There are various parasites that live in the human body, disrupting the functioning of internal organs and the entire body as a whole. People knew about helminths in ancient times, and for the first time they and the diseases associated with them were described by Hippocrates.
Today, science knows of many parasites, but some of them are especially common in the human body. They differ from each other in structure and ways of existence, but for development and reproduction they need to get inside the human body.
Based on the type of structure, all parasites in humans are divided into several categories:
- roundworms;
- flukes;
- tape
Let us consider the listed types of parasites in the human body in more detail.
Features of roundworms
These parasites are so-called nematodes. Outwardly, they resemble earthworms, but differ in sharper ends. Their sizes vary from a millimeter to 130 centimeters.
Many roundworms have a simple life cycle. After infection of the human body with nematodes, parasitic eggs emerge from the intestines, which are invisible to the naked eye.
When released into the environment, the eggs mature and then return to the human body through dirty food, water, or dirty hands. Roundworms hatch from them and begin to actively develop.
All round parasites in the human body are divided into several subspecies, including:
- Pinworms. The most common parasite that is easily transmitted between people through shared objects. The development of these nematodes in the body creates severe discomfort in the form of itching around the anus.
- Roundworms. When massively infected, they are dangerous to health. They are worms reaching a length of 25 cm. After maturation, the larvae spread throughout the body and internal organs in the blood.
- Trichinella. These small roundworms are up to 5 mm long. Developing in the intestines, they lay larvae. Subsequently, they penetrate the blood vessels and spread throughout the body.
- Filaria. They are mainly distributed in hot countries, and their carriers are insects.
Parasites - flukes
So-called trematodes are parasites in the human body, the symptoms of which are not always clearly visible. These are flatworms up to 8 centimeters in length, which have suckers on their bodies for feeding parasites.
Flukes have a complex life cycle and change hosts several times. The eggs develop in bodies of water, after which they enter the body of the mollusk for metamorphosis. When the modified larvae emerge from the mollusks, they enter the body of crustaceans or fish, where they are modified again.
Flukes enter the body of their final host, which is a person, with raw or undercooked meat of cancerous species or fish.
Among the most popular trematodes are:
- Opisthorchis. People become infected with these parasites by eating lightly salted or undercooked/undercooked carp fish or stroganina.
- Chinese fluke. It affects many fish and crustaceans living in Primorye and the waters of Japan. The parasite affects the bile and bile ducts, pancreas and liver.
- Paragonimiasis. It provokes a dangerous disease that affects the lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys and even the brain. People who eat undercooked crabs and crayfish from fresh water become infected with it.
- Schistosomiasis. Parasites are usually found in tropical countries, and the larvae actively enter through human skin when swimming, as well as when water from a reservoir gets into the mouth.
Tape parasites (worms)
We have almost figured out what parasites there are in the human body, but there are still tapeworms, which also come in different types:
- Bull tapeworm. It can reach 10 meters in length, and people become infected with it by eating beef that has been subjected to low heat treatment. Housewives sometimes become infected by testing raw minced meat for the amount of added spices or salt. After entering the body, the larva turns into saltpeter, which attaches to the intestinal wall and causes weight loss, loss of appetite, insomnia and dizziness in humans.
- Pork tapeworm. It is smaller in size (up to 2 meters in length), and can be infected by eating poorly cooked pork.
- Wide tapeworm. The length of this parasite varies between 6-15 meters. It is usually contracted by eating raw freshwater fish. Weakness, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and other symptoms occur.
- Echinococcus. A dangerous helminth that can be contracted from cats and dogs that carry the parasite. In the human body, larvae emerge from the eggs and are transported with the blood to various organs, especially the liver. Subsequently, echinococcal cysts form, which are dangerous to health and require surgical intervention.
We looked at what parasites live in the human body, but these are not all known helminths. Study the symptoms of parasite infestation and if you find any, go to the doctor for diagnosis.