Specialists claim that up to 30% of the population is infected with protozoan microorganisms that parasitize in the human intestine. The causes of protozoal diseases lie in poor sanitary conditions, in the existence of a low level of personal hygiene. Most often, humanity suffers from lamblia - in humans only one species of giardia - L. Intestinalis - parasitizes. When a large colony of protozoan microorganisms settles in the small intestine of a human, lambliasis occurs. Its course can vary from a subclinical form to a severe stage. Where do microscopic parasites come from, why is there a danger of infection, what is the source of the infection? The answers in this article.
Before we start to list the causes of lamblias and tell you where they come from, it should be noted that the main source of danger is the person and his lifestyle. The main reason is the ingestion of the children of the causative agent of giardiasis - the simplest microorganism from L. Intestinalis. Where does it come from? There are only three routes of transmission of infection:
- Fecal-oral.
- Water.
- Contact-household.
The main causes of Giardiasis
The mechanism of penetration into the causative organism of Giardiasis is clearly manifested if it is imposed on the lamblia life cycle. Dirty hands and food, the use of unboiled water and bathing in dirty bodies of water - a direct way of penetration into the stomach of cyst parasites. Gastric juice does not destroy their dense shell, so the cysts easily penetrate further into the duodenum. There, under the action of digestive juices, cysts are destroyed. From one cyst, two vegetative forms are obtained, with the help of flagella they easily attach to the upper mucous layer of the intestine and begin to actively parasitize, feeding on digested chyme. The vegetative forms of Giardia are able to descend into the large intestine. There they degenerate into cysts. They, together with the feces, go out into the environment and become the causes of the origin of the protozoal infection.
Giardia cysts in wet feces live up to three weeks, in water they are able to survive for two months. They are not afraid of ultraviolet rays and chlorine, but die at very low temperatures( -15 degrees) and at boiling. Therefore, the use of unboiled water is the main cause of the development of lambliasis. Ingestion of one cyst is already an excuse for unrest. But infestation in children and in an adult develops when inside comes from ten cysts or more.
A patient may excrete a different amount of cysts along with a stool. Much depends on the intensity of the infection. There is only one known fact: in the summer-autumn period, the number of cysts released lamblia increases. The reasons for this phenomenon are that during this period a person consumes more coarse fiber. It, like a brush, cleans the body, contributing to the removal of more pathogenic microorganisms.
Who is at risk for infection with Giardia?
Children under one year do not suffer from giardiasis. But the threshold of the incidence of children from one year to two, visiting nurseries and kindergartens, increases to 35%.In boys and girls from three to four years, this figure is increased to 70%.In adolescents, giardiasis is detected much more rarely, only 9% of them are carriers of the pathogen. Adults also get sick. Today, the disease is considered the most cosmopolitan infection, it is common where there is a low level of personal hygiene. In developed countries, it is high, so infection is rare.
The cause of infection is only a person. Lamblias parasitizing in the body of mammals and birds are not pathogenic to humans. Most outbreaks are associated with water. The cause of infection can become food products, on which cysts live for two days. The causative agent of Giardiasis can be transmitted from person to person. The contact path is the main cause of infection of young children.
There are also rare reasons. Where else can microscopic parasites appear? Medicine knows cases when the baby becomes infected during labor. Another rare reason - anal sex.
Causes of acute and chronic forms of Giardiasis
The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the child's body and in the body of an adult can manifest itself in different ways. The simplest microorganisms can cause an acute form of giardiasis. It develops when a large area of the small intestine is affected. The causative agent is capable of provoking severe diarrhea, a slight increase in temperature. The patient almost always complains of general weakness, fast fatigue, sleep disorders, decreased immunity and frequent headaches.
Symptoms of acute stage are able to calm down without treatment, but insufficient attention to such an infection often causes the appearance of a chronic form of the disease.
In neglected condition, the described disease becomes the reason for the decrease in muscle tone, the appearance of atopic dermatitis. With palpation of the liver, there is the appearance of pain. In chronic stages of intestinal distress, bloating and nausea become constant companions of a person. Knowing about the causes of infection, where the lamblia come from or appear, how the pathogen gets inside the human body, who is the main source of danger, you can try to prevent the development of infection.
To save health helps to carry out simple preventive measures:
- It is important to wash your hands every time after visiting the street and toilet.
- Drink only boiled water.
- Thoroughly before meals, wash vegetables and fruits( preferably pour them with boiling water).
The causes of the development of a chronic form of Giardiasis - ignoring the first symptoms of infection. Parents who bring up small children attending general educational institutions are required to take the child to the doctor once a year and take a referral to preventive analysis of stool. It is important to understand that pets can also become causes( sources) of infection, they are carriers of pathogens of various helminthic invasions, so the animal should be taken twice a year to be examined by a vet. Of course, giardiasis is not as scary as ascariasis or enterobiosis, but it can significantly undermine the health of children and adults, which is why it is so useful to know where the giardias come from, what causes infection, which causes complications.