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 in the human body, there are the most dangerous, which not only cause discomfort to the patient, but can also cause dangerous complications, including 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

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

1. Helminth. These worms most commonly live in the gut, but can occur in the liver, brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, muscles, and other organs. Worms cause dangerous diseases and complications.
2. Parasitic protozoa and multicellular (protozoal 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 parasites of protozoa that live in humans are lichens, lamblia, toxoplasma, trichomonas, blastocysts, etc.
3. Other organisms that are also parasites for humans are lice, beetles, ticks, fly larvae. They are called ectoparasites. They can parasitize not only on the surface of the skin, but also on wounds, hair follicles and eyelashes.
4. Other parasites are species that affect the subcutaneous tissue more often, but can parasitize the urethra and nasopharynx. These are the larvae of some flies, mosquitoes, sand fleas.

We have listed the main types of parasites in humans. But if we talk about what types of parasites live in the human body at our latitudes, then the scariest of them are the following:

• swine tapeworm;
• wide ribbon;
• pinworms;
• Chinese flute;
• roundworm;
• fluff;
• Trichinella;
alveococcus;
• whips
• dwarf tapeworm;
• bull tapeworm;
• liver fluke;
• pulmonary fluke;
• echinococcus.

Diseases they cause

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

• certain parasites in humans (flukes) cause trematodes;
• cestodes occur when tapeworms are affected;
• if an adult or child has roundworms in the gut, then nematodes are diagnosed;
• leeches cause hirudinosis;
• Anthocephalus is caused by scratches.

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

1. If the eyes are affected, onchocerciasis, demodicosis, cysticercosis and miasm may occur;
2. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, caused by single-celled parasites and helminths, - ascariasis, trichinosis, hookworm, enterobiase, intestinal myiasis and metagonimiasis;
3. Brain diseases - echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, alveococcosis and cysticercosis;
4. Dermatological diseases - demodicosis, lice, scabies, pulicosis, thrombidiasis, ftiriasis;
5. Pulmonary pathologies - echinococcosis, ascariasis, acariasis, alveococcosis, tomyxosis, etc. ;
6. Liver diseases - opisthorchiasis, alveococcosis, echinococcosis, clonorchiasis;
7. In the mouth, ears and mouth parasites can cause different types of myiasis;
8. Heart pathologies - heartworm disease and echinococcosis;
9. Diseases of the genitourinary system - alveococcosis, urate miasma, echinococcosis;
10. Vascular pathologies - filariasis and schistosomiasis.

Symptoms

What parasites are in the human body, we have considered. We will now look at the main symptoms caused by the simplest human parasites and various types of worms. It is worth noting that cysts of pathogenic worms and protozoa often become the cause of infection, which can stay in the external environment for a long time, waiting for the right moment. When in favorable conditions of the internal environment of a person, larvae emerge from the 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 existence of an organism in unfavorable conditions. It is actually a protective shell. Cyst formation occurs at a certain stage of the parasite’s life cycle or under adverse conditions.

Ascariasis

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

• itchy allergic rash (such as vesicular or urticarial rash);
• febrile condition;
• general malaise;
• excessive sweating;
• weakness;
• enlarged liver;
• in the migration phase: shortness of breath, cough, wheezing;
• loss of appetite;
• diarrhea and constipation;
• nausea;
• on the part of the central nervous system: irritability, sleep and memory impairment, convulsions, meningitis;
• Liver abscess, obstructive jaundice, appendicitis, pancreatitis, and obstruction may develop with massive invasion.

Teniarinhoz

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

• weight in epigastrium;
• nausea, heartburn;
• increased salivation;
• giggle;
• appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, bile duct 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

Blades cause this disease. This is the most common parasitic disease. Its symptoms are as follows:

• itching in the anus, intensified at night;
• scratches and redness in this area;
• suffers from sleep, bruxism, drowsiness, lethargy appear;
• 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 of a person. But regardless of the place of localization, they always cause allergic reactions in the body, taking place according to the following type:

1. Mosquito-like skin rash. The rash can appear on various parts of the body.
2. Bronchial asthma, which manifests as a dry persistent cough with a small amount of sputum.
Quincke's edema. The person has swollen skin on the face and neck, which can lead to suffocation and death.

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

Necatorosis (ankylosis)

This disease is caused by helminths called nectar and ankylosis. The invasion is manifested by the following complex of symptoms:

1. When larvae are introduced through the skin, dermatitis, urticaria 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 also accompanied by allergic manifestations. In this case, the respiratory tract is injured and bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis and laryngitis occur. The patient has a fever, cough, shortness of breath and hoarse voice.
3. In a few months the intestinal stage of the disease begins. Symptoms of anemia and duodenitis deficiency due to iron deficiency are present at this stage. The patient has increased irritability, fatigue and sleep disturbance. Women have menstrual irregularities.

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

Giardiasis

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

• gastrointestinal disorders;
• the patient suffers from pain in the right hypochondrium and the area around the navel;
• bloating, decreased appetite, belching, nausea are observed;
• diarrhea alternates with constipation, there may be frequent (up to 5 times) foamy stools;
• with subacute course, intestinal symptoms continue, the patient loses weight;
• with massive intoxication by invasion and fever;
• children have pruritus, rash and fainting;
• during the coprogram, protozoan cysts are found in the feces.

Amoebiasis

The disease is caused by a histological amoeba. The disease may 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 amoebiasis. Its symptoms are as follows:

• At the beginning of the disease, diarrhea appears with copious frothy stools, followed by jelly-like stools, such as 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 decline;
A
• examination can detect protozoa in the feces.

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

Diphylobotriasis

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

• weight loss, irregular stools, decreased appetite;
• low temperature;
• fatigue;
• cramping abdominal pains;
• anemia, weakness, dizziness, increased pulse;
• fragments of worms can be found in the feces;
• painful cracks appear in the mouth;
• depression and increased irritability.

Teniosis

The disease is caused by swine 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 occurs.

Echinococcosis

Echinococcus can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then pains appear in the area of echinococcal cyst formation. Usually, the symptoms are characteristic of neoplasms of a certain organ. When the cyst ruptures, general intoxication, anaphylactic shock, and urticaria occur.

Types of parasites that live in the human body

All types of parasites in the human body have a detrimental effect on his health. They infect organs, feed on nutrients necessary for human life and release harmful toxic substances. That’s why it’s so important to get rid of them 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, in the characteristics of their vital functions.

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

Classification of parasites

Human parasites are very common, divided into groups:

1. Endoparasitesare organisms that parasitize humans. This group, in turn, is divided into protozoa (consisting of a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest parasites in the human body are amoebae, lamblia, trichomonads, toxoplasmas. As for worms, here too there is a division into roundworms (nematodes), flatworms and tapeworms.
2. Ectoparasitesare organisms that parasitize on the surface of the human body - lice, ticks, fleas, bed bugs. In addition to feeding on human blood, they cause great discomfort (bites, tingling, wounds on the skin), and carry quite dangerous diseases: typhus, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.

1. Giardia.Giardiasis infection is a fecal-oral mechanism. After removing the cysts (parasites have not yet formed, covered with a protective membrane) from the anus of the sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other food products. Through poorly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, cysts enter the human oral cavity, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they turn into an adult again and multiply again. The result is a vicious circle that will continue until adequate treatment is ensured and hygiene measures are followed. Symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Itching in the anus, skin rash, bronchial asthma may occur. The pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia and weakening of the immune system. Treatment - Metronidazole, Furazolidone, Tinidazole. The dosage is prescribed by a doctor.
2. Toxoplasma.Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected pets. In this case, the person is an indirect host, since the sexual development cycle of the parasite occurs in the animal’s body. The disease is manifested by a prolonged increase in temperature to subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, and pain in the joints and muscles. Also, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and vision are impaired, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - tetracycline antibiotics and sulfonamides.
3. Trichomonas.Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of infection by contact is minimal, but it still exists. Symptoms of the disease in women include itching, redness of the genitals, a burning sensation, and a foamy discharge. Men may have difficulty urinating and have discharge. Treatment - drugs against trichomoniasis.

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 - preschool children, according to statistics, enterobiasis is diagnosed in half of children aged 2 to 10 years.

Worms are transmitted from person to person, you can become infected with any objects used by the sick person or by handling. The main condition for transferring pinworm eggs is not washing hands after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or their eggs, can be carried by flies and cockroaches.

Pinworms can live only in the intestines, they are especially pleasant in the small part, in the large intestine and appendix. 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 anthelmintic drugs are prescribed to treat enterobiasis. Pinworm prevention is based on hand hygiene. They must be washed after visiting any public place.

Roundworms - roundworms

The length of an adult can reach 40 cm. Roundworms live in the human gut, the eggs hatch naturally and then continue their development in the soil, where they remain until they re-enter the human body. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits are ways of infecting roundworms. The eggs of roundworms 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. Then the symptoms appear, which depend on the place and stage of development of the parasite. In the first, migratory phase of ascariasis, the patient is worried about fever, cough with sputum, skin rash, migraine, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In the late stage, when the parasite has already entered the intestines, stool disorders are observed (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There are painful feelings in the abdomen, sudden weight loss and fatigue.

Wide ribbon

Infection with this parasite comes through fish. This is the middle host of the worm. It is not necessary to eat for the infection, sometimes only contact with the infected fish is enough. That is why it is so important to handle with your hands, knife, board after cutting the fish.

Neither worms nor their larvae are transmitted from a sick 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 the infection. As a result of the long-term presence of parasites in the human body, pale skin, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness, anemia occur. The treatment is aimed at killing worms. To do this, use Praziquantel, Niclosamide.

Bull tapeworm

Beef tapeworm can grow up to 12 m. It is a hermaphrodite that can produce over 100, 000 eggs that are excreted in the feces. Eggs fall into the ground, then onto the plants, and those plants are eaten by cattle. In the animal's body, the eggs become larvae that localize 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 suction cups, a neck and a body consisting of segments. The number of segments is constantly growing, mature segments can separate from the worm and crawl out of the human gut.

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

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

Pork tapeworm

A person can become infected with swine tapeworm with dirty hands, poorly cooked meat, dirty water, an infected person can vomit segments and larvae of tapeworm into the environment with vomiting and feces.The worm can live in the human body for up to 15-17 years, sticks to the intestinal mucosa, and its larvae can spread throughout the body through the bloodstream and attach to any organ. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters the brain.

Pigs are an intermediate host; people who have frequent contact with raw meat are most at risk of contracting this parasite. The pork chain can be infected by contact and eating insufficiently heat-treated meat. In order to destroy all the larvae of pork tapeworm in the meat, the meat must be cooked or frozen for 2-3 weeks.

Swine tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, visual organs, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, then the person may experience paralysis or even death.

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

Treatment consists of taking drugs that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, as a result of which 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 be carried out only under the supervision of a physician.

Parasites in the mouth

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

• Trichomonas;
• mouth of an amoeba;
• Biplane larvae (oral myiasis).

The clinical picture may be as follows:

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

Worms that live in the mouth can destroy teeth, create purulent deposits on the mucous membranes and tongue. Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor who takes into account the existing symptoms as well as the types of parasites. A prerequisite for treatment is an examination of all people who are in contact with the patient.

Summary

Not everyone is considered above, even the most common parasites that can inhabit the human body. It is important to understand the great danger of this neighborhood: worms in humans can cause 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. As for preventive measures, they mainly consist of hygiene and high-quality frying of eaten meat.