Recently, news from Holland resonated 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, every year this disease kills up to 200 thousand people around the world.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 good of science.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 are carriers of helminths (in common parlance, worms).These are parasites that cause serious and extremely unpleasant diseases (schistosoma is also a worm).At least these are the assessments given by the World Health Organization.
There are even worse data: millions of people die every year from parasitic diseases.Tropical regions are especially affected, where the conditions for the spread of anything unpleasant are ideal (high humidity, heat, unsanitary conditions).But even where there are few tropics, parasites are everywhere.
Every year, tens of thousands of people are treated for helminthiasis.For example, in early 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 fight against helminthiasis.It is evident that the problem is serious.
There are different helminths: round and flat, living in water, on land, in animal feces, etc., but they are all very dangerous.They generally enter the human body through contaminated water or food.But sometimes it is enough to eat with dirty hands for the parasite larvae to enter and grow in the intestines until they reach a size of tens of centimeters.There are types of parasites that can enter the body through the skin of the feet if you walk barefoot on the ground where the larvae live.
The worms literally eat the body from the inside.They can cause jaundice, sepsis (blood poisoning), joint and nervous system problems (not to mention endless vomiting, diarrhea and other intestinal problems).
Children are the most affected.They often forget to wash their hands before eating and after going to the bathroom, they often put dirty toys in their mouths, and while playing outdoors (especially in summer), they may eat some sand and drink dirty water from an open reservoir.But adults are also "at gunpoint" in search of worms.
The most common helminthiases are ascariasis, toxocariasis, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis and hookworm.The names don't cause concern until you type them into a search engine and go to the "Images" section;Yes, those huge, disgusting worms can live inside you.
Worms with beautiful names.
ascariasis- the most common helminthiasis, it accounts for 90% of infections, so we will dwell on it in more detail.Nematodes are long, nasty worms that attack the human small intestine.Up to 800 million cases of ascariasis are recorded worldwide each year.
The source of infection is the same unwashed fruits, vegetables and berries.There are different types of nematodes: there are those that infect animals, but there is a separate species for humans.That is, you cannot get infected with ascariasis from an animal.
As mentioned above, children often contract parasites due to their relaxed behavior.In the case of ascariasis, rural residents of all ages are also at risk: they often come into contact with the soil, where roundworm larvae hide.The main symptoms of ascariasis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, lack of appetite, unbearable anal itching and high fever.
Complications of ascariasis (they occur if 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 inside a person have already grown to their maximum size (which is almost 30 cm), crawl into the lungs, throat and sinuses.This is how the 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 intestinal worm inside him.You can listen to yourself just in case.
There are other rarer helminthiases.A worm with the bold name "Toxocara" causestoxocariasis.It can also be contracted from dogs.The symptoms will be different: fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, skin rash.
in the pathogentrichocephalosisA simpler name is whipworm.Outwardly it looks like a small whip.In most cases, this disease is generally asymptomatic and, if the number of parasites is already off scale, the symptoms begin as in ascariasis.
Worms of 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 way.hookworm.If this happens, there will be intense itching in the places where the worms have crawled, and over time the sick person will develop diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a rash.
These are just some of the types of helminthiasis: there are hundreds of species, each of which has its own characteristics.
And most importantly: you can die from worms.Fortunately, this does not happen often, but parasites are created to live off the resources of their host.The worms eat internal organs from the inside and can crawl into the lungs and even the heart;All this represents a great danger to life.In addition, they produce toxins that penetrate the blood, which means that this poison, in fact, spreads throughout the body.
Only timely removal of helminths from the body can save it from serious and inevitable consequences.
Find and neutralize
It is worth understanding that worms can often live happily ever after in the body until a stool test separates it.They will lay millions of eggs in your intestines, but symptoms may never appear.It is in the feces where the larvae of the parasites and themselves can be found.
It is important that the doctor does not confuse the symptoms of ascariasis or other helminthiases 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 illness.If you experience any symptoms similar to a parasitic infection, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by examining feces.There are serodiagnosis methods: ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent test: blood is checked for the presence of specific antibodies that appear when infected with one or another type of helminthiasis).
Another reliable diagnostic method is x-ray: the image will show worms crawling in your intestines (or elsewhere).Blood and urine tests are required to determine the level of intoxication in the body and prescribe the correct treatment.
Pharmaceutical companies have long been inventing many anthelmintic drugs that effectively help eliminate worms.On average, helminthiasis treatment lasts 3 to 5 days.In most cases, treatment can be performed on an outpatient basis;There is no need to stay in the hospital (unless you have already developed complications).
If you haven't understood yet, we remind you: worms can catch absolutely everything, regardless of gender, age and social status.Of course, don't forget to eat vegetables and other clean foods, keep your dishes clean, and always wash your hands before lunch.If you travel frequently, especially to tropical countries in Asia and Africa, you should follow all hygiene rules with double care.