Types of helminthic diseases. Signs of helminthiasis in adults What helminthic diseases can

Typically, eggs or larvae of worms enter the human body with contaminated food, unwashed vegetables and fruits. However, infection is also possible through unwashed hands. Helminthiasis spreads very quickly among children. Worms lay eggs on the skin around the anus, which often causes painful itching and forces the child to scratch the skin. Some types of worms enter the human body through insect bites. Infection of children with helminthic diseases can occur in a sandbox that contains dog or cat excrement. After worms, their eggs or larvae enter the human body, they settle in the organs and tissues most suitable for their development, for example, the small or large intestine, blood, lymph, liver, lungs, brain. The worms mature, multiply, leave the human body and find a new “host”, i.e. the cycle continues. Patients and children are especially susceptible to helminthiasis.

Treatment of helminthic diseases

There are several highly effective, and at the same time completely harmless to humans, drugs that destroy worms, their larvae and eggs located in the patient’s body. If tapeworms are present, medications are prescribed to kill adult tapeworms. So-called anthelmintic drugs have a wider spectrum of action and act on several types of worms. Indispensable conditions for successful deworming are the simultaneous treatment of all family members and strict adherence to a hygienic regime to prevent re-infection. In some cases, it becomes necessary to remove an organ or part of it affected by worms.

Self-medication for helminthic diseases is unacceptable. Home remedies such as garlic and tree fern only work against certain types of worms. Before using these remedies, it is necessary to find out what type of helminthiasis the patient suffers from. In case of helminthic disease, it is best to consult a doctor immediately.

The most important helminthic diseases

Are tapeworms dangerous?

Almost all types of tapeworm develop in the body of an intermediate host. They enter the human body along with contaminated foods: meat, fruits, vegetables, drinking water. Tapeworm eggs can be found in the fur of pets, and through physical contact they can enter the human body. Bull tapeworm grows up to 4-12 m long. Its final host is the human body, and intermediate hosts are cattle. A person becomes infected by eating poorly processed meat. When infected, initially there are no symptoms, but later colic, upset stool, weight loss appear, increased nervousness and fatigue develop, and you constantly want to eat. Pork tapeworm is more dangerous than bovine tapeworm. Since the larvae are often localized in the eyes, spinal cord and brain, loss of vision, severe headaches, mental disorders, convulsions, and paralysis occur. Often this can threaten a person's life. Wide tapeworm - up to 15 m long. A person becomes infected by eating poorly cooked or fried fish. Signs of the disease - weakness, dizziness, drooling, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation - are often mild. A characteristic sign is the appearance of bright red painful spots and cracks on the tongue.

If multichamber echinococcus infects an organ, then the operation does not make sense, since the larvae destroy all the tissue of the organ. This form usually affects the liver. Despite intensive treatment, almost all patients die.

Tapeworm eggs are spread by animals (dogs, foxes, etc.) and are found in their excrement. Therefore, precautions should be taken when interacting with animals; fruits growing near the ground must be thoroughly washed before consumption.

Worms in humans can be suspected with a high probability based on certain symptoms, but helminthiasis clinically manifests itself only when worms multiply massively. In case of asymptomatic cases, laboratory tests will help to reliably diagnose helminthiasis.

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Worms - what are they?

How can you become infected with worms?

Main methods of infection:

lack of hygiene skills - dirty hands, working on the ground;
eating food contaminated with helminths - unwashed fruits and food that husbands ate, as well as insufficiently heat-treated meat and fish (kebabs, rare steak, smoked foods, sushi, etc.);
drinking unboiled water contaminated with worm eggs;
contact with animals that are natural reservoirs for worms - cats and dogs, wild animals (hunting, fishing, work on fur farms);
contact with a person with helminthiasis - a handshake, through bed linen, door handles, etc.

In what organs can worms live?

Entering the human body at the larval stage, most worms begin to grow and multiply in the small and large intestines. At the same time, large invasions can cause disruption of the outflow of bile and pathology of the pancreas due to disruption of enzyme synthesis.

Symptoms of worms in humans are perceived as a specific gastrointestinal disease (colitis, dysbacteriosis, biliary dyskinesia), but the treatment provided only a slight temporary improvement in the patient’s condition. Some types of worms enter the bloodstream, causing lung damage (cough due to ascariasis, paragonimiasis).

Other helminthic larvae, migrating with the blood, settle in other organs - the liver (echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis, clonorchiasis), lymph nodes (filarosis), genitourinary system (schistosomiasis) and brain (cysticercosis) and muscle tissue (trichinosis).

Symptoms of worms in humans, first signs

However, in addition to those characteristic of gastrointestinal lesions, there are signs indicating dysfunction of other organs.

Helminth infections also manifest themselves as skin rashes. At the same time, the nature of the skin rash is varied: from frequent allergic reactions and acne, to total furunculosis, fungal infection and neurodermatitis.

However, the main danger of helminthiasis is a significant increase in the risk of cancer. Modern medicine has established a clear relationship between helminthic infestations and the development of cancer. In this case, the main role is played by chronic damage to the intestinal mucosa and a general decrease in immune defense.

Diagnostics - how to find out if a person has worms?

There is a high probability of suspecting helminthiasis when passing the test:

itching of the anus;
excessive drooling and cravings for sweets;
nausea/vomiting and bitterness in the mouth;
frequent skin rashes;
anemia that cannot be stablely corrected with iron-containing medications;
brittle nails, peeling eyelids, dull and poorly growing hair;
constant insomnia or drowsiness;
frequent colds;
enlarged lymph nodes;
muscle discomfort.

Therefore, self-administration of these medications is not recommended. Only a doctor, relying on laboratory confirmation of the type of helminthiasis, can prescribe an effective medicine, its age-specific dosage and duration of use.

Important! Some deworming medications do not affect the larvae. Therefore, to prevent self-infection, the course of the drug is repeated after a certain period. The patient must follow hygiene rules to prevent the entry of worm eggs from the anal area into the mouth.

However, recovery is confirmed only after a three-time clean test for worm eggs.

Often people, especially when helminthiasis is detected in children, resort to folk remedies. Treatment of worms at home is carried out using pumpkin seeds and a subsequent cleansing enema, ingesting a clove of garlic. People often resort to using tansy infusion: it should be used with caution, the medicinal herb is toxic and can provoke uterine contractions.

However, the effectiveness of treatment with such methods is very doubtful; as a rule, their use should be long-term. Home recipes are not a complete alternative to drug therapy prescribed by your doctor!

Echinococcosis - what is it? Symptoms in humans...

They are a group of infectious diseases caused by a wide range of different parasitic worms called helminths. Thus, it is obvious that helminths are groups of parasitic worms that can cause various diseases in humans. Accordingly, the name of the group of infections (helminthiases) comes from the name of the class of parasitic helminth worms.

Helminths and helminthiasis - general characteristics and essence of the disease

Helminths are a large and diverse group of worms that parasitize the human body. And all diseases caused by these worms are collectively called helminthiases. In fact, each type of worm causes a specific helminthiasis, characterized by its own clinical manifestations, course characteristics, methods of treatment and prevention, as well as routes of infection and outcome options. Each helminthiasis has its own name, which is given to it from the Latin name of the parasitic worm that provoked it. For example, roundworms cause ascariasis, trichinella - trichinosis, pinworms - enterobiasis, etc. But in general, all parasitic infections caused by different worms are united under the general term "helminthiasis".

In addition, all types of helminths, depending on their localization in a specific organ in the human body, are divided into two types:

Intestinal or luminal helminths (some cestodes and trematodes);
Extraintestinal helminths or tissue helminths (most nematodes).

It is also customary to divide helminths into types depending on the routes of their penetration into the body:

Oral (enter the body through the mouth with unwashed vegetables and fruits, contaminated meat, etc.);
Percutaneous (enter the body through intact skin).

Photos of helminths

Below we have placed photographs depicting the most common helminths found in humans.

Picture 1– Liver fluke.

Figure 2– Cat fluke (opisthorch).

Figure 3– Bovine (top) and pork tapeworm (bottom).

Figure 4– Echinococcus.

Figure 5– Ascarids.

Figure 6– Pinworm (pathogen of enterobiasis).

Figure 7- Nekator.

For some helminth infections, the source of infection is exclusively another already infected person, for others it is sick people and animals, and for others it is only animals. Thus, transmission from person to person is typical for ascariasis, trichuriasis, enterobiasis, hookworm disease, hymenolepiasis, taeniasis, etc. The following helminthiases are transmitted from animals and humans - fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, dracunculiasis, diphyllobothriasis, Japanese schistosomiasis, etc. And exclusively from animals Echinococcosis, alveococcosis and trichinosis are transmitted to humans.

Infection with helminths in humans can occur in various ways, such as:

Oral-fecal (worms, their larvae or eggs enter the body with contaminated water or food, for example, poorly washed vegetables and fruits or insufficiently heat-treated animal products - meat, cheese, milk, etc.). This route of infection is typical for enterobiasis, ascariasis, etc.
Percutaneous (worms, their larvae or eggs enter the body through intact skin and mucous membranes). This route of infection is typical for schistosomes and hookworms.
Transmissible inoculation (worms or their larvae enter the human body through an insect bite).

The table below shows the routes and sources of human infection with the most common helminthiases.

Helminths localized in the liver, biliary tract, pancreas and duodenum are identified by examining a sample of bile and the contents of the duodenum.

In addition, in the chronic stage, helminths lead to activation of the immune system, resulting in allergization and damage to internal organs by constantly formed circulating immune complexes. As a result, the human body loses resistance to infections and begins to get sick often.

In general, we can say that various helminthiases are characterized by the appearance of the following clinical syndromes:

1. Toxic-allergic (develops in the acute stage):

Fever;
Pain in muscles and joints;
Skin rash;
Edema;
Increased number of blood eosinophils;
Hepatitis;

2. Local damage syndrome - symptoms of trouble appear on the part of the affected organ.

3. Malnutrition syndrome - helminths rob the human body by eating incoming nutrients, resulting in protein deficiency, vitamin deficiency, and anemia.

Helminth infections in children are manifested by symptoms of intoxication (fever, weakness, pain in joints and muscles, etc.), allergic reactions and the syndrome of a frequently ill child.

Enterobiasis occurs most often in children (up to 75% of all cases of helminthiasis). In this case, the child complains of itching in the anus. The second most common helminthiasis in children is ascariasis, in which the child suffers from intestinal obstruction.

In more rare cases, children become infected with ancistomosis and trichuriasis, which are manifested by fever, deterioration in general health, pain in the muscles and abdomen, cough and upset stool.

Anthelmintic drugs are classified into the following groups depending on which types of worms they have a detrimental effect on:

a) Opisthorchiasis– a helminthic disease caused by the cat (Siberian) fluke – a flatworm 4-13 mm long.

With opisthorchiasis, pain occurs in the epigastric region, in the right hypochondrium, sometimes in the muscles and joints, fever, dizziness, nausea, and in some cases vomiting. The diagnosis of opisthorchiasis is made when infected cat fluke eggs are found in the feces or bile.

b) Tenidoses– helminthic diseases caused by tapeworms – taeniids (tapeworms). In humans, two diseases are distinguished: taeniarinchiasis, the causative agent of which is the bovine tapeworm, and taeniasis, caused by the pork tapeworm.

The effect of tapeworms on the human body is expressed in irritation of the nerve nodes of the intestines, and most importantly, in the absorption of nutrients from the intestines. Patients with taeniasis complain of loss of appetite, nausea, less often vomiting, salivation, general weakness, headaches, dizziness. The outcome of the disease is usually favorable, but without treatment the disease can last a very long time. The diagnosis is made based on the detection of tapeworm segments in the feces.

c) Ascariasis– a helminthic disease caused by roundworms – roundworms.

In the early stage of invasion, the diagnosis can be confirmed by the detection of roundworm larvae during sputum microscopy, as well as positive serological reactions with antigen from helminth larvae . Pay attention to the hemogram - an increased content of eosinophils is detected (20 - 30% or more). In the late phase, the leading diagnostic method is the detection of roundworm eggs in feces. A repeat study is necessary.

Characteristics	Opisthorchiasis	Enterobiasis	Ascaridiosis	Taeniasis	Teniarinhoz
1. Name of the worm	Cat (Siberian) fluke	Pinworm	Ascaris	Pork tapeworm	Bull tapeworm
2. Classification position	Class Trematodes (flukes) biohelminths	Class Nematodes (round), contagious helminths	Class Nematodes (round), geohelminths		Class Cestodes (tape), biohelminths
3. Appearance	Lanceolate body, about 1 cm, has 2 suckers, hermaphrodite	Round, white, up to 1 cm. The end of the body is pointed, in males it is twisted	Round, white, females up to 40 cm, males up to 20; The end of the body is pointed, in males it is curved with a hook	The body is divided into segments, up to 3 meters, on the head there are hooks and 4 suckers, hermaphrodites	The body is divided into segments, up to 10 meters, has a round head with suckers, hermaphrodites
4. Invasive beginning	larvae	eggs	eggs	eggs and segments, Finns in the muscles of pork meat	eggs and segments, Finns in beef muscles
5. Intermediate host	freshwater shellfish carp fish	No	No	pig	cattle
6. Final owner	people, dogs, cats, foxes	Human	Human	Human	Human
7. Source of invasion	humans, fish eaters	Human	Human	pork meat	beef meat
8. Transmission factors	fish	toys, dirty hands, door handles, etc.	dirty hands, vegetables, fruits, berries	soil, food, feces, unwashed vegetables	soil, hay, grass, cattle meat
9. Contagiousness	The person is not contagious	Man is contagious	The person is not contagious	Humans are contagious (rare)	The person is not contagious
10. Location	Bile, bile ducts	Small and large intestine	Pulmonary stage: intestines, lungs, liver. Intestinal stage: intestine	Small intestine	Small intestine
11. Clinic	Allergic manifestations: rash, hair, muscle, joint pain; later symptoms of liver damage	Itching in the perianal area, abdominal pain, loss of appetite	Pulmonary stage: cough, chest pain. Intestinal stage: nausea, abdominal pain	Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, intestinal disorders, joints are excreted in feces	Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, intestinal disorders, segments are actively crawling out of the anus
12. Diagnostics	Blood eosinophilia (20-30%), detection of eggs in bile and feces	Perianal scraping, sticky tape method	Pulmonary stage: sputum microscopy, esinophilia. Intestinal stage: stool microscopy (repeat)	Stool microscopy, serological tests, x-ray	Stool microscopy, perional scraping, sticky tape method, serological tests, anamnesis

Prevention. It is necessary to carry out preventive deworming. Follow the self-infection prevention regimen: wash the perianal area with soap and water, change and iron your underwear daily.

Laboratory diagnostics. Microscopy of a perianal scraping or impression of the skin in the anal area obtained using adhesive tape. The study must be carried out in the morning without first washing the body.

We looked at only a few helminthic diseases, there are many more. These are: diphyllobothriasis (wide tapeworm), hymenolepiasis (dwarf tapeworm), echinococcosis (echinococcus), trichinosis (trichinella), trichocephalosis (whipworm) and others.

Questions for self-control:

1. What are “biohelminths”?

2. What is the prevention of helminthiasis?

3. Name the ways in which humans become infected with helminths.

4. What are “contagious helminthiases”?

6. What helminthic disease is characterized by autoinvasion?

7. Tell us about the features of the life cycle of roundworms.

7 – migration of larvae to the lungs, bronchi, windpipe, esophagus and intestines; fertilization of the female roundworm, laying eggs and excreting them in feces.

8 – fertilization of the female roundworm, laying eggs and excreting them in feces.

Life cycle of the enterobiasis pathogen – Enterobius vermicularis

1 – autoinvasion through hands; 2 – infection through household items: bed linen, underpants, dust in living quarters; 3 – adults in the intestines; 4 – release of infective eggs.

Life cycle of the causative agent of Taeniarhynchus saginatus

1 – intermediate host; 2 – final owner; 3 – egg with oncosphere;

4 - movable segments.

Life cycle of the causative agent of opisthorchiasis – Opisthorchis felineus

A– definitive hosts – mammals; B– mollusk – the first intermediate host; IN– fish of the carp family – the second intermediate host; 1 – adult helminth; 2 - egg; 3 – miracidium; 4 – cercariae; 5 – metacercaria.