When it comes to parasites in the body, most people think of intestinal worms. However, other types of parasites are also common, difficult to diagnose, and affect organs other than the intestines.
These are the simplest microorganisms (usually parasites), which may not appear for a long time. However, the simplest parasites can cause significant harm to the body.
Giardia
Giardia is a microscopic flagellate parasite with two nuclei and two sets of organelles.
Giardiasis in humans is caused by the most common parasite - intestinal lamblia. In addition to humans, other mammals and birds can also become infected from them. The parasite can form a cyst in the localized organ.
Giardia is present in poorly treated tap water, as well as in natural sources - springs, wells. They can be found in the meat of infected animals or poultry, in small quantities in the feces of infected animals, sometimes in soil, where they are present on vegetables and berries.
Usually, infection occurs by the fecal-oral route, that is, for the development of an infestation, it is necessary to swallow a significant number of parasitic cysts. Usually, children from three months of age and adults get sick.
Usually, the disease has no symptoms and the patient learns about it by accident. But sometimes there are some symptoms (continuous or intermittent). Symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract are revealed:
- Stomachache;
- Blistering;
- Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- Rumbling in the abdomen;
- Constipation and diarrhea alternate;
- Dysfunction of the biliary tract;
- Skin allergies;
- General weakness.
Like intracellular parasites, lamblia are treated primarily with metronidazole. However, at the first stage of therapy, it is necessary to eliminate intoxication and normalize the work of the biliary tract. Only after this treatment is prescribed antiparasitic therapy. Then therapy is carried out aimed at restoring the body's defenses and increasing immunity.
Amoeba
Amoeba is the simplest human parasite that causes amoebic dysentery or amoebic disease.
There are also many types of amoeba that can affect the eyes. Causes amoebic encephalitis, but they are less common. According to WHO, only 10% of people have invasive disease (while for giardiasis, this figure is, according to some sources, 50%).
The amoeba is transmitted entirely by the fecal-oral route, i. e. , as in the previous case, the amoeba cyst must be swallowed for infection to develop.
Infection is higher in countries with hot climates and poor sanitation. The cysts can remain infectious for long periods of time in soil, in water, on vegetables and berries grown on contaminated soil. Cockroaches and flies carry these cysts to some extent.
Like intracellular parasites, amoebas cause symptoms only 7-10 days after infection. Symptoms of colitis appear: abdominal pain (in the lower part), general weakness, a slight increase in body temperature. Most often, the liver is affected, because after two to three weeks the pain appears in it, the organ grows and thickens.
Toxoplasma
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondi. This is the simplest organism, which is distributed mainly by representatives of the cat family as its carrier. Infected people are also contagious.
It is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. You can become infected by eating the meat of infected animals and birds, as well as thoroughly cooked eggs. To a lesser extent, but still capable of being transmitted by 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 is diagnosed incidentally, as with many viruses, during enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In the acute form, cure occurs, often, independently. Pregnant women need treatment with the drug pyrimethamine (used to treat intracellular parasites).
Plasmodium
Plasmodia are intracellular parasites that cause malaria. Five types of pathogens are capable of parasitizing humans. Moreover, they are localized in the blood, located on its cell membranes.
Diseases transmitted by blood (eg, by blood transfusion). It is also tolerated by some mosquitoes when bitten, as mosquitoes are intermediate hosts of plasmodium. As a result, the person becomes infected with malaria.
These mosquitoes (and thus the disease) are common in hot countries, mainly in Africa.
Malaria has severe symptoms and begins to manifest 5-7 days after infection. The first symptoms are joint pain, fever, chills. Then headache, spleen enlargement involved.
Treatment is carried out with quinine preparations strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
Trichomonas
These are the simplest human parasites that cause trichomoniasis. Affects the human genitourinary system. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease and also the most common disease of the genitourinary system.
Transmitted purely through sexual contact. In women, they live in the vagina, Trichomonas in men - in the urethra, seminal vesicles, prostate gland.
In women, the symptoms are as follows: vaginal discharge, 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, accompanied by blood), pain during urination, symptoms of prostatitis with prostate lesions.
It is necessary to treat the disease in both partners. It is treated with strict anti-trichomoniasis individually and under the supervision of a physician. In some cases, immunotherapy or symptomatic therapy is required.