Hello World! Welcome Friends! Most people believe that the only time they need to worry about getting a parasitic infection is when they are traveling. Well, they would be surprised to know that according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than sixty million Americans are infected with parasites – and not all of them have got infected while traveling. What are these parasites?
Any organism that lives in or on another organism and derives its sustenance from the host organism is known as a parasite. The majority of people think of tapeworms, hookworms, threadworms, and roundworms when asked to name a parasite affecting humans. While these parasites can be seen with the naked eye, the most common types of parasites affecting humans are microscopic. Flukes, amoebas, and spirochetes are some examples of microscopic parasites that infect us.
Parasites that cause diseases in humans are classified into three main classes – protozoa, helminth, and ectoparasites.
Protozoa
Microscopic, single-celled organisms, protozoa can be both parasitic and free-living. They are very successful survivors, being able to multiply inside humans. This is also the cause of serious infections that develop once infected with them. Protozoa move from one human to another in different ways, depending on where they live inside their hosts. Those living in the intestine are transferred through the fecal-oral route; while those living in the tissues or blood of humans are transmitted by an arthropod vector. Protozoa that infect humans are further classified into the following four groups – Sarcodina, Mastigophora, Ciliophora, and Sporozoa. This classification is based on their mode of movement.
Helminths
Larger, multicellular organisms, Helminths are visible to the naked eye in their adult phase. Similar to the protozoa, Helminths can be both parasitic and free-living. One major difference between the two is that unlike the protozoa, Helminths cannot multiply inside humans. Helminths that infect humans are divided into three main groups.
- Flatworms which include tapeworms and flukes.
- Thorny-headed worms which as adults reside in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. These are considered to be an intermediate between the tapeworms and roundworms.
- Roundworms in their adult form reside in the blood, lymphatic system, gastrointestinal tract, and subcutaneous tissue of a human. Even in their larval stage, roundworms can cause disease by infecting various tissues in the body.
Ectoparasites
The term ectoparasites are used to refer to organisms like fleas, ticks, mites, and lice that burrow into the skin of humans or attach themselves for rather long periods. However, even blood-sucking arthropods like mosquitoes can be classified as ectoparasites. While ectoparasites can cause diseases, they are also transmitters or vectors of many different pathogens. These pathogens in turn cause diseases that can result in high mortality amongst humans.
Problems Of Parasitic Infections
The cause of tremendous health and financial burden, parasitic infections are found everywhere – in the tropics, sub-tropics and the temperate zones. Among the most common health issues globally, millions of people have a parasite or more and are unaware of it. Humans are exposed to parasites, almost daily and at most places. Parasites can be contracted from eating raw meat and fish, drinking unclean water, walking barefoot on soil, sleeping in an infested bed or with an infected pet, or living in unhygienic conditions.
The most lethal parasitic disease that is the cause of the maximum number of deaths globally is malaria. Caused by an infection contracted from a mosquito bite, malaria causes nearly seven hundred thousand deaths every year. NTDs or the Neglected Tropical Diseases, which include onchocerciasis, Guinea worm disease, and lymphatic filariasis affects over one billion people; most of them living in the rural belts of low-income nations. Such infections place a tremendous burden on the economy of the countries along with extracting a toll on endemic populations.
Common Symptoms of Parasitic Infections
Parasitic infections manifest in many different types of symptoms, depending on the type of parasite and scale of infection. Diarrhea and other digestive disturbances are a common symptom of amoeba infection. Constipation is often caused due to hookworms. Psoriasis and rashes on the skin are also common symptoms of an infection. Tissue parasites can cause rheumatoid arthritis as well as aching joints. Another common symptom of a parasitic infection could be bad breath. Excess fatigue without exerting, exhaustion, and brain fog could all be symptoms of an infection by parasites.
Methods of Diagnosing Parasitic Infections
Parasite in humans can be found in the stool, blood, tissue, and saliva. The test for finding if there are any parasites can be performed by any practicing physician. However, the samples collected need to be sent to a laboratory for screening and confirmation. The different types of tests used to detect parasites are:
O&P or Stool Examination – Used to trace parasites that cause diarrhea, flatulence, cramping, and other abdominal problems, a stool exam should be conducted on at least three or more samples, collected on different days. The laboratory will check the samples for both eggs and the parasite itself.
Colonoscopy / Endoscopy – If the result from the stool examination is unclear or does not reveal the cause of the problem/s, the physician might recommend an endoscopy/colonoscopy to be performed. Endoscopy involves a tube inserted through the mouth and colonoscopy involves a tube inserted through the rectum. In both cases, a gastroenterologist examines the intestine through the tube to find traces of the parasite or any other issue that is causing the problem.
Blood Test – Certain parasites can be detected through a blood test. However, blood tests are conducted to look for a specified parasitic infection. There are two types of blood tests – serology and smear test. Depending on the requirement, the doctor may order either one or both types of blood tests. A serology test involves searching for antibodies or parasite antigens that are produced by the body when infection occurs. A blood smear test is used to search for parasites residing in the blood.
Other Tests – To look for parasitic diseases that may be the cause of lesions in the organs, a physician could recommend an X-ray, an MRI or a CAT scan.
The Bottom Line
While parasitic infection can be contracted easily, preventing them is also relatively easy. A few basic precautions like washing your hands before meals, drinking clean water and eating cooked food can help prevent the more common parasites from infecting you.
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