Askaridozom called a fairly common worldwide parasitic disease, which is caused by roundworms. It is very dangerous, because the larvae of this parasite can penetrate almost all organs and cause tissue damage. In some cases, ascariasis leads to serious health problems that can result in death. Especially this disease is dangerous for children, because sometimes causes them to lag behind in mental and physical development. To protect yourself from this disease you need to know what are the ways of transferring the ascarids to a person.
The transfer of ascarids is possible only from person to person. But this does not mean that you can get sick after a household contact with a sick person. To understand this, you need to know not only the transmission of ascaris, but also the life cycle of these worms. Eggs of these parasites must necessarily ripen in the ground, only then they become contagious. That's why often these worms are called geohelminths.
Only when ripe in the soil, they can get into the human body, for example, by using unwashed strawberries. First the eggs penetrate the intestine, they have five protective membranes, which are subsequently discarded. From eggs appear larvae, which through the walls of the intestine penetrate into the blood vessels, and then spread to all organs.
They then penetrate into the lungs, and from there, along with phlegm enter the throat, again swallow the patient and re-enter the intestine. Here they already become adults and begin to multiply actively. Eggs stand out together with feces, but they are still immature, as they only ripen in the soil. That is why ascaris is transmitted only through food contaminated with soil, as well as non-compliance with hygiene rules. The answer to the question whether this type of worm is transmitted through household contact with the patient is negative.
How are the ascarids transmitted?
The path of transmission of this disease from person to person, but after the eggs of parasites mature in the earth. That is why the peak of infection usually occurs in the spring and summer, when people go to the cottages, to the nature. Unwashed vegetables from the garden, dirty hands, water from dubious sources - all these are the main factors in the transmission of ascaridosis.
Consider the common transmission pathways that can lead to invasion by ascarids, namely:
- Waterway. Already mature eggs can be viable even in water. Ascaridosis can be transmitted through contaminated water. Open water bodies, lakes are risk zones, which can contain many kinds of different parasites. During bathing, eggs can be accidentally swallowed by adults or children.
- Contact-household way. Since infection occurs only through soil, the transmission route of this disease can be contact-household. For example, already invasive eggs can get into the house together with dirty shoes. If you do not wash your hands before eating, they can get into food, dishes and become a source of infection. To the child, ascarids can be transmitted through toys, dirty hands, and if the child likes to play in the sandbox, then infection is difficult to avoid. It is difficult to save young children from infection, because they are very curious and try to taste everything, including sand.
- Nutritional pathway. Sometimes it is tempting to eat a ripe strawberry right from the garden or "pick" a freshly picked cucumber. But we should always remember that this way and transmitted ascariasis. Particles of soil with eggs are kept on unwashed vegetables and fruits. Especially there are a lot of them where the ground is fertilized with feces. In addition, the disease can spread because of the bad habits of people all try in the market.
Eggs of parasites surround us everywhere, people do not even think that they are on money bills, on handrails in public transport, in the dust. Also, this disease can be transmitted through insects. That's why you need to close the food well, so that flies do not sit on it.
Is ascariasis transmitted from dogs and cats?
Many people, seeing in the feces of their pets of white long worms, think that this is a cat or dog's roundworm. But in fact this is an erroneous view that this disease can not be transmitted from dogs and cats, because the source of infection is a person. This type of worm has no intermediate hosts.
There are cases when human ascarids were found in the body of animals. But they can not live in the body of animals. Such a worm, most likely, will simply come out with feces outside and can not develop outside the human body.
The only animal in the body, which was found adult ascarids, capable of reproduction - it's pigs. But so far, no one has proved whether such a worm can live in the human body, no one has tested it.
From all of the above it becomes clear that you can not get ascarids from cats and dogs, but you can pick up other equally dangerous parasites from them. White worms in the feces of domestic animals are toxocarans, which also pose a danger to humans especially for children. If you see worms in the feces of animals, then you must definitely give them antihelminthic drugs.
Anthelminthic treatment for pets is recommended to be carried out twice a year, regardless of whether the pet is walking for a walk or not. Ascarids can be transmitted from domestic animals if the pet has fallen in the ground and the soil remains on its wool, or the cat has lain on the floor in the corridor where the owners walk with dirty shoes. In other cases, it is not possible to get a disease from pets.
Are there ascarids in fish?
In human fish, ascarids are not found, so you can not catch them when using it. But in some cases, the fish can still become a cause of infection, for example, if it contains particles of soil, that is, it is not washed properly. But in any case, fish in raw form should not be eaten, especially riverine, because it contains other equally dangerous parasites, namely clonorchosis and opisthorchiasis. Sushi lovers should think about the possible consequences.
The ways of transmission of ascariasis are already clear, therefore, in order to avoid infection, one should only observe hygiene, before each meal, after the street and contact with pets, you must wash your hands. You need to drink water from reliable sources. If possible, avoid bathing in dirty lakes, they can be breeding grounds for various parasites. When symptoms of helminthic invasion occur, it is necessary to be examined. Disturbance of digestion, weakness, anemia, allergy - all these symptoms can indicate ascaridosis.
There are several ways of transferring this parasitic disease, as a rule, it is contact with the ground. That is why people related to agriculture and children are at risk. In children, immunity is poorly developed, so intestinal parasites are not uncommon in them. But since all helminths adversely affect health, they should always be disposed of.