Types of parasites in the human body

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

Varieties of parasites

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

1. Helminths. These worms most often live in the intestines, but they can settle in the liver, brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, muscles, and other organs. Worms cause dangerous diseases and complications.
2. Parasitic and multicellular protozoa (protozoan parasites). These pests are common in different latitudes. These protozoan human parasites can infect the intestines, eyes, brain, esophagus, heart, muscles, as well as nerves, liver, skin, and even the genitourinary system. The most common protozoan parasites in humans are lichens, lamblia, toxoplasmas, trichomonads, blastocysts, etc.
3. Other organisms which are also parasites for humans are lice, bedbugs, ticks, 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 most commonly affect the subcutaneous tissue, but can parasitize in the urethra and nasopharynx. These are the larvae of certain flies, mosquitoes, sand fleas.

We have listed the main types of parasites in humans. But if we are talking about the types of parasites that live in the human body in our latitudes, the most terrible of them are:

• pork tapeworm;
• wide ribbon;
• pinworms;
• Chinese luck;
• roundworm;
• stroke of luck;
• Trichinella;
• alveococcus;
• whipworm
• dwarf tapeworm;
• bullish tapeworm;
• liver fluke;
• lung fluke;
• echinococcus.

The diseases they cause

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

• some parasites inside a person (fluke) cause trematodes;
Cestodoses
• occur when tapeworms are affected;
• if an adult or a child has roundworms in the intestines, the nematodes are diagnosed;
• leeches cause hirudinosis;
• Anteocephalosis is caused by scratching.

However, parasites in the human body can infect more than one organ. Depending on the location of the parasites in the human body, the following parasitic diseases are distinguished:

1. If the eyes are affected, onchocerciasis, demodicosis, cysticercosis and myiasis may occur;
2. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, caused by unicellular parasites and helminths, - ascariasis, trichinosis, hookworm, enterobiosis, intestinal myiasis and metagonimosis;
3. Brain diseases - echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, alveococcosis and cysticercosis;
4. Dermatological diseases - demodicosis, head lice, scabies, pulicosis, thrombidosis, phthirosis;
5. Lung pathologies - echinococcosis, ascariasis, acariosis, 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. Cardiac pathologies - dirofilariasis and echinococcosis;
9. Diseases of the genitourinary system - alveococcosis, urinary myiasis, echinococcosis;
10. Vascular pathologies - filariasis and schistosomiasis.

Symptoms

What are the parasites in the human body, we have considered. Now let's take a look at the main symptoms caused by the simplest human parasites and various types of worms. It should be noted that cysts of pathogenic worms and protozoa often become the cause of infection, which can remain in the external environment for a long time, waiting for the right time. Under favorable conditions of the internal environment of a person, larvae emerge from cysts, which actively develop into adults.

Separately, it is worth explaining what cysts are. Most often, cysts form the simplest single-celled organisms, bacteria and protists. Protozoan cysts are a temporary form of the existence of an organism under adverse conditions. In fact, it is a protective shell. Cyst formation occurs at a certain stage of the parasite's life cycle or under unfavorable conditions.

Ascariosis

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

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

Teniarinhoz

This disease causes bovine tapeworm. At the initial stage, the disease is asymptomatic and can last for years. Sooner or later the following symptoms appear:

• heaviness in the epigastrium;
• nausea, heartburn;
• increased salivation;
• gagging;
• appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, bile duct blockage;
• loss of body weight against the background of increased appetite;
• vitamin deficiency;

• allergic reactions;
• dizziness, weakness, trouble sleeping, increased nervousness and irritability;
• high blood pressure and tachycardia.

Enterobiosis

Pinworms cause this disease. It is the most common parasitic disease. Its symptoms are as follows:

• itching in the anus, worse at night;
• scratches and redness in this area;
• sleep suffers, bruxism, drowsiness, lethargy appear;
• loss of appetite;
• abdominal pain, urinary incontinence in children;
• unstable stools, nausea, gas, vomiting;
• allergic reactions.

Toxocariasis

Toxocara worms can parasitize various tissues and organs in a person. But regardless of the place of localization, they always cause allergic reactions in the body, proceeding according to the following type:

1. Rash resembling mosquito bites. The rash can appear on various parts of the body.
2. Bronchial asthma, manifested by a persistent dry cough with a small amount of sputum.
3. Angioedema. A person has swelling of the skin on the face and neck, which can lead to suffocation and death.

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

Necatorosis (hookworm)

This disease is caused by helminths called nekator and hookworm. The invasion is manifested by the following symptom complex:

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

Important! In childhood, hookworm infection can lead to mental and physical retardation.

Giardiasis

Giardia is a parasitic protozoan disease. A quarter of the population has an asymptomatic carriage of this microorganism. In the acute stage, the following signs appear:

• dysfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract;
• the patient is tormented by pain in the right hypochondrium and the area around the navel;
• flatulence, decreased appetite, belching, nausea are observed;
• diarrhea alternates with constipation, there may be frequent foamy stools (up to 5 times);
• with a subacute course, intestinal symptoms persist, the patient loses weight;
• with massive invasion intoxication and fever;
• the children have itching, hives and fainting;
• During the coprogram, protozoan cysts are found in the stool.

Amoebiasis

The disease is caused by 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 genitourinary system. But the most common is intestinal amebiasis. Its symptoms are as follows:

• At the onset of illness, diarrhea appears with copious foamy stools, then jelly-like feces like raspberry jelly come out. Their frequency can reach 20 times a day;
• severe pain is localized on the right side of the abdomen;
• mild subfebrile condition;
• after 6 weeks the acute process may decline;
Examining
• may reveal protozoa in the stool.

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

Diphyllobothriasis

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

• weight loss, erratic stools, decreased appetite;
• low temperature;
• fatigue;
• abdominal cramps;
• anemia, weakness, dizziness, rapid heart rate;
• fragments of the worm can be found in the feces;
• painful cracks appear in the mouth;
• depression and increased irritability.

Tapeworm

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;
• vomit and feces may contain segments (proglottids) of the parasite;
• anal itching, abdominal pain;
• sleep suffers, dizziness appears.

Echinococcosis

Echinococci can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then pain appears in the area of formation of an echinococcal cyst. Usually the symptoms are characteristic of neoplasms of a particular organ. When the cyst ruptures, general intoxication, anaphylactic shock, and hives appear.

Types of parasites that live in the human body

All types of parasites in the human body have an adverse effect on its health. They infect organs, feed on nutrients necessary for human life and release harmful toxic substances. Therefore, it is so important to get rid of it in a timely manner.

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

What parasites live in the human body? How to get rid of them? What preventive measures are there? These questions will be discussed below.

Classification of parasites

Human parasites are very common, they are divided into groups:

1. endoparasitesare organisms that parasitize inside a person. This group, in turn, is divided into protozoa (consisting of a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest parasites in the human body are amoeba, lamblia, trichomonads and toxoplasma. As for the worms, there is again a division into round worms (nematodes), flat and tapeworms.
2. ectoparasitesare organisms that parasitize on the surface of the human body - lice, ticks, fleas, bedbugs. In addition to the fact that they feed on human blood, cause great discomfort (bites, burns, skin wounds), they are carriers of quite dangerous diseases: typhus, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.

1. Giardia.Giardiasis infection is a faecal-oral mechanism. After cysts (parasites not yet formed, covered with a protective membrane) are removed from the anus of a sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other food products. Through improperly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, cysts enter the human oral cavity, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they again turn into an adult and becomemultiply again. The result is a vicious cycle that will continue until adequate treatment is provided and hygiene measures are followed. Symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating. Itching in the anus, rashes, bronchial asthma may occur. The pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia and a weakened immune system. Treatment - Metronidazole, furazolidone, tinidazole. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor.
2. Toxoplasma.Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected animals. In this case, a person is an intermediate host, since the cycle of sexual development of the parasite occurs in the body of the animal. The disease is manifested by a prolonged increase in temperature to subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, joint and muscle pain appears. In addition, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and the visual are disturbed, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics from the group of tetracyclines and sulfonamides.
3. Trichomonas.Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of infection through contact is minimal, but still there. Symptoms of the disease in women are itching, redness of the genitals, a burning sensation and a foamy discharge. Men may have difficulty passing urine and have a 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 enterobiosis. This type of parasite affects not only humans, but monkeys as well. Risk group - preschool children, according to statistics, enterobiosis is diagnosed in half of children 2-10 years old.

Worms are transmitted from person to person, you can get infected by any object used by a sick person or by a handshake. The main condition for the transfer of pinworm eggs is not to wash your hands after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or rather their eggs, can be carried by flies and cockroaches.

Pinworms can only live in the intestines, they are especially comfortable in the thin section, in the colon and cecum. For mating, the parasites select the ileum, from where the female crawls through the anus and lays eggs in the anus. 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 for the treatment of enterobiosis. Prevention of pinworms is based on hand hygiene. They should 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 hatch naturally, and then they continue to develop in the soil, where they remain until they reenter the human body. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits are means of roundworm infection. Roundworm eggs are covered with a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach and allows the roundworms to survive and enter the intestines, where mature individuals thrive.

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 migratory phase of ascariasis, the patient worries about fever, cough with sputum, rash, migraines, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In the late phase, when the parasite already enters the intestines, stool disorders are observed (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There are painful sensations in the abdomen, sudden weight loss and fatigue.

Large ribbon

Infection with this parasite occurs through fish. It is the intermediate host of the worm. It is not necessary to eat for the infection, sometimes a simple contact with infected fish is enough. This is why it is so important to handle the hands, the knife, the board with great care 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. Due to the long-term presence of the parasite in the human body, paleness of the skin, headache, increased heart rate, decrease in blood pressure, weakness, anemia occurs. Treatment is aimed at killing the worm. To do this, use Praziquantel, Niclosamide.

Bull tapeworm

The bovine tapeworm can reach 12 m in length. It is a hermaphrodite that can produce more than 100, 000 eggs, which are excreted in the feces. The eggs fall into the ground, and then on the plants, these plants are eaten by the cattle. In the body of an animal, the eggs become larvae, located in the muscles. If a person eats contaminated beef, the larvae enter the intestines. The larvae are not transmitted from person to person.

Adult worms have a head with four suckers, a neck, and a body made up of segments. The number of segments is constantly increasing, the 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, fatigue, abdominal pain of uncertain localization, allergies, fluctuations in appetite.

In order to remove bovine tapeworm from the body, there is a 3-stage scheme: preparatory (cleansing the body), treatment with antiparasitic drugs (Biltricid, Praziquantel, Niclosamide), recovery (diet, herbal medicine).

Pork tapeworm

A person can get infected with pork tapeworm from dirty hands, undercooked meat, dirty water, an infected person can release tapeworm segments and larvae into the environment with vomit andfeces. The worm can live in the human body for up to 15-17 years, it adheres to the intestinal lining, and its larvae can spread throughout the body with the blood stream and attach to any organ. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters 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 by contact and by eating insufficiently heat-treated meat. In order for all the larvae of the pork tapeworm to be destroyed in the meat, the meat should be cooked for a long time or frozen for 2-3 weeks.

Pork tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, visual organs, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, a person can suffer from paralysis or even death.

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

The treatment consists of taking drugs which have a paralyzing effect on the worm, so that it cannot stay on the intestinal walls and come out. But at the same time, it emits a large amount of toxic substances, which 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 species:

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

The clinical picture may be as follows:

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

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

Summary

Above not all have been considered, even the most common parasites that can inhabit the human body. It is important to understand the great danger in 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 timely diagnose the parasites and get rid of them. As for preventive measures, they mainly consist of high-quality hygiene and roasting of the meat consumed.