Recently, news from the Netherlands has thundered in the scientific world.17 volunteers agreed to inject dangerous parasites into their blood - schistosomes (which cause the serious disease schistosomiasis).According to scientists, this disease kills 200,000 people worldwide 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 made public;it is also unknown what happened to the 17 people who risked their health for the sake of science.But one thing is clear: parasites continue to keep the whole world on their toes.
More than 7 billion people live on Earth.And a third of them carry worms (colloquially - 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: every year millions of people die from parasitic diseases.Tropical regions are particularly affected, where conditions are ideal for the spread of all unpleasant things (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 developed a draft regulatory law that clearly regulates the work to combat helminthiasis.It is clear that the problem is serious.
There are different types of helminths - round and flat, in water, on land, in animal feces, etc.they are alive, but all of them are very dangerous.They usually enter the human body through contaminated water or food.But sometimes eating with dirty hands is enough for the parasite's larvae to enter and grow to tens of centimeters in the intestines.There are parasites that can enter the body through the skin of the feet if we walk barefoot on the ground where the larvae live.
Worms literally eat the body from the inside.They can cause jaundice, sepsis (blood poisoning), joint and nervous system problems (not counting endless vomiting, diarrhea and other intestinal problems).
Children are most often affected.They tend to forget to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, they often put dirty toys in their mouths, and while playing outside (especially in summer) they may eat some sand and sip dirty water from an open container.But adults also "threaten" worms with guns.
The most common helminthiasis are ascariasis, toxocariasis, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis and hookworm disease.The names are not a concern until you type them into a search engine and enter the "images" section - yes, such disgusting giant worms can live inside you.
Worms with nice names
Ascariasis- the most common helminthiasis, it accounts for 90% of infections, so we will cover it in more detail.Roundworms are long, ugly worms that invade the human small intestine.800 million cases of ascariasis are registered worldwide every year.
The source of infection is the same unwashed fruits, vegetables and berries.There are different types of roundworms: some that infect animals, but there is a separate species for humans.In other words, you cannot get ascariasis from an animal.
As mentioned above, children most often get parasites because of their relaxed behavior.In the case of ascariasis, all age groups of the rural population are also at risk - they often come into contact with the soil, where ascaris larvae hide.The main symptoms of ascariasis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, poor appetite, unbearable rectal itching, high fever.
Among the complications of ascariasis (they occur when the parasites are not detected for a long time) are intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).There are cases when roundworms that have already grown to their maximum size inside a person (which is almost 30 cm) have crawled into the lungs, throat and sinuses.This is how patients discovered them.
Just imagine - a long white worm crawling inside your stomach.It is not known exactly whether the infected person always feels the movement of the roundworm inside him.In any case, you can listen to yourself.
There are other, less common helminthiasis.It's caused by a cheeky worm called "Toxocara".toxocariasis.It can also be caught from dogs.The symptoms will be different - fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, skin rash.
At the pathogentrichocephalosisA simpler name is whipworm.Outwardly, it looks like a small whip.Most often, this disease is usually asymptomatic, and when the number of parasites does not exceed the limit, the symptoms start similar to ascariasis.
Worms belonging to the genus Strongyloides stercoralis (pathogensstrongyloidiasis) - these are the same reptiles that can penetrate a person through the skin (even intact).You can get infected the same wayhookworm.If this happens, severe itching occurs in the place where the worms crawled, and over time, the patient develops diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a rash.
These are just some of the types of helminthiasis - there are hundreds of species in total, each of which has its own characteristics.
And most importantly, you can die from worms.Fortunately, this doesn't happen often, but parasites are created to live off their host's resources.The worms eat the internal organs from the inside and can get into the lungs and even the heart - all this poses a huge threat to life.They also produce toxins that enter the blood, which means that this poison spreads throughout the body.
Only the timely removal of helminths from the body can save you from the inevitable serious consequences.
Find it and neutralize it
It's worth understanding that worms can often live happily in the body until a stool test separates them.Millions of eggs will be laid in the intestines, but symptoms may never appear.The larvae and parasites themselves can be found in the excrement.
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 a dozen other diseases, and a skin rash is a sign of a completely different disease.If you notice any symptoms similar to a parasite infection, see a doctor immediately.
Helminthiasis is diagnosed by examining the stool.There are serodiagnostic methods: ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent test - the blood is checked for the presence of specific antibodies that appear in it if one or another type of helminthiasis is infected).
Another reliable diagnostic method is an X-ray - on the image, the worms crawl through the intestines (or other places).A blood and urine test is necessary to determine the level of poisoning in the body and to prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Pharmaceutical companies have long produced a number of anthelmintic drugs that effectively help get rid of worms.Treatment of helminthiasis takes an average of 3-5 days.The treatment can most often be performed on an outpatient basis - you do not need to stay in the hospital (unless you have already developed complications).
If you didn't understand yet, we remind you: worms can catch anyone, regardless of gender, age and social status.Of course, don't forget to eat clean vegetables and other foods, keep dishes clean, and always wash your hands before lunch.If you travel often, especially to tropical countries in Asia and Africa, all hygiene rules should be followed twice as carefully.