Recently, news from the Netherlands has shocked the scientific community.Seventeen volunteers agreed to have dangerous parasites called schistosomiasis (which causes severe schistosomiasis) injected into their blood.The disease kills up to 200,000 people worldwide each year, according to scientists.Now, Dutch experts are one step closer to developing a vaccine - to test it, they infected people with schistosomiasis.
The results of the study have not yet been made public; nor is what happened to the 17 people who risked their health in the interest of science.But one thing is clear: parasites continue to keep the world on its toes.
More than 7 billion people live on Earth.A third of them carry worms (or, in layman’s terms, worms).These parasites can cause serious and extremely unpleasant illness (schistosomiasis is also a type of worm).At least, that's the assessment given by the World Health Organization.
There's even worse information: millions of people die from parasitic diseases every year.Tropical areas are particularly affected, where conditions are ideal for the spread of any harmful substance (high humidity, heat, unhygienic conditions).But even in those few places in the tropics, parasites are everywhere.
Tens of thousands of people are treated for helminthiasis every year.For example, in early 2018, there was information indicating an increase in the incidence of ascariasis (roundworms are a type of worm).
The health department has even formulated a draft regulatory bill to clearly regulate the prevention and control of helminth diseases.Clearly the problem is serious.
There are different types of worms - round and flat, and they live in water, on land, in animal feces, etc., but all are very dangerous.They usually enter the body through contaminated water or food.But sometimes, simply eating with dirty hands is enough for parasite larvae to enter the intestines and grow to dozens of centimeters in size.Some parasites can enter your body through the skin of your feet if you walk barefoot on the ground where the larvae live.
Worms actually eat the body from the inside.They can cause jaundice, sepsis (blood poisoning), joint and neurological problems (in addition to endless vomiting, diarrhea and other intestinal problems).
Children are most commonly affected.They tend to forget to wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet, often put dirty toys in their mouths, and when playing outside (especially in the summer) they may eat a bit of sand and drink dirty water from open reservoirs.But adults also have guns against worms.
The most common helminth diseases are ascariasis, toxocariasis, whipworm, strongyloidiasis and hookworm.These names won't raise eyebrows unless you type them into a search engine and go to the "pictures" section - and yes, this disgusting giant worm can live inside your body.
Worms have beautiful names
Ascariasis- The most common helminthiasis, accounting for 90% of infections, so we will discuss it in more detail.Roundworms are long, nasty worms that attack the human small intestine.As many as 800 million cases of ascariasis are recorded worldwide each year.
The source of infection is also unwashed fruits, vegetables and berries.There are different types of roundworms: some infect animals, but there is also a separate species that infects humans.That is, you cannot get ascariasis from animals.
As mentioned above, children are most at risk of contracting parasites due to slouched behavior.In the case of ascariasis, rural residents of all ages are also at risk - they are often exposed to the ground where roundworm larvae hide.The main symptoms of ascariasis are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, loss of appetite, unbearable anal itching, and high fever.
Complications of ascariasis (which can occur if the parasite goes undetected for a long time) include intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).In some cases, the roundworms in humans have grown to their full size (nearly 30 centimeters) and crawled into the lungs, throat and sinuses.This is how patients discover them.
Picture this - a long white worm crawling in your intestines.It's not clear whether infected people can always feel roundworm activity in their bodies.Just in case, you can listen to yourself.
There are other, rarer forms of helminthes.Caused by a worm with the cheeky name ToxocaraToxocariasis.It can also be contracted from dogs.Symptoms vary - fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, rash.
at the pathogenTrichocephalyA simpler name is whipworm.In appearance, it looks like a small whip.In most cases, the disease is usually asymptomatic, and if the number of parasites is exceeded, then the same symptoms as ascariasis will occur.
Strongyloides stercoralis worms (pathogensstrongyloidiasis) - These are the same reptiles that can penetrate human skin (even if it is intact).You can get infected in the same wayhookworm.If this happens, intense itching will occur where the bugs crawl, and over time, the patient will develop diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rashes.
These are just some of the types of helminthiasis - there are hundreds in total, each with its own characteristics.
On top of that, you can die from worms.Fortunately, this does not happen very often, but parasites are designed to survive on the resources of their host.Worms eat internal organs from the inside and can crawl into the lungs and even the heart - all of which are a huge danger to life.Additionally, the toxins they produce can penetrate into the bloodstream, meaning the toxin can actually spread throughout the body.
Only by removing parasites from the body promptly can inevitable serious consequences be avoided.
Find and eliminate
It's worth understanding that worms can often live happily inside the body until a stool test separates you.They lay millions of eggs in your intestines, but symptoms may never appear.The larvae of the parasite, as well as themselves, can be found in the feces.
It's important that doctors don't confuse symptoms of ascariasis or other helminthiasis with other diagnoses - for example, vomiting can be caused by dozens of other illnesses, while a rash is a sign of a completely different type of disease.If you develop any symptoms similar to a parasitic infection, seek medical attention immediately.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by examination of stool.There are several methods of serodiagnosis: ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent test - checks the blood for the presence of specific antibodies that appear when infected with one or another type of helminth disease).
Another reliable way to diagnose is an X-ray - the image will show worms crawling in your intestines (or elsewhere).Blood and urine tests are needed to determine the level of poisoning in the body and to prescribe the correct treatment plan.
Pharmaceutical companies have long been developing a number of deworming drugs that are effective in helping to get rid of worms.On average, treatment for helminthiasis takes 3 to 5 days.In most cases, treatment can be done on an outpatient basis—no hospitalization is required (unless you already have complications).
If you haven't figured it out yet, let us remind you: worms can capture absolutely anything, regardless of gender, age and social status.Of course, don’t forget to eat clean vegetables and other foods, keep your dishes clean, and be sure to wash your hands before lunch.If you travel frequently, especially to tropical countries in Asia and Africa, you should follow all hygiene rules doubly carefully.