What parasites live in the human body

Different types of worms can live in the human body. No one is immune from parasites, general information about helminths is important information for everyone. Knowing the ways of invasion and the characteristics of parasitism of various worms, it will be possible to significantly reduce the risk of infection. Consider the classification of types of worms.

roundworms

Roundworms are the most common type of worm. Another name for them is nematodes. This is a group of parasites whose body is circular in cross-section. Their length varies from 5 mm to 40 cm. They settle mainly in the intestines, but they can also be located in other organs and tissues.

The high prevalence of this parasite is due to its easy transmission. For development it is not necessary to change the owner. Nematodes are transmitted from person to person or by eating unwashed vegetables and fruits. Especially massive helminthosis of this type, called the disease of dirty hands, is diagnosed in children. Such representatives of nematodes settle in the human body:

1. Pinworms are small worms with a grayish body, 5-10 mm long. Localized in the intestines, they cause the disease enterobiasis. Infection occurs when the eggs enter the body through the mouth. Over the course of 2 weeks, the worm goes through a developmental cycle to become a sexually mature individual. These parasites live for 1-2 months, disrupting the normal functioning of the digestive tract, leading to exhaustion. What the worm looks like can be seen in the photo.
2. Roundworms are large worms that provoke the development of ascariasis. The length of their spindle-shaped body is 20-40 cm. They parasitize in the small intestine, but in the process of development they penetrate the liver, heart and lungs. Migrating through the body, the worms damage the internal organs and channels. The life span of the parasites is 12-14 months. Infection with them negatively affects health, leads to allergies, digestive disorders, internal bleeding, intestinal obstruction. Ascaris can cause developmental delay in children. The way of infection is through unwashed hands, dirty products.
3. Vlasoglavy - worms with a body 3-5 cm long, located in the large intestine. It sticks to its walls and absorbs blood. It causes trichuriasis. It is a very toxic parasite, so it strongly poisons the body. Life expectancy is up to 5 years. All this time provokes problems with appetite and stools, anemia and abdominal pain. May cause acute appendicitis when injected into the cecum.
4. Trichinella - worms whose length does not exceed 2-5 mm. Despite their small size, they cause a serious disease - trichinellosis. Its symptoms are fever, swelling, allergies, high fever. You can get infected through game meat, pigs. These worms affect the muscle tissues, especially the muscles of the face, as well as the respiratory tract. After 3-4 weeks, the larvae that have entered the muscles are encapsulated. Recovery is coming. But with a massive infection, a fatal outcome is possible.
5. Toxocara is a worm that parasitizes the body of dogs. It looks like a roundworm because it has the same spindle-shaped body with a length of 15-30 cm. When its larvae get into the body of people, the disease toxocariasis occurs. In the human body, toxocariasis cannot develop into a sexually mature individual, so their larvae migrate throughout the body, causing damage to internal organs, allergies and other diseases.

How intense the symptoms of a roundworm infection will be depends on the number of worms that have entered the body, as well as on the state of human health.

Tapeworm

Among the most dangerous worms found in humans, the main role is played by tapeworms or cestodes. Considering their enormous size, which can reach 18 m, it becomes obvious how harmful they are to health. Cestodes are divided into tapeworms and tapeworms. They require a change of owner to complete their full life cycle. An obligatory stage of development is the existence in the body of ungulates. Consider a brief description of the most common representatives of the species:

1. Broad tapeworm - a worm with a length of 10-15 m, causing the development of diphyllobotryosis. It settles in the small intestine after a person has consumed raw or undercooked (undercooked) freshwater fish infested with worm eggs. Causes severe abdominal pain, anemia, indigestion. This helminth, like most cestodes, has a frightening appearance.
2. Tapeworm is a worm that enters the body as a result of eating contaminated pork. These 8-meter long worms, parasitizing the intestines, cause the development of taeniasis, accompanied by severe digestion, nervous dysfunctions and allergies.
3. Tapeworm - a type of tapeworm, reaching sizes up to 18 m. This is one of the largest human worms. It causes the development of taeniarhynchosis, leads to intestinal obstruction, physical and nervous exhaustion. You can contract this worm by eating the affected beef. The worm is located in the small intestine.
4. Echinococcus is a tapeworm that is parasitic in the body of cats and dogs. People are an intermediate host for this parasite, but nevertheless the larvae of the worms provoke the development of a very complex disease, echinococcosis. The eggs of the worms develop into larvae, which penetrate the tissues of any organ and quickly form cysts. They can only be removed surgically.

flukes

Flukes or trematodes are a type of worm with shoots on the surface of the body. With their help, worms burrow into the walls of internal organs, tissues and thus feed, absorbing useful substances, blood. The bodies of these helminths have a flat shape, they can reach a length of up to 1. 5 m. Visually, they resemble a tree leaf. The main source of trematode infection is the consumption of poorly processed or fried fish and seafood. In the process of development, they must change 1-2 intermediate hosts. The main types of flukes that parasitize the human body:

1. The liver fluke is a helminth that provokes the development of opisthorchosis. It reaches 7-20 mm in length. It affects the biliary, hepatic and pancreatic ducts. Against the background of infection with this parasite, ulcer, cholecystitis and pancreatitis develop. Learn more about liver fluke.
2. Fluke - a worm 8-13 mm long, parasitic in the gallbladder, as well as in its ducts. In the early stages of the invasion, high fever, pain in the muscles, joints, and indigestion are observed, after which the symptoms become less pronounced. This is evidence that the disease has passed into a chronic stage.

Treatment - drugs for all types of worms

To destroy the worms, you need to take anthelmintic drugs. But first you need to find out what specific type of helminthiasis hit the body. Medicines are selected based on the results of the diagnosis. They are divided into 2 types:

• narrowly targeted - are designed to destroy several types of helminths;
• widely targeted - they are considered universal, as they destroy almost all types of worms, they are suitable for preventing helminthic invasion.

The most popular are anthelmintic tablets and suspensions containing the following active ingredients:

• mebendazole;
• Pyrantel;
• piperazine;
• carbendazim;
• Levamisole;
• Pyrvinium embonate;
• Albendazole.

The regimen, as well as the duration of treatment with tablets, should be determined by the doctor, since anthelmintic drugs have many contraindications and side effects.

In addition, during anthelmintic therapy, you can use folk recipes. Many plants are characterized by anthelmintic properties - garlic, onions, pumpkin seeds, herbs, spices, ginger. On their basis, anthelmintic infusions, decoctions and other means are prepared, the use of which will help to cleanse the body.

The defeat of any kind of worms leads to huge health problems. Given their danger, it is important to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection. To do this, it is enough to follow the rules of hygiene, eat meat and fish that have undergone only complete heat treatment and wash fruits and vegetables well.

At the first signs of infection, contact your doctor. The less time worms live in the body, the easier it is to get rid of the consequences of parasitism.

What parasites in the human body we know

The human body is an ideal platform for the life and reproduction of most microorganisms, including helminths. Each species has its own morphological differences and characteristics. You need to know what the representatives of helminths look like and what is the difference between them.

Parasites in the human body are a widespread pathological condition. The characteristics of the structure and type of helminths directly depend on the class to which they belong.

Classification

There are three major classes of parasites that pose a danger to human life and health:

• flatworms (Tape class);
• roundworms (class Nematoda);
• flukes (class Trematoda).

All parasites in the human body pose a great danger, regardless of their class or species.

All representatives of the main classes can parasitize the body of both an adult and a child. Consider the most famous representatives and the differences between them.

Features of the Ribbon class

Representatives of the species are also called flatworms. This name was given to them due to the structural characteristics of the body, which has a flat shape. There are more than 1, 500 species of tapeworms. The most dangerous representatives of this class for humans were united under the common name Cestode.

A characteristic feature of all worms is their body, which has a ribbon-like shape and is divided into segments. The dimensions of the body in length can be different - from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters. In the front part of the worm there is a scolex - a head that carries the organs necessary for fixation - a sucker, a proboscis. After the head is the neck, and then there are a large number of segments.

The neck area is responsible for the growth of the helminth, therefore the young segments are located closer to the head, and the old ones are located towards the tail part of the body. Each old segment has in its composition the male and female reproductive system, that is, it is considered a hermaphrodite.

wide band

This representative of the species is considered the largest among all parasitic worms. There are cases of reaching a length of up to 20 meters. The head of the worm has an oval shape, there are two narrow slits with the help of which the helminth can adhere to the surface and change the position of its body.

The tapeworm is a hermaphrodite, like all representatives of flatworms. Its mature segments form eggs, which then exit through the uterine openings. The eggs of the worms can be yellow to brown in color, have a cap on one end and a tubercle on the other.

Pig tapeworm (armed tapeworm)

The next representative of the Taenia class. Its body is white and can reach a length of up to 5 meters. The name "armed" went to the helminth due to the presence of a double corolla of hooks located on the scolex. The segments are square and hermaphroditic.

Each segment has a uterus located in the middle and ovaries that occupy space between the uterus and the vagina. The testicles are located on the side of the female reproductive system.

unarmed tapeworm

This representative is also called tapeworm. "Unarmed" he became due to the lack of hooks on the head, compared to the pig tapeworm. The tapeworm is the second largest tapeworm after the broad tapeworm. In its structure, it completely resembles an armed tapeworm. There is also a white color. Parasitic worms reproduce in the intestines of the intermediate or primary host.

All tapeworms in the human body look the same. Differentiation of the species is possible only with the help of laboratory tests.

Representatives of trematodes and their description

Moths are human parasites that can cause the development of serious diseases. The main representatives of the class of medical interest:

• cat fluke;
• lance-shaped fluke;
• lung fluke;
• liver fluke.

A feature of the body of worms of this class is the presence of all kinds of formations for attachment and movement: spikes, suckers and other devices. The length of their body varies from a few millimeters to 4-5 cm. All of them have a pink or grayish color, an elongated shape in the form of a leaf.

Cat fluke is a small helminth. The length of its body reaches 1. 5 cm in length, it has an elongated shape, slightly expanded towards the tail. Two suckers are located in the front of the body, which distinguishes it from other representatives. The male reproductive system is closer to the tail, and the uterus occupies an intermediate position. It is large and includes a large number of eggs.

The body of the lung fluke is brown in color, shaped like an ellipse or a coffee bean. The shape of the helminth is oval, wide. The entire body of the worm is covered on the outside with small spike-like formations that are involved in the movement and change of its position in space.

The lanceolate fluke reaches 8-10 mm in length. The end of its head and tail are slightly elongated. Below the abdominal sucker is the male reproductive system in the form of two testicles, as well as the female, represented by one ovary and the body of the uterus. The ventral sucker is close to the lip.

Nematodes and their diversity

Helminth species of this class are called roundworms. Their body has a round shape when drawing a cross section, which served as the basis for such a name. The ends of the body of nematodes have a pointed and elongated shape. Vlasoglav, human roundworms, pinworms and trichinella are the main representatives that most often cause helminthiasis in humans. Worms look like this:

1. Pinworm is a helminth that parasitizes the large intestine. More often causes the development of diseases in children. The representatives are small in size, the body of the female is twice as large as that of the male. Pinworms are whitish in color, sometimes with a gray tint. In the front part of the body there is a swelling with which the worm can attach itself to the walls of the intestine.
2. The human roundworm is a helminth that reaches half a meter in length. The female is about 2 times larger than the male. The body has an oval shape, elongated in front and back. On the side of the tail there is a slight bend that points towards the belly. The movement of helminths occurs with the help of a well-developed muscle layer located under an impenetrable shell consisting of a large number of layers.
3. Vlasoglav can differ in its body color. It can be white or red-gray. The front part of the worm is much thinner than the back. In the back part are all the organs of the helminth. The worm has a small length - from 3 to 5 cm. The female differs from the male by the curve of its tail. In the female, the tail has a spiral shape, while in the male, it is located in the form of an arc.
4. Trichinella - the smallest representatives of the class. Their size is only a few millimeters. Visually, they represent filamentous worms, whose body is narrowed in front and covered with a cuticle.

lamblia

Intestinal giardia belongs to the order Diplomonads of the flagellate class. This is a separate type of worm, which is also dangerous for the human body, especially for children. Parasites cause the development of giardiasis.

The body of Giardia is pear-shaped, the front end of which is round and wide. The posterior end is sharp and slightly narrowed. The size of the representatives of the class is so small that it is impossible to distinguish them with the naked eye.

Determining worms-parasites in the intestine is possible only in laboratory conditions.

A feature of the parasite's body is the presence of two nuclei and two sets of organelles. The organelles include two medial bodies and eight flagella.

Symptoms and treatment of parasites in human lungs

Not everyone knows that there are worms in the lungs, the symptoms of the disease are not so easy to recognize. The topic of parasites in the body is often undeservedly neglected by most people, thinking that it is not for them. But many people are infected with parasites. The difficulty in detecting worms lies in the fact that there are thousands of species. The signs of the presence of parasites are similar to the symptoms of diseases. More than one clinical case is described in the medical literature when one patient is treated by several specialized doctors and only one can replace them - a parasitologist.

Ways of infection with worms

They can be different:

• communication with an animal carrier of pathogens of parasites;
• the use of thermally unprocessed foods containing parasite eggs;
• bathing in lakes and ponds infested with parasites;
• introduction of parasites through the skin.

Residents of rural areas are most often infected with parasites. They are more likely to come into contact with infected animals. The risk of infestation increases when vegetable gardens and fields are fertilized with unsanitized manure.

It is far from an isolated case when the larvae of worms enter the gastrointestinal tract of a person with vegetables grown in his own garden. The intestines are a very favorable environment for the development and life of helminths. Consuming nutrients intended for humans, parasites multiply rapidly in conditions that are easy for them to live, poisoning the patient's body with the products of their vital activity. In humans, it can cause allergies, nausea, vomiting and liver disease. From the intestines, the larval embryos enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body (for example, in the lungs, liver, brain). After settling in any organ, the worms begin to reproduce actively, causing diseases of that organ. A rare case when the real cause that caused the disease was correctly identified. The degree of damage depends on the state of the immune system.

Signs of helminthic invasion of the lungs

Symptoms of the disease when infected with worms vary depending on the number of helminths in the body, the route of invasion and human immunity. Worms in the lungs rarely appear immediately after entering the body. They can live there for several years, waiting for the weakening of the immune system. When there are parasites in a person's lungs, the symptoms are similar to those seen with pneumonia and bronchitis:

• dyspnea;
• warmth;
• cough without sputum;
• headache, nausea, vomiting;
• wheezing;
• reduced visual acuity and contrast;
• manifestations of allergies;
• Lack of appetite.

Larvae of lungworms, having entered the blood, develop and modify the tissues of this organ. There are formed capsules and adhesions. As a result of damage to the lungs, failures in their work are noted. Tumors, emphysema, pleurisy, pneumosclerosis can form.

What types of worms can get into the lungs?

Knowing which parasites live in the lungs, it is possible to more objectively assess the degree of damage to the organ.

The causative agent of toxoplasma is a pathogenic protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis. The patient is affected by the brain and spinal cord, liver, eyes. Tomography revealed extensive pneumosclerosis, multiple calcifications. Calcifications form dead parasites in the lungs.

Ascaris eggs, falling into the gastrointestinal tract, cause ascariasis. In places where the worms penetrate the lung tissue, a trace of mechanical damage appears. The body reacts with tissue swelling, formation of infiltrates.

Lung cysticercosis is caused by tapeworm larvae. They enter the lungs with the bloodstream. The parasites in the lungs form a fibrous capsule.

Echinococcosis of the lungs develops as a result of tapeworm cestodes entering the respiratory system. Cestodes form parasitic cysts with a fibrous membrane in the lungs. If the parasite dies, the capsule swells and calcifies. Echinococcosis can be unicameral and multicameral. Gradually the cyst grows. The parasites live in the human lungs for several years. Sometimes suppuration develops, pus can penetrate into the pleural cavity or into the bronchi.

Diagnosis and treatment

Lungworms are detected by the following tests:

• blood analysis;
• x-rays of light;
• serological research methods;
• lung ultrasound;
• tomography.

The main role in the diagnosis of lungworms is played by fluorography and X-rays.

Treatment of the disease is carried out with anthelmintic drugs that kill the parasites. Pharmacies sell very effective drugs. Only an experienced doctor can correctly assess the symptoms and treatment. Parasites always exhaust the body, destroy the immune system, so the treatment should be comprehensive, aimed at strengthening the body.

Infection with parasites occurs through dirty vegetables and herbs, improperly cooked fish and meat, garden soil, dirty water bodies. The larvae of the nutrient-consuming parasites develop and can live in the body for several years. The waste products of the parasites poison the person, affect the brain, blood, liver, lungs, immune system without causing acute conditions for years. Left unnoticed, they provoke serious diseases up to cancer, can cause the death of the patient. Care must be taken to prevent parasite infestation.