Recently, news from Holland thundered in the scientific world.17 volunteers agreed to have dangerous parasites injected into their blood - schistosomes (which cause the serious disease schistosomiasis).According to scientists, up to 200,000 people worldwide die from this disease every year.And now Dutch specialists are closer to developing a vaccine - to test it, they infected people with schistosomiasis.
The results of the study have not yet been published;What happened to the 17 people who risked their health for the benefit of science is also unknown.But one thing is clear: parasites continue to keep the entire world on alert.
More than 7 billion people live on earth.And a third of them carry helminths (popularly worms).These are parasites that cause serious and extremely unpleasant diseases (Schistosoma is also a worm).At least these are the assessments of the World Health Organization.
There is even worse information: millions of people die from parasitic diseases every year.Tropical regions are particularly affected, where the conditions for the spread of pests are ideal (high humidity, heat, unsanitary conditions).But even where there are few tropics, parasites are everywhere.
Tens of thousands of people are treated for helminthiasis every year.For example, at the beginning of 2018, information appeared that the incidence of ascariasis (ascaris is a type of worm) has increased.
The health department has even drawn up a draft regulatory law that will clearly regulate the work to combat helminthiasis.Obviously the problem is serious.
There are different helminths - round and flat, that live in water, on land, in animal feces, etc., but all of them are very dangerous.They usually enter the human body through contaminated water or food.But sometimes it is enough just to eat with dirty hands for the parasite larvae to penetrate and grow to several tens of centimeters in size in the intestines.There are types of parasites that can enter the body through the skin of the feet when walking barefoot on the ground where the larvae live.
Worms literally eat the body from the inside.They can cause jaundice, sepsis (blood poisoning), problems with the joints and nervous system (not counting endless vomiting, diarrhea and other intestinal problems).
Children are most commonly affected.They often forget to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, often put dirty toys in their mouths, and while playing outside (especially in summer), they eat a little sand and drink dirty water from an open container.But adults are also “at gunpoint” because of worms.
The most common helminthiases are ascariasis, toxocariasis, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis and hookworm disease.The names don't cause concern until you type them into a search engine and go to the "Images" section - yes, such disgusting huge worms can live inside you.
Worms with beautiful names
Ascariasis- the most common helminthiasis, it accounts for 90% of infections, so we will talk about it in more detail.Roundworms are long, nasty worms that attack the human small intestine.Every year, up to 800 million cases of ascariasis are recorded worldwide.
The source of infection is the same unwashed fruits, vegetables and berries.There are different types of roundworms: there are those that infect animals, but there is a separate species for humans.That is, you cannot become infected with ascariasis from an animal.
As mentioned above, children are the most likely to catch parasites due to their relaxed behavior.Rural residents of all ages are also at risk from ascariasis - they often come into contact with the ground where the ascariasis larvae hide.The main symptoms of ascariasis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, loss of appetite, unbearable anal itching and high fever.
Complications of ascariasis (they occur when the parasites are not detected for a long time) include intestinal obstruction, appendicitis and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).There are cases when roundworms, which have already reached their maximum size (almost 30 cm) inside a person, have crawled into the lungs, throat and sinuses.This is how patients discovered them.
Imagine: a long white worm crawling through your intestines.It is not known exactly whether an infected person always feels the movement of the nematode inside them.You can listen to yourself just in case.
There are other, less common helminthiases.A worm with the cheeky name “Toxocara” causesToxocariosis.It can also be transmitted by dogs.Symptoms will vary – fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, rash.
With the pathogenTrichocephalosisA simpler name is whipworm.Externally it looks like a small whip.Most often, this disease is generally asymptomatic, and when the number of parasites is already off scale, symptoms begin like ascariasis.
Worms of the genus Strongyloides stercoralis (pathogens).Strongyloidiasis) - these are the same reptiles that can penetrate a person through the skin (even intact).You can become infected in the same wayHookworm.If this happens, severe itching occurs in the places where the worms crawled and over time the sick person develops diarrhea, abdominal pain and a rash.
These are just some of the types of helminthiasis - in total there are hundreds of types, each of which has its own characteristics.
And most importantly: you can die from worms.Fortunately, this doesn't happen often, but parasites are designed to live off of their host's resources.Worms eat internal organs from the inside and can crawl into the lungs and even the heart - all of which pose a great threat to life. In addition, they produce toxins that penetrate the blood, which means that this poison actually spreads throughout the body.
Only timely removal of helminths from the body can save you from inevitable serious consequences.
Find and neutralize
It is worth understanding that worms can often live happily ever after in the body until a stool test separates them.They lay millions of eggs in your intestines, but you may never experience any symptoms.The larvae of parasites and themselves are found in the feces.
It is important that the doctor does not confuse the symptoms of ascariasis or other helminthiasis with other diagnoses - for example, vomiting can be caused by dozens of other ailments, and a rash is a sign of a completely different type of disease.If you experience symptoms similar to a parasitic infection, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by examining feces.There are serodiagnostic methods: ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent test - blood is examined for the presence of specific antibodies that appear in it when infected with one or another type of helminthiasis).
Another reliable diagnostic method is an x-ray - the image shows worms crawling through your intestines (or elsewhere).To determine the degree of intoxication in the body and prescribe the correct treatment, blood and urine tests are required.
Pharmaceutical companies have long developed many anthelmintics that effectively help get rid of worms.On average, treatment for helminthiasis lasts 3 to 5 days.In most cases, treatment can be carried out on an outpatient basis - hospitalization is not necessary (unless complications have already occurred).
If you haven't understood it yet, let us remind you: worms can catch absolutely anything, regardless of gender, age and social status.Of course, don't forget to eat clean vegetables and other foods, keep your dishes clean, and always wash your hands before lunch.If you travel frequently, especially to tropical countries in Asia and Africa, all hygiene rules should be followed twice as carefully.