The simplest helminths( worms) in humans

Today, diseases caused by numerous species of protozoa and helminths are widespread. The danger of such ailments is due not only to complications and malfunctions in the body, to which the simplest and worms in humans lead, but also the complexity of diagnosing the disease due to the similarity of symptoms with various ailments of a nonparasitic nature.

Helminths and protozoa cause:

• abnormalities in the digestive tract( constipation, diarrhea, vomiting);
• skin allergic reactions;
• general intoxication of the body;
• muscle and joint pain;
• dehydration.

To avoid a diagnostic error and the appointment of an inadequate course of treatment, which, at best, will simply be ineffective, and at worst may cause complications, it is necessary to determine exactly the species of helminths and the degree of infection of their bodies.

Ways of infection with the simplest helminths

All worms enter the body from the outside. The same is true of the simplest helminths. In the environment they live in the soil, reservoirs. In addition to unwashed hands, eating poor-quality products, they can be infected in everyday life, in contact with the carrier.

The simplest worms that live in humans belong to the class of unicellular organisms. Infection is called protozoosis. Depending on the type and degree of invasion, the course of the disease can be severe, even causing the death of the patient.

Which helminths are called protozoans?

The simplest helminths can have a body of permanent shape( infusoria and flagella) and a variable one - a bright representative of amoeba. Their dimensions are very small and range from 4-5 micrometers to 1-3 millimeters. Often the cell of these microorganisms has several nuclei. As the organs of movement are the pseudopods, cilia and flagella. The process of reproduction, depending on the species, occurs by dividing in half or a complex sexual method.

To protect themselves from unfavorable external conditions, as well as for further spreading, the simplest helminths can be converted into cysts, which are cells that are covered by a protective shell. This makes it possible, in the case of falling into a favorable environment, from the immobile cyst to be transformed into an active state.

There are often situations when the carrier's body does not even notice the simplest helminths parasitizing it. In other cases, the invasion results in the death of the carrier. For example, some species of antelope in Africa are permanent "masters" of trypanosomatides. A bite of a person with a tsetse fly, which is a carrier of these helminths, can infect it and cause a sleeping sickness, known for its danger to life.

The most studied simple helminths

Parasites in the body of people that belong to the flagellate class:

1. Giardia is a parasite, usually found in the intestines, bile ducts, vertebrate liver( humans and animals).They can be transmitted through food, water and other factors. This group of protozoa is the cause of a disease such as giardiasis - a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, namely the small intestine. Many patients infected with Giardia do not feel any obvious symptoms.
2. Leishmania are the simplest helminths carried by mosquitoes. After a bite of human insects, there is a high probability of getting leishmaniasis. Symptoms of the disease are defeat of the skin, mucous and some internal organs, often signs of the disease becomes fever and anemia.
3. Trypanosomatidy - protozoa, the carrier of which are insects. When the organism is infected, trypanosomiasis is caused. This disease is characterized by a prolonged course. Depending on the type of trypanosomatid, various systems and organs are affected.
4. Amoeba dysentery parasitizes in the intestines. The invasion is carried out in the form of 4 nuclear cysts. Although amoeba dysentery occurs almost everywhere, the most frequent cases of infection are recorded in tropical countries. Amoeba is the cause of such an infectious protozoal disease in humans as amoebiasis. The clinical picture of the disease is ulcerative colitis, which is characterized by relapses and exacerbations. Also there are cases of extra-intestinal form of amebiasis - these simple helminths pass from the intestine to other organs and even to the skin. The last form of the disease was called amoebiasis of the skin - on the buttocks and in the perineum there are obvious ulcerative necrotic symptoms.
5. Trichomonases cause trichomoniasis. Several subspecies of Trichomonas have been studied. Intestine, the area of ​​parasitization of which is located in the large intestine and does not bring much harm to the intestine. The area of ​​parasitism of urogenital Trichomonas, as can be seen from the name - the genitourinary system. Infection is sexually transmitted. This subspecies of protozoa is the cause of a disease such as trichomoniasis. This infectious disease is manifested by inflammatory phenomena in the genitourinary system. Oral Trichomonas parasitizes in the mouth, there is no danger to humans.

Sporrolistic species of protozoa represented by malarial plasmodium and coccidia:

1. Malarial plasmodium, transmitted by mosquitoes and causing malaria, is the simplest microorganism. He parasitizes in the blood. Malaria in the infected parasite is manifested by such symptoms: hypochromic anemia, fever attacks, an increase in organs such as the liver and spleen.
2. Coccidia - the simplest, living in the epithelial tissue of the intestines of many animals. A number of coccidia species are causative agents of a disease such as coccidiosis. In humans, this disease occurs with a slight intoxication and gastroenteritis or enteritis.

Infusoria: balantidia. This squad of protozoa, living in the large intestine, is the cause of such a disease, as infusional dysentery( balantidiasis).

Diagnosis and treatment of the simplest helminths

Very often, when the presence of helminths in the body proceeds without symptoms, the disease is not diagnosed for a long time. It is possible to suspect the invasion according to specific symptoms, but to reveal only with the help of laboratory studies of feces, urine, blood, liquids obtained by puncture from various organs and systems.

In medical practice, there are general principles for the treatment of protozoal invasion:

• antiparasitic drugs( Metronidazole);
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs( Ibuprofen);
• preparations for detoxification;
• with the appearance of secondary bacterial infection, narrowly directed antibiotics.

Specific treatment is prescribed by a physician, based on the type of simple helminth and degree of invasion.