10 parasites to watch out for in summer
When vacationing outside the city, in the wild or at overseas resorts, we fear many things, from sharks and bears to civil unrest, sudden hurricanes and tsunamis. For the most part, these panic fears are unfounded, and the real threat is posed by creatures that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
We are talking about parasites - organisms of all stripes and types that inspire feelings of disgust and fear in many people, and if they enter the body, they become causative agents of dangerous diseases. It should be noted that in most cases it is possible to avoid infection quite simply by taking the necessary precautions in advance.
This serious disease is caused by a group of protozoa - leishmania. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, for example, is caused by parasites that live in the digestive tract of mosquitoes and flies. When the insect bites a person, Leishmania enters the bloodstream, causing this nasty disease characterized by painful boils on the infected person's skin. Every year, about two million new cases of disease are registered worldwide.
Extremely dangerous single-celled microorganisms that parasitize insects and warm-blooded animals and cause many dangerous diseases. Triatomine bugs transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, a deadly disease that claims 15,000 lives each year.
Worms are parasites that live in the soil and enter the human body through the consumption of dirty or poorly washed fruits and vegetables. Roundworms are not the most dangerous parasites, but they can also cause a lot of trouble. Affecting the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system, roundworms cause allergies, muscle pain, insomnia and dry cough.
The main hosts of Toxocara - large (4-18 cm) worms - are cats and dogs. You should especially be wary of homeless animals, but if not cared for properly, pets can also become infected. Larvae hatch from the eggs of parasites that enter the body of a human—the backup host. Circulating through the central nervous system, toxocara can enter the liver and eyes, causing ocular toxocariasis.
About 10 species of filariae are known to parasitize humans. With their exceptional thickness (diameter no more than 0.3 mm), filariae can reach a length of up to half a meter. The parasites are carried by blood-sucking insects and, less commonly, ticks. In the human body, filariae settle in lymphatic vessels, body cavities and skin. By blocking the lymphatic system, they can cause elephantiasis or loss of vision due to ocular filariasis.
Neisseria meningitidis bacteria cause not only a severe runny nose, but also a dangerous inflammation of the membranes of the brain - meningitis. Meningococci settle in the mucous membrane of the human nasopharynx and are transmitted by airborne droplets.
Fans of pork barbecue should be afraid of Trichinella - it is in this meat that the parasites lay their eggs. With poor heat treatment, Trichinella larvae enter the human body, causing allergies, fever and pain in joints and muscles. Symptoms of trichinosis usually begin to appear 2-3 weeks after infection.
The causative agent of the disease is bovine tapeworm, which lays larvae in the meat of intermediate hosts - cows. The disgusting appearance of the huge (7-10 m in length) worm and the unpleasant consequences of infection with it should make all lovers of medium-cooked beef think twice - like most other parasitic worms, the bovine tapeworm dies with proper heat treatment.
Naegleria Fowlera - this seemingly unremarkable amoeba lives in fresh water bodies, the water temperature of which is 25-30 degrees. A person becomes infected while swimming, the parasite enters the nasal nerve and travels along it to the brain, causing fatal meningitis. Despite the fact that cases of infection are quite rare, this danger should not be discounted. Sources of infection can be swimming pools with poorly chlorinated water, baths and thermal springs.
Last on the list, but not least, the infection that you can get in the summer is spring-summer tick-borne encephalitis. This viral infection, carried by ixodid ticks, is extremely dangerous and is characterized by fever, damage to the gray matter of the brain and/or the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. If you like to spend your holidays in the lap of nature, do not forget to get vaccinated before your trip.