When it comes to parasites in the body, most people think of worms in the intestines. However, other parasites are also common, which are quite difficult to diagnose and affect other organs, not the intestines.
These are the simplest microscopics (most often parasites), which may not appear in any way for a long time. However, the simplest parasites can cause significant damage to the body.
Giardia
Giardia is a microscopic flagellate 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, other mammals and birds can also be infected with it. The parasite can form a cyst in the localization organ.
Giardia is present in improperly treated tap water, as well as in natural sources - springs, wells. They can be found in the meat of an infected animal or bird, in small amounts in the stool of an infected animal, sometimes they survive in the soil, so they are present on vegetables and berries.
Usually the infection occurs via the fecal-oral route, that is, for the development of the invasion it is necessary to swallow a large number of parasitic cysts. Usually children from three months and adults are sick.
Most often the disease is asymptomatic, and the patient learns about it by chance. But sometimes there is a certain symptomatology (constantly or intermittently). Symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract are revealed:
- Stomach ache;
- Bloating;
- Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- Rumbling in the stomach;
- Constipation and diarrhea alternate;
- Dyskinesia of the bile ducts;
- skin allergies;
- General weakness.
Like intracellular parasites, lamblia is treated primarily with metronidazole. However, at the first stage of treatment it is necessary to eliminate intoxication and normalize the work of the bile ducts. Only after that, antiparasitic treatment is prescribed. After that, therapy is carried out with the aim of restoring the body's defenses and increasing immunity.
Amoeba
Amoeba are the simplest human parasites that cause amoebic dysentery or amebiasis.
There are also varieties of amoeba which can affect the eyes. Cause amoebic encephalitis, but they are less common. The invasion is not the most frequent, only 10% of people are sick, according to the WHO (while for giardiasis, this figure, according to some sources, is 50%).
Amoeba are transmitted exclusively by the fecal-oral route, that is, as in the previous case, amoebae form cysts that must be swallowed for the infection to develop.
The likelihood of being infected is higher in countries with hot climates and poor sanitary conditions. Cysts can retain the ability to infect for a long 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, 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. Most often, the liver is affected, because after two to three weeks pain appears, the organ grows and thickens.
Toxoplasm
Toxoplasmosis is a disease that causes Toxoplasma gondi. It is the simplest organism, which is distributed mainly by the representatives of the feline family who are the carriers. An infected person is also able to spread it.
It is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. You can get infected by eating poorly processed meat from infected animals and birds, as well as eggs. To a lesser extent, but still susceptible to blood transmission, in the presence of injuries (for example, when working with contaminated soil in the garden), as well as in contact with mucous membranes.
It is most often asymptomatic and is diagnosed by chance, like many viruses, for example, in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the acute form, healing often occurs independently. Pregnant women require treatment with drugs containing pyrimethamine (which are used to treat intracellular parasites).
Plasmodium
Plasmodia are intracellular parasites responsible for malaria. Five types of pathogens are capable of parasitizing in humans. In addition, they are localized in the blood, being on the membranes of its cells.
The disease is transmitted by blood (for example, by a transfusion). It is also tolerated by certain types of mosquitoes when bitten, as it is the mosquitoes that are the intermediate hosts for Plasmodium. As a result, the person becomes infected with malaria.
These mosquitoes (and, therefore, disease) are common in hot countries, mainly in Africa.
Malaria has severe symptoms that begin to appear 5 to 7 days after infection. The first symptoms are joint pain, fever, severe chills. Then headache, enlarged spleen join together.
Treatment is carried out with quinine preparations strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
Trichomonads
It is 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 exclusively through sexual contact. In women, they live in the vagina, Trichomonas in men - in the urethra, seminal vesicles, prostate.
In women, the symptoms are: vaginal discharge, itching and redness of the skin of the genitals, pain during urination and intercourse, inflammation of the vaginal lining. In men: discharge from the urethra (rarely, with blood), pain when urinating, symptoms of prostatitis with prostate involvement.
It is necessary to treat the disease in both partners. He is treated with anti-trichomonas drugs strictly individually and under the supervision of a doctor. In some cases, immune or symptomatic treatment is necessary.