When talking about parasites in the body, most people think of worms in the gut. However, other parasites are also common, which are relatively difficult to diagnose and affect other organs, not the intestines.
This is the simplest microscopic (most often parasitic), which may not appear in any way for a long time. However, the simplest parasites can cause significant harm to the body.
Giardia
Giardia is a microscopic flagged parasite that has two nuclei and two sets of organelles.
Giardiasis in humans is caused by the most common type of parasite - intestinal lamblia. In addition to humans, mammals and other birds can also be infected with them. Parasites can form cysts in localizing organs.
Giardia is present in poorly treated tap water, as well as in natural sources - springs, wells. They can be found in the flesh of infected animals or birds, in small quantities in the feces of infected animals, sometimes they survive in the soil, therefore they are found in vegetables and berries.
Usually, the infection occurs through the fecal-oral route, that is, for the development of invasion, it is necessary to swallow a large number of parasitic cysts. Usually, children from the age of three months and adults are sick.
Often, the disease is asymptomatic, and patients find out about it by chance. But sometimes there is some symptomatology (continuously or intermittently). Symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract are revealed:
- Stomachache;
- Bloated stomach;
- Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- Rumbling in the stomach;
- Constipation and diarrhea alternate;
- Bile duct dyskinesia;
- skin allergies;
- General weakness.
Like intracellular parasites, lamblia are treated primarily with metronidazole. However, in the first stage of therapy, it is necessary to remove the hangover and normalize the work of the bile ducts. Only after this antiparasitic therapy is prescribed. After that, therapy is carried out aimed at restoring the body's defenses and boosting immunity.
Amoeba
Amoeba is the simplest human parasite that causes amoebic dysentery or amoebiasis.
There are also types of amoebae that can affect the eyes. Causes amoebic encephalitis, but it is less common. Invasion is not the most common, only 10% of people are ill with it, according to the WHO (while for giardiasis, this figure, according to some sources, is 50%).
Amoeba is spread exclusively through the fecal-oral route, that is, as in the previous case, the amoeba forms cysts that must be ingested in order for the infection to develop.
The chances of being infected are higher in countries with hot climates and poor hygiene conditions. Cysts can retain the ability to infect for a long time while in soil, in water, on vegetables and berries grown in contaminated soil. Cockroaches and flies carry these cysts to some extent.
Like intracellular parasites, amoebae cause symptoms only 7-10 days after infection. Symptoms of colitis appear: abdominal pain (in the lower part), general weakness, slight increase in body temperature. Often, the liver is affected, because after two to three weeks of pain appearing in it, the organs grow and thicken.
Toxoplasm
Toxoplasmosis is a disease that causes Toxoplasma gondi. This is the simplest organism, distributed mainly by representatives of the cat family who are its carriers. Infected people are also able to spread it.
It is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. You can become infected by eating unprocessed meat of infected animals and birds, as well as eggs. At a lower level, but still capable of being transmitted through the blood, in the presence of wounds (for example, when working with contaminated soil in the garden), as well as in contact with mucous membranes.
It is mostly asymptomatic and diagnosed by chance, like most viruses, for example, during enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay. In the acute form, healing often occurs independently. Pregnant women need treatment with the drug pyrimethamine (which is used to treat intracellular parasites).
Plasmodium
Plasmodia is an intracellular parasite that causes malaria. Five types of pathogens are capable of becoming parasites in humans. Moreover, they are in the blood, are in the cell membrane.
The disease is spread through the blood (for example, through transfusions). It can also be tolerated by some types of mosquitoes when bitten, as mosquitoes are intermediate hosts of plasmodium. As a result, the person became infected with malaria.
These mosquitoes (and, thus, diseases) are common in hot countries, especially in Africa.
Malaria has severe symptoms that begin to manifest 5-7 days after infection. The first symptoms are joint pain, fever, severe chills. Then the headache, enlargement of the spleen joined.
Treatment is carried out with the preparation of quinine strictly under the supervision of a physician.
Trichomonas
This is the simplest human parasite that causes trichomoniasis. Affects the human genitourinary system. It is the most common venereal disease and also the most common disease of the genitourinary system.
Infectious exclusively through sexual intercourse. In women, they live in the vagina, Trichomonas in men - in the urethra, seminal vesicles, prostate gland.
In women, the symptoms are as follows: whiteness, itching and redness of the genital skin, pain during urination and sexual intercourse, inflammation of the vaginal mucosa. In men: discharge from the urethra (rarely, with blood), pain when urinating, symptoms of prostatitis with damage to the prostate gland.
It is necessary to treat the disease in both couples. It is treated with anti-trichomonas drugs strictly individually and under the supervision of a doctor. In some cases, immune or symptomatic therapy is required.