Parasites are called lower organisms capable of living in the body of a person or animal and feeding on it. Scientists have a huge number of these creatures, and each of them is dangerous in its own way and can cause a wide variety of diseases.
Types of parasites in humans
All parasites can be distinguished according to several criteria:
- there are two main categories which differ according to the structure of the organism: unicellular (bacteria, virus) and multicellular;
- parasites can live either on the surface of the body (eg lice) or inside a living being (eg types of intestinal parasites: worms, etc. );
- by the time they parasitize: they can be permanent (almost all parasites that live inside living beings) and temporary (leeches, mites, which, after being fed, leave the body of a living being).
The most common parasites that humans can infect include:
- helminthiasis;
- group of protozoan invasions;
- arthropod.
Helminthiases are the most frequent intruders in the human body. These include roundworms, tapeworms and flukes, which can cause diseases such as trematodes.
TOP 5 of the most known parasites of the human body
- Pinworm - most often found among groups of children. In the human body, they parasitize organs such as the large and small intestine. The eggs laid by her are not only in the body, but can also be transferred to bed linen and underwear, which makes her very contagious. In addition, eggs are perfectly stored in the external environment for a long time, even if only 4-6 hours are enough for them to hatch a new parasite.
- Toksokara - most often we receive an intruder from our beloved pets, mainly dogs. The size of this creature is quite large - it can reach 0. 3 m in length. The eggs of this parasite are most often "collected" by children playing in the sandbox, near which the dog was walking. This type of parasite is dangerous because it can penetrate almost any organ, and the consequences of its vital activity can be irreversible.
- Ascaris is one of the common parasites that infects more and more people every day. It most often enters the human body with poorly washed food, raw water, dirty hands and dust. The parasite egg that enters the human body gradually begins to parasitize the intestines, and then can travel through the blood vessels to other organs.
- The tapeworm is the largest parasite of the most common. Cases have been recorded when the extracted parasite reached several meters in length. The most common causes of infection are the consumption of salted fish, crayfish and caviar. If after this you notice alarming symptoms in the form of exhaustion, increased salivation in the morning, nausea and lethargy, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Echinococcus can enter the body both with poorly washed food, raw water and animals. This parasite is dangerous because its larvae can move into almost any organ. Gradually they stop somewhere and turn into a cyst, which begins to put pressure on nearby tissues.
The most dangerous and rare parasites
Alongside the "traditional", well-known and easily treatable parasitic organisms, there are also more dangerous and rare species. These include parasites such as:
- Bull tapeworm - this parasite can live in the human body for almost its entire life and can be much larger than the tapeworm. On average, according to scientists, the size of an adult parasite can reach from 4 to 40 meters in length.
- Heartworm is a more exotic parasite found in tropical countries. Once in the human body, this leads to clogging of the lymphatic vessels, due to which the limbs begin to grow to gigantic sizes. This is the main reason for the development of "elephantiasis", because basically these parasites affect the lower limbs.
- Anisakid is a recent discovery of scientists. Previously there was information that these parasites are not dangerous because they cannot develop in the human body. But now it has been proven that these parasites can cause deadly diseases. Most often they enter the body with half-raw seafood and fish.
- Schistosoma - this guest cannot be collected in ordinary life, but when traveling somewhere in the tropics - it is elementary. Especially if you're buying somewhere in a warm, freshwater tropical climate. Once in the human body, they can lead to anemia, growth inhibition and retardation, and reduced learning ability.
