body), treatment with antiparasitic drugs (biltricid, praziquantel, niclosamide), recovery (diet, herbal medicine).

Pork tapeworm

A person can become infected with pork tapeworm from dirty hands, poorly cooked meat, and dirty water. An infected person can release tapeworm segments and larvae into the environment with vomit and feces.The worm can live in the human body for up to 15-17 years, it adheres to the intestinal mucosa and its larvae can spread in the blood flow in the body and adhere to all organs. It is especially dangerous when the larva gets into the brain.

Pigs are the intermediate host, people who have frequent contact with raw meat are most at risk of contracting this parasite. The pork chain can become infected both from contact and from eating meat that has not been adequately heat treated. In order for all pork tapeworm larvae in the meat to be destroyed, the meat must either be boiled for a long time or frozen for 2-3 weeks.

Pork tapeworms can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, organs of vision, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, a person can be paralyzed or even die.

Symptoms of pork tapeworms: allergic reactions, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, headache, weight loss, itching in the anus. The worm infects the lining of the intestines, so the symptoms of enteritis are very similar.

Treatment consists of taking drugs that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, preventing it from sticking to the intestinal walls and leaking out. At the same time, it gives off a large amount of toxic substances that can cause anaphylactic shock in a person. Therefore, treatment should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Parasites in the mouth

Parasites in the human mouth can most often be represented by the following types:

• Trichomonas;
• mouth amoeba;
• Diptera larvae (oral myiasis).

The clinical picture can look like this:

• allergies;
• weakness, weight loss;
• foul smelling odor from the mouth;
• feeling of movement in the larynx;
• itching and sweat;
• nausea, loss of energy.

Worms that live in the mouth can destroy teeth and cause purulent deposits on the mucous membrane and tongue. Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account the symptoms present, as well as the types of parasites. The prerequisite for treatment is the examination of all persons who are in contact with the patient.

Summary

Not all of them have been considered above, including the most common parasites that can inhabit the human body. It is important to understand the great danger of this neighborhood: worms in a person can have very serious consequences, and ultimately cause the death of their owner. Therefore, it is very important to diagnose parasites in a timely manner and get rid of them. Preventive measures consist mainly of hygiene and high-quality roasting of the meat consumed.