Today, diseases caused by a variety of protozoa and helminths are common. The danger of such diseases is explained not only by the complications and malfunctions in the body that protozoa and worms cause in humans, but also by the complexity of diagnosing diseases due to their similarity. difference of symptoms with different non-parasitic diseases.
Worms and protozoa cause:
- malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract (constipation, diarrhea, vomiting);
- allergic skin reactions;
- general intoxication of the body;
- muscle and joint pain;
- dehydration.
In order to avoid errors in diagnosis and prescribe insufficient treatment, which at best will be ineffective and at worst can cause complications, it is necessary to accurately determine the type of helminth and the degree of infection. of the body with them.
Ways of infection with protozoan helminths
All worms enter the body from the outside. The same goes for the simplest helminths. In addition to the environment, they live in soil and water bodies. In addition to unwashed hands, eating poor quality produce, you can become infected at home by contact with a carrier.
The main mechanism of any infection is usually oral transmission, i. e. a person simply swallows worm eggs with food and water, rarely becomes helminthic when bitten by an infected insect.
The simplest worms that live in humans belong to the class of unicellular organisms. The infection is called protozoal infection. Depending on the type and extent of invasion, the course of the disease can be severe, even causing the patient to die.
What helminths are called protozoa?
The simplest helminths can have a constant body (bacilli and flagellates) and a modified form - a bright representative of the amoeba. Their size is very small and ranges from 4-5 micrometers to 1-3 millimeters. Usually the cells of these microorganisms have a single nucleus. The pseudobulbs, cilia, and flagella act as motor organs. Reproduction, depending on the species, occurs by binary fission or by complex sexual means.
To protect themselves from adverse external conditions, as well as for further spread, the simplest helminths can turn into cysts, which are cells covered with a protective membrane. This allows them to convert from an immobile cyst into an active state if they enter a favorable environment.
There are frequent cases when the body of the carrier does not even notice the simplest helminths that are parasitic in it. In other cases, the invasion leads to the death of the host. For example, some species of antelope in Africa are permanent "masters" of trypanosomatids. And a human bite from a sawtooth fly, which carries these worms, can infect them and cause sleeping sickness, which is known to be life-threatening.
The most studied single-celled helminths
Parasites in the human body belong to the flagellate class:
- Giardia is a parasite that usually lives in the intestines, bile ducts, and liver of vertebrates (humans and animals). They can be transmitted through food, water and other elements. This group of protozoa is the cause of such a disease as giardia - a dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically the small intestine. Many patients infected with Giardia do not experience any obvious symptoms.
- Leishmania is the simplest helminth carried by mosquitoes. After an insect sting, a person is more likely to get leishmaniasis. Signs of the disease are damage to the skin, mucous membranes and some internal organs, often fever and anemia become signs of the disease.
- Trypanosomatids are protozoa transmitted by insects. When infected, they cause trypanosomiasis. This disease has a long course. Depending on the type of trypanosomatids, different systems and organs are affected.
- Amoebic dysentery is parasitic in the intestines. Invasion is performed as a 4-nucleated cyst. Although amoebic dysentery is found almost everywhere, infections are most frequently recorded in tropical countries. Amoeba is the cause of a human infectious protozoan disease such as amoeba. The clinical picture of the disease is ulcerative colitis, which is characterized by recurrent and exacerbations. There are also cases of an extraintestinal infection - these single-celled helminths travel from the intestines to other organs and even onto the skin. The final form of the disease is called a skin infection - in the buttocks and perineum, there are obvious ulcerative-necrotic signs.
- Trichomonas causes trichomoniasis. Currently, several subspecies of Trichomonas have been studied. The intestinal tract, the parasitic area in the large intestine, and helminths do not cause much harm to the intestinal tract. The parasitic area of Trichomonas genitourinary system, as can be seen from the name - genitourinary system. The infection is done sexually. This subspecies of protozoa is the cause of such a disease as trichomoniasis. This infectious disease is manifested by inflammation of the genitourinary system. Trichomonas oral parasites in the oral cavity, not dangerous to humans.
The spore-forming protozoa are represented by plasmodium and malaria coccidia:
- Plasmodium malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes malaria, is the simplest microorganism. It is parasitic in the blood. Malaria in humans infected with this parasite is manifested by the following symptoms: hypopigmentation anemia, intermittent fever, enlarged organs such as liver and spleen.
- Coccidia are protozoa that inhabit the intestinal epithelial tissue of many animals. Some species of coccidiosis are pathogens such as coccidiosis. In humans, this disease occurs with a hangover and gastroenteritis or enteritis.
Genera: balantidia. The detachment of protozoa living in the large intestine is the cause of such a disease as infectious dysentery (ascariasis).
Diagnosis and treatment of protozoan helminths
Very often, when the presence of helminths in the body occurs without symptoms, the disease goes undiagnosed for a long time. Invasion can be suspected by specific symptoms and it can be detected only with the help of laboratory tests for stool, urine, blood, fluid obtained by puncturefrom different organs and systems.
In medical practice, there are general principles for the treatment of invasive protozoa:
- antiparasitic drugs;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- drug addiction;
- With manifestations of a secondary bacterial infection, antibiotics are narrowly targeted.
The specific treatment is prescribed by the doctor, based on the type of protozoan and the degree of invasion.