Types of worms in humans, infection, prevention, treatment

Worms are representatives of lower worms that live in the human body. A disease associated with human infection by various types of worms is called helminthiasis. This disease is not uncommon and occurs among certain segments of the population. Children are susceptible to pinworm infection, hunters - trichinella, fishermen and lovers of Japanese cuisine (raw fish in the form of sushi) suffer from diphyllobothriasis. Many diseases, paradoxically, can occur in the human body due to helminthiasis. Today, the theory about the connection between cancer and parasitic infections is one of the most relevant. In the presence of helminthiasis, symptoms do not always appear, and if, nevertheless, patients with this disease experience any unpleasant and uncomfortable sensations, they are perceived as signs of other diseases. The patient has been treated for years for pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis, not suspecting that the cause of his ailments is helminthiasis.

How does infection occur?

Worms bring a lot of trouble to humans

Infection with helminths occurs as follows:

Through unwashed hands
Upon contact with soil
After insect bites
Because of dirty hands
When eating raw meat and fish
After eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
After contact with an animal
After contact with infected people

Mature parasite eggs can be found in soil, water, and food (raw and lightly cooked meat or fish). Rare cases of the disease occur due to insect bites. The mechanism of infection by helminthiasis is oral-fecal. A person swallows parasite eggs with food and water. Contact and household methods of infection also occur. They happen when, after contact with soil or sand, hands were not thoroughly washed.

Vegetables and berries growing in the ground that are not sufficiently washed are also a source of worm infection. Children who play with yard and domestic animals are at risk of contracting worms. Pets that roam freely on the streets can bring helminth eggs into the house. Flies and other insects, after contact with animal feces, landing on food, can easily transfer helminth eggs. Surprisingly, infection from person to person is also possible. It happens like this: a female pinworm can crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs directly on the underwear, causing severe itching. A person, after scratching an itchy area, may come into contact with other toilet items and household items. These items fall into the hands of other family members, after which they become infected.

Infection through water is also possible. Many parasitic eggs easily fall into open reservoirs and wells. Drinking unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.

Diagnostics

The presence of worms can be detected at home, but the exact diagnosis and type of parasite is recommended to be established in a hospital setting, through stool examination.

The presence of worms can be detected at home.

Treatment

To treat helminthic infestations, anthelmintic drugs are used - drontal, pyrantel, praziquantel . These same drugs can be used as prophylaxis. It is allowed to give medications along with food.
It is recommended to use a sorbent in the form of activated carbon .
Preventive or therapeutic deworming should be carried out before routine vaccination.
It is permissible to use the drug canikquantel , which is used once and contains two active substances - fenbendazole and praziquantel. The interaction of both substances leads to blocking of the muscular and nervous systems of the parasitic microorganism and contributes to their death. The remains of dead worms are passed out in the stool.
It is also recommended to use Profender , which are dripped onto the animal’s withers.
The active substances, emodepside and praziquantel , provoke paralysis of the neuromuscular system of parasites and lead to the death of the latter.
Stronghold suspension has good recommendations . The active substance is selamectin .
Broad-spectrum drops - parsicide complex , which contain a whole range of drugs: praziquantel, ivermectin, levamisole, thiamethoxam.
Medicines in the form of suspensions - prazicide plus, pyrantel, prazitel .
It is advisable to use suspensions for ease of use by animals. Once the suspension gets into the oral cavity, the cat cannot get rid of it on its own.
It is acceptable to administer polyvercane in the form of sugar cubes. This drug provokes a failure in the parasite’s absorption of glucose, which is accompanied by a metabolic disorder in the microorganism and ends in its death.

The drug Drontal is used to treat helminthic infestations.

Stages of helminthiasis

In most cases, infection occurs due to poor hygiene

The most destructive effect on the body is not caused by adults, but by their larvae. Adult individuals have already chosen a cozy place for themselves in the human body, and the larva travels through the organs and leaves behind their lesions. The most common habitat of parasites is the gastrointestinal tract. Different types of parasites prefer different habitats. So roundworms are located in the small intestine, and pinworms settle in the large intestine and lower parts of the small intestine. According to the habitat of the parasites, helminth infections are:

Translucent
Fabric

Luminal ones are located in the lumens of the genital organs, and tissue ones are located inside the tissues. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat, moving from the luminal form to the tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:

DIPILIDIOSIS

Dipylidium caninum - pumpkin, cucumber or dog tapeworm. This is a white or slightly yellowish cestode, 20-50 cm long, 3 mm wide. The scolex is equipped with four oval suckers and a club-shaped retractable proboscis with 4-8 transverse rows of hooks.

Routes of infection

Ingestion of infected fleas, lice eaters.

Life cycle

Mature segments, breaking away from the strobila, actively emerge onto the perianal folds, where they are destroyed, and the eggs are dispersed into the external environment and onto the animal’s fur. Flea larvae

and
lice eaters
eat oncospheres (eggs), but no changes occur in them.
The oncosphere begins to develop into a cysticercoid in the pupa of an ectoparasite insect. An animal becomes infected by licking and gnawing fleas
,
lice eaters
, and swallowing them. They are digested, and the released cysticercoids attach to the wall of the small intestine, developing into adults.

Definitive owner

– dogs, cats, foxes, wolves, jackals and other carnivores.

Intermediate host

– ectoparasite insects (fleas, lice eaters, etc.)

Humans are the facultative host due to accidental infestation (flea ingestion).

Symptoms

Symptoms are nonspecific; more often the disease occurs latently. The general condition is depressed, motor activity and appetite decrease, the animal loses weight, and the quality of the coat deteriorates. With significant infestation, manifestations of enteritis (diarrhea, constipation, bloating) are possible due to the irritating effect of the tapeworm's suckers and hooks on the intestinal wall. Motile proglottids can be found in feces. With massive invasion, intestinal obstruction can form.

Classification of helminths

Roundworms are quite common

Types of worms in humans:

Flatworms
Roundworms

Flatworms include:

Trematodes (opisthorchiasis, schistosomes, paragonimus)
Cestodes (wide tapeworm, pork tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus)
Roundworms or nematodes:
Pinworm
Ascaris
Hookworm
Trichinella

This classification of helminths is presented in the medical literature. To successfully solve a problem such as helminthiasis, it is necessary to find out in-depth characteristics of the structure and life cycle of parasites.

Trematodes

Another name for trematodes is flukes. These parasites are flat leaf-shaped or lanceolate with two suckers. One sucker is located in the mouth, and the second, which serves for attachment, is in the peritoneum. All representatives of flukes enter the body through an intermediate host. Most of these parasites are hermaphrodites.

Opisthorchiasis

This is a fluke - a worm up to 1.3 cm long with two suckers. Opisthorchiasis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas in humans and some carnivorous animals (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchiasis eggs come out of the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are swallowed by freshwater mollusks, within which the larvae hatch and develop. The process of development and maturation of larvae lasts two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk and penetrate the skin of carp fish. After six weeks, the larvae become full-fledged mature parasites. Opisthorchiasis enters the animal or human body after eating contaminated fish. This worm can live in a living organism for up to 20 years. Symptoms of opisthorchiasis:

Allergy
Weakness
Headache
Dizziness
Depression
Loss of consciousness

Harm caused to the body by opisthorchiasis:

Poisoning by parasite waste products
Damage to liver tissue
Gallbladder damage
Impaired outflow of bile
Inflammation of the pancreas
Secretory dysfunction
Decreased gastric motility
Thickening of the walls of some organs, the occurrence of tumors as a result.

The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:

The danger of white worms appearing in a cat's feces

All types of tapeworms are dangerous because they mechanically affect the tissues of internal organs, thereby causing serious damage, leading to necrosis and destruction of blood vessels.

All types of tapeworms are dangerous.

Worms are able to feed on lymph and blood, which leads to serious pathologies . The waste products of microorganisms release toxins that poison the body and cause intoxication and allergic reactions. Intestinal blockage may also occur and without timely surgical intervention the animal will die.

The presence of cestodes is manifested by atypical behavior of the cat, its aggression and irritability. The feces contain white speckles, similar to grains of rice.
Tapeworms can provoke serious diseases, such as: diphyllobothriasis, alveococcosis, dipylidiasis, opisthorchiasis, paragonimosis.
Diphyllobothriasis is characterized by the appearance of bloody vomiting, dull hair, progressive diarrhea, loss of appetite, apathy and weakness.
Alveococcosis is usually asymptomatic, so it is difficult to diagnose and it is often too late for the animal to come to the rescue.
The development of opisthorchiasis causes damage to the pancreas and gall bladder. It is expressed by pain in the abdominal area, yellow vomiting, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and fever.
Paragonimiasis affects the functioning of the respiratory system, in particular it destroys lung tissue and forms cysts. There is an increase in temperature, vomiting with foam, diarrhea, and cough.

Why do kittens diarrhea after deworming?

Diarrhea (diarrhea) is a condition characterized by frequent bowel movements and the release of watery, mushy stool. If the kitten begins to diarrhea after deworming and diarrhea lasts no more than 24-38 hours, this is normal.

In this case, diarrhea is a protective reaction of the body, which can be provoked by substances contained in anthelmintic drugs. In addition, some components of anthelmintics enhance peristalsis and intestinal motility to accelerate the natural process of eliminating intestinal parasites from the body of animals.

It is possible that if a small pet has diarrhea after taking an anthelmintic, the pet is infected with a viral-bacterial intestinal infection. Therefore, only clinically healthy pets can be vaccinated and wormed. The body, weakened by pathology, disease, or infection, tolerates such preventive and therapeutic manipulations worse.

If the kitten is diarrhea heavily, there is mucus, blood, foam in the stool, particles of undigested food are noticeable, and intestinal upset occurs in the first hours after deworming, most likely the kitten is heavily infected with endoparasites.

If, after preventive, therapeutic deworming, in addition to acute diarrhea, the kitten has vomiting, nausea, itching, weakness, apathy, muscle spasms, salivation, allergic manifestations, this condition is provoked by individual intolerance to the constituent medications.

Profuse diarrhea in small kittens after deworming occurs when counterfeit medications are used, an incorrectly selected drug, or a violation of the therapeutic dosage recommended in the annotation.

Therefore, before deworming, consult your veterinarian regarding the dosage and choice of medication. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. If the dosage is exceeded, animals often develop side symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, unstable stool).

Are roundworms transmitted from cats to humans?

Many owners are concerned that worms from cats can be transmitted to humans. Let's not lie, owners and pets have quite a lot of common parasites and an invasion can really happen. However, the owner must understand that he is more likely to infect the pet than vice versa.

People are much more likely to come into contact with surfaces infested with worm eggs. If you have the habit of eating outside, often visit public places and use public transport, your palms and outer clothing are a source of infection for your pet.

It is worth accepting as a fact that you cannot protect yourself from worms, so the only way to avoid unpleasant consequences is regular prevention.

Clinical signs of the disease

Considering the characteristics and importance of the organs in which these worms live, it is easy to predict the clinical signs of infection with them:

The main symptom is a fairly quickly occurring, severe cough. Initially, it is dry, tense, even “barking”; metallic notes can be heard in it. All this indicates a serious damage to the bronchial system. But soon the inflammation becomes chronic, and the abundant exudate “eases” the cough, which becomes wet. You can clearly hear a sick cat coughing up clots of sputum (which is full of parasite eggs).

The younger the animal, the more severely it suffers the infection. In severe cases, respiratory failure begins to appear two to three weeks after the first symptoms appear. The pet breathes heavily and wheezes, often breathing becomes shallow, fast and “selective”. All this is accompanied by gurgling wheezing in the chest, which can easily be heard without resorting to a phonendoscope.

A characteristic sign of the disease is a sharp deterioration in the quality of the coat. The hair becomes very hard and brittle and breaks easily.

Since the cat’s immune system is greatly weakened at this time, the further development of the inflammatory process occurs quickly, often ending (at best) in severe bronchitis, but more often this all leads to pneumonia. Young cats can “burn out” from it in just a couple of days.

In the same cases, the general body temperature rises, the animal’s condition deteriorates sharply, the cat refuses food and, in the most severe cases, even water.

Simply put, all the symptoms of the disease clearly indicate “ordinary” lung pathologies. Suspecting that a coughing and choking cat is suffering from worms is not an easy task, and even experienced veterinarians do not immediately realize this (especially if there have been no such cases in a particular area).

It is precisely due to the circumstances described above that no one will give you a diagnosis “by eye”. To determine the root causes of what is happening to the cat, a high-quality examination is required, as well as sputum tests, bronchoscopy, etc. It is quite possible that parasites have nothing to do with it at all, and the cat has “ordinary” pneumonia of infectious origin.

If the animal was not given help, but it still survived, then self-healing may occur over time. This is due to the fact that worms can live in a cat’s body for about two years, after which they die. But in practice this rarely happens. Of course, “veterans” die, but there is no guarantee that the cat will not become infected again.

Deworming (sorry, about worms...)

Pregnant animals are prescribed in the last third of pregnancy, lactating animals - 2-3 weeks after birth, only those drugs that have appropriate indications in the instructions (for example, Milbemax), otherwise they can harm the health of the offspring.

It would be correct to drive away worms 10-14 days before mating. If this has not been done, kittens should be wormed no earlier than 21 days after birth.

Unfortunately, infection of kittens with worms can even occur in utero, during childbirth and breastfeeding.

If the animal has a severe helminthic infestation (the kitten was picked up on the street), parasites are visible in the feces, the animal is vomiting worms, then anti-worm medications should be given under the supervision of a doctor, since the simultaneous death of a large number of helminths can cause poisoning of the body and there will be a need for an IV.

Treatment of weakened animals, small kittens and pregnant cats

Features of treatment of weakened animals, kittens and pregnant cats:

Anthelmintics are highly toxic and can harm offspring. Before carrying out planned mating, get rid of worms in advance (half a month in advance).
In pregnant cats, worms can only be expelled in very rare cases. Parasites can be transmitted through mother to offspring, however, they can be removed with anthelmintic drugs only in kittens older than three weeks. You can find out more about which deworming tablets are suitable for kittens here.

Use of folk remedies

Folk remedies:

You can use alcohol tincture of wormwood (10 drops twice a day, an hour before meals).
Do an enema with carrot juice, just 20 ml per day is enough.
Replace drinking water with chamomile or fennel infusion.
Instead of plain water, you can also use onion solution; to do this, pour warm water over the coarsely chopped onion. This drink should only be consumed on an empty stomach.
Brew tansy flowers, strain and give to your cat three times a day an hour before feeding.

Tapeworms

Quite often you can find worms 10-70 cm long in a cat’s feces. These are tapeworms.

Their body is divided into segments. Infection occurs from an intermediate host (rodents, fleas). It is impossible to detect worms of this type in their entirety in a cat’s feces. Only their white segments, which look like rice grains, can come out.