Opisthorchiasis is a fairly rare infectious disease, which, perhaps, not everyone has heard of. That is why it is necessary to answer the question of many interest: "Opisthorchiasis - what is it?"
This infection is a helminthiasis that affects mainly the liver, has a long course, proceeds with exacerbations and can contribute to the development of cirrhosis. It is the worm that causes opisthorchiasis. What this is can be judged from a brief description: a cat's dvutsk has dimensions up to 13 mm, its eggs up to 0.03 mm in size have a lid.
The final hosts of the parasite or the causative agents of infection are cats, dogs, foxes, humans. Intermediate hosts are mollusks that live in freshwater bodies, cyprinids. Infection occurs while eating fish that has not undergone a full heat treatment and contains live worm larvae. Often the infection is observed in persons working as fishermen, rafters of the forest.
How opisthorchiasis develops in the human body. What it is?
After ingestion, the larvae enter the small intestine and are released from their membranes. After 3-7 hours, they begin to penetrate through the bile ducts into the liver and pancreas. After 2 weeks, mature individuals form that begin to secrete eggs.
The main thing in the development of the disease is the toxic effect of metabolic products on the human body, which is accompanied by damage to the liver and impaired digestive tract motility. The above contributes to the attachment of a secondary infection, the development of cholangitis, cholelithiasis, cirrhosis.
Clinic of the infectious disease "opisthorchiasis"
What is it, especially at an early stage, it is difficult to answer, since the disease is almost asymptomatic. 3-4 weeks after infection, patients have malaise, fever, rash, diarrhea, pain in the liver. In the later stages of the infection, cramping pains in the gallbladder and liver, nausea, vomiting, headache, sleep disturbance are noted. Outwardly, pallor and subictericity of the skin and mucous membranes are noticeable. On palpation, an increase in the size of the liver, gall bladder, painful and enlarged pancreas can be determined.
Diagnostics
In a general blood test, hypereosinophilia is noted. A biochemical blood test reveals a violation of the liver. Analysis for opisthorchiasis involves the detection of helminth eggs in the contents of the duodenum and feces. The disease can be complicated by liver abscesses, cholangitis, peritonitis, rupture of a parasitic cyst, and primary liver cancer. Opisthorchiasis has an adverse effect on the course of such infectious diseases as viral hepatitis, shigellosis, typhoid fever.
Treatment
To the question of how to treat opisthorchiasis, there is a simple answer. Praziquentel possesses high efficiency and low toxic effect. It is applied at 50 mg / kg once. You can use "Chloxyl" for 5 days at 60 mg / kg per day. Depending on the indications, it is advisable to apply pathogenetic and symptomatic treatment. The cure control is carried out 2 months after a course of therapy.