Types of parasites in the human body

Scientists say about 2/3 of the world's population is affected by this or that parasitic disease. Among the various parasites found in the human body, they are the most dangerous, which not only cause discomfort to the patient but can also cause dangerous complications to appear, even to death. In our article, we tell you everything about parasites, that is, we describe the most horrible parasites and list the symptoms of the most dangerous helminthiasis.

Types of parasites

Different types of worms and protozoa live in the human body:

1. Beads. These worms most commonly live in the intestines, but may settle in the liver, brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, muscles, and other organs. Worms cause dangerous diseases and complications.
2. Parasitic protozoa and multicellular (protozoan parasites). These pests are common in different latitudes. These protozoan human parasites can infect the intestines, eyes, brain, esophagus, heart, muscles, and nerves, liver, skin, and even the urogenital system. The most common protozoan parasites in humans are lichens, lamblia, toxoplasma, Trichomonas, blastocysts, and so on.
3. Other organisms that are also parasites for humans are lice, bugs, 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 more often affect subcutaneous tissue but can parasitize the urethra and nasopharynx. These are some larvae of flies, mosquitoes, sand fleas.

We have listed the main types of parasites in humans. But when it comes to what types of parasites live in the human body at our latitude, the most horrible of these are:

• porcine tapeworm;
• wide ribbon;
• pinworms;
• Chinese Fluke;
• globular worm;
• fluke;
• Trichinella;
• alveococcus;
• whipworm
• dwarf tapeworm;
• bullish tapeworm;
• liver beetle;
• pulmonary fluke;
• echinococcus.

The diseases they cause

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

• certain parasites induce (flukes) trematodes inside humans;
• cestodoses occur when tapeworms are affected;
• if an adult or a child has roundworms in the intestines, nematodes are diagnosed;
• leeches cause hirudinosis;
• Anthocephalosis is provoked by scratching.

However, parasites in the human body can infect multiple organs. Depending on the location of the parasites in the human body, the following parasitic diseases are distinguished:

1. If the eye is affected, onchocerciasis, demodicosis, cysticercosis, and myiasis may occur;
2. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract caused by unicellular parasites and helminths - ascariasis, trichinosis, ankylostomiasis, enterobiasis, intestinal myiasis and metagonimiasis;
3. Brain diseases - echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, alveococcosis and cysticercosis;
4. Dermatological diseases - demodicosis, head lice, scabies, pulicosis, thrombidiasis, phthiriasis;
5. Lung diseases - echinococcosis, ascariasis, acariasis, alveococcosis, tominxosis, etc. ;
6. Liver diseases - opisthorchiasis, alveococcosis, echinococcosis, clonorchiasis;
7. Parasites can cause different types of myiasis in the mouth, ears, and mouth;
8. Cardiac pathologies - dirofilariasis and echinococcosis;
9. Diseases of the urogenital system - alveococcosis, urate myiasis, echinococcosis;
10. Vascular diseases - filariasis and schistosomiasis.

Symptoms

What are the parasites in the human body, we considered. Now let’s look at the main symptoms caused by the simplest human parasites and various worms. It is worth noting that pathogenic worms and cysts of protozoa often become the cause of infection, which can remain in the external environment for a long time, waiting for the right moment. When a person's internal environment is favorable, larvae appear from the cysts and actively develop into adults.

It is worth explaining separately which cysts are. Most often, cysts form the simplest unicellular organisms, bacteria, and protists. Protozoa cysts are a temporary form of the organism's existence under adverse conditions. In fact, it's a protective shell. Cyst formation occurs at a certain stage in the life cycle of the parasite or under adverse conditions.

Ascariasis

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

• itchy allergic rash (such as blistering or hives);
• febrile condition;
• general malaise;
• excessive sweating;
• weakness;
• enlarged liver;
• in the migration phase: 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 disorders, convulsions, meningitis;
• Hepatic abscess, obstructive jaundice, appendicitis, pancreatitis, and obstruction may develop with massive invasion.

For

Teniarin

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

• difficulty in the epigastrium;
• nausea, heartburn;
• increased salivation;
• gagging;
• appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, biliary obstruction;
• weight loss in the background of increased appetite;
• vitamin deficiency;

• allergic reactions;
• dizziness, weakness, sleep disturbance, increased nervousness and irritability;
• Arterial hypertension and tachycardia.

Enterobiasis

Pinworms cause this disease. It is the most common parasitic disease. Symptoms include:

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

Toxocariasis

Toxocara worms can parasitize various tissues and organs in humans. But regardless of the location, they always cause allergic reactions in the body, according to the following type:

1. A rash reminiscent of a mosquito bite. The rash can appear in different parts of the body.
2. Bronchial asthma as a dry persistent cough in the presence of a small amount of sputum.
3. Quincke's edema. A person has swelling of the skin of the face and neck, which can lead to suffocation and death.

As toxocariasis worsens, the patient's temperature rises, symptoms of intoxication with anorexia and headache, and lymph nodes increase.

Necatorosis

This disease is caused by helminths and hookworms called nekator. The invasion manifests itself in the following syndrome:

1. When larvae get through the skin, dermatitis, hives and various rashes appear. Swelling, itching and burning occur at the site of penetration. The invasive period lasts up to 12 days.
2. The migration stage is accompanied by allergic manifestations. In this case, the respiratory system is damaged and bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis and laryngitis occur. The patient has a fever, cough, shortness of breath, and a hoarse voice.
3. After a few months, the intestinal phase of the disease begins. At this stage, symptoms of iron deficiency anemia and duodenitis occur. The patient is associated with increased irritability, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Women have menstrual disorders.

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

Giardiasis

Giardia is a parasitic protozoan disease. A quarter of the population carries this microorganism asymptomatically. In the acute stage, the following signs appear:

• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• the patient suffers pain in the right hypochondrium and around the navel;
• bloating, decreased appetite, belching, nausea;
• diarrhea alternates with constipation, with frequent (up to fivefold) foamy stools;
• with a subacute course, 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.

Amoebiasis

The disease is provoked 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 urogenital system. But the most common is intestinal amebiasis. Symptoms include:

• At the beginning of the disease, diarrhea appears with copious foamy stools, followed by gelatinous faeces like raspberry jelly. 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 may decrease;
The
• test may detect protozoa in the stool.

Important! Amoebiasis never goes away on its own and often relapses. Without treatment, an amoeba is formed, leading to intestinal obstruction.

Diphyllobothriasis

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

• weight loss, abnormal stools, decreased appetite;
• low temperature;
• fatigue;
• spasmodic abdominal pain;
• anemia, weakness, dizziness, increased heart rate;
Fragments of the worm
• are found in the feces;
• painful cracks appear in the mouth;
• depression and increased irritability.

Teniosis

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

• constipation, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea;
• vomiting and feces may contain segments (proglottides) of the parasite;
• anal itching, abdominal pain;
• suffers from sleep, dizziness appears.

Echinococcosis

Echinococcus can be asymptomatic for a long time. Pain then appears in the area where the echinococcus cyst develops. In general, the symptoms are characteristic of the neoplasms of a particular organ. When the cyst ruptures, general intoxication, anaphylactic shock, and hives occur.

Types of parasites in the human body

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

The human body is affected by various parasites, some living inside the body, others on its surface. They differ in size, in access to the body, in 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 issues are discussed below.

Classification of parasites

Human parasites are very common, divided into groups:

1. endoparasitesare organisms that parasitize in humans. This group, in turn, is divided into protozoa (consisting of a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest parasite in the human body is the amoeba, the lamblia, the Trichomonas, the toxoplasma. As far as worms are concerned, it is 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, bugs. In addition to feeding on human blood, they cause great discomfort (bites, burns, skin wounds), and carry quite dangerous diseases: typhus, anthrax, trypanosomiasis, and others.

1. Giardia.Giardiasis infection is a fecal-oral mechanism. Once the cysts (parasites that have not yet formed, covered with a protective membrane) are removed from the patient’s anus, they spread to vegetables, fruits, and other food products. Cysts enter the human oral cavity through poorly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they become adults again and reproduce again. The result is a vicious circle that continues until proper treatment is provided and hygiene measures are followed. Symptoms of the disease include weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Itching of the rectum, skin rashes, bronchial asthma may occur. The pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia, and a weakened immune system. Treatment - metronidazole, furazolidone, tinidazole. The dose is prescribed by your doctor.
2. Toxoplasma.Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected pets. In this case, a person is an intermediate host because the cycle of sexual development of the parasite takes place in the body of the animal. The disease manifests itself with prolonged fever, subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, an increase in the patient's lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain. In addition, the function of the gastrointestinal tract and vision is interrupted, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics and sulfonamides of the tetracycline group.
3. Trichomonas.Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of contact infection is minimal but still present. Symptoms in women include itching, redness of the genitals, burning sensation and foamy discharge. Men have difficulty urinating and shedding. Treatment - anti-trichomonas drugs.

Pinworm is an intestinal parasite

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

Worms spread from person to person and can be infected through any object used by a patient or by handshake. The main condition for handing over 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, and are especially comfortable in the thin part, colon, and appendix. For mating, the parasites secrete the ileum, from which the female climbs out through the anus and lays eggs in the anus. Symptoms of pinworms in the body include rectal itching, allergies, fatigue, anemia, abdominal pain, fatigue.

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

Roundworms - Spherical worms

An adult can be up to 40 cm tall. Roundworms live in the human intestines, their eggs hatch naturally, and then continue to develop in the soil, where they remain until they re-enter the human body. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits are one way to infect roundworms. Roundworm oocytes are covered with a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach and allows roundworms to survive and enter the intestines where mature individuals develop.

Ascariasis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Symptoms then appear, depending on the location and stage of development of the parasite. In the first, migratory stage of ascariasis, the patient may develop fever, sputum cough, skin rash, migraine, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In the late phase, when the parasite has already entered the intestines, faecal disturbances (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There are painful feelings in the abdomen, sharp weight loss and fatigue.

Wide ribbon

The parasite is infected through fish. This is the intermediate host of the worm. There is no need to eat due to the infection, sometimes just contact with infected fish is enough. That is why it is so important to handle hands, knives and planks very carefully after cutting the fish.

Neither worms nor their larvae spread from a sick person to a healthy person. Symptoms of infection: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased or decreased appetite, dyspeptic disorders. The first signs of the disease may appear one to two months after infection. Due to the long-term presence of the parasite in the human body, skin pallor, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness, anemia occur. The goal of the treatment is to kill the worm. To do this, use Praziquantel, Niclosamide.

Bull tapeworm

The bovine tapeworm can be up to 12 m long. It is a hermaphrodite capable of producing more than 100, 000 eggs that are excreted in the feces. The eggs fall into the soil and then onto the plants, these plants are consumed by cattle. In the body of an animal, eggs become larvae that are localized in the muscles. When a person eats contaminated beef, the larvae get into the intestines. The larvae do not spread from person to person.

The head of an adult worm has four suction cups, and its neck and body consist of segments. The number of segments is constantly increasing, the mature segments can separate from the worm and climb out of the human intestines.

Symptoms of the disease: nausea, vomiting, dyspeptic disorders, increased salivation, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, fatigue, abdominal pain of uncertain location, allergies, fluctuations in appetite.

In order to remove bovine tapeworms from the body, it consists of 3 stages: preparatory (body cleanser), treatment with antiparasitic agents (Biltricid, Praziquantel, Niclosamid), healing (diet, herbal medicines).

Swine tapeworm

Man can become infected with pork tapeworms with dirty hands, poorly cooked meat, dirty water, and the infected person can release tapeworm segments and larvae into the environment by vomiting and feces.The worm can live in the human body for 15-17 years, adhere to the intestinal mucosa, and its larvae can spread through the bloodstream throughout the body and adhere to any organ. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters the brain.

The pig is the intermediate host; people who come into frequent contact with raw meat are most at risk of infecting this parasite. The pork chain can also become infected through contact and the consumption of improperly heat-treated meat. In order for all larvae of pig tapeworms to die in the meat, the meat must either be cooked for a long time or frozen for 2-3 weeks.

Swine tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, vision, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, one can experience paralysis or even death.

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

Treatment consists of taking medications that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, as a result of which it cannot stay on the intestinal wall and exit. But at the same time it releases large amounts of toxic substances that can cause anaphylactic shock in humans. Therefore, treatment should only be performed under medical supervision.

Parasites in the mouth

Parasites in the human mouth are most commonly represented by the following species:

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

The clinical picture can be:

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

Worms in the mouth can destroy teeth, creating purulent deposits on the mucous membranes and tongue. Treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor who takes into account the existing symptoms as well as the types of parasites. A prerequisite for treatment is to examine all people who come into contact with the patient.

Summary

Not all of the above are considered, even the most common parasites that are able to inhabit the human body. It is important to understand the great danger in the area: worms can have very serious consequences in humans and ultimately cause the death of their owner. Therefore, timely diagnosis and rid of parasites is very important. As far as preventive measures are concerned, they consist mainly of hygiene and good quality roasting of the meat consumed.