Subcutaneous parasites in humans

Who are subcutaneous parasites? How to recognize them and get rid of them? Are there any preventative measures? You can now find answers to these questions.

So, how to recognize subcutaneous parasites in humans? Symptoms, photos will help to cope with this task. We also note the fact that many varieties live and spread only under special climatic conditions, but there are those that can be found in the urban area. As a rule, the latter are spread by insects. We will talk in the article specifically about each species.

Danger to people

Subcutaneous parasites in humans, the symptoms and photos of which will be discussed later, cause various degrees of epidermal damage. The most common signs are:

• irritation;
• itching
• sores;
• inflammation;
• hair loss.

Now we propose to consider what creatures can live on the skin and under its covers. All this is graphically presented in the table below.

Many people mistakenly assume that these skin problems are caused by non-compliance with hygiene rules. By no means, the reasons for their appearance are other situations:

• consumption of raw foods (and also water);
• the use of unprocessed and unwashed foods (many have the habit of eating vegetables, fruits or berries straight from the garden or tree);
• insect bites;
• close contact with the infected.

What is dangerous subcutaneous parasites for humans? They are the causes of some diseases.

Diseases

What is the danger of having subcutaneous parasites in humans? Treatment is possible only after an accurate determination of the pathogen, since it directly depends on the type of parasite. Skin diseases caused by these organisms are dangerous because the latter can accumulate and as a result collect whole colonies. With inaction, they affect vital organs.

What skin diseases can be caused by parasites? First of all, it is scabies, pediculosis, demodicosis and others. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the easier it will be to get rid of the cause. Be sure to consult a doctor with this problem, and do not self-medicate.

I would also like to say that the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Prevention of parasitic skin diseases is also presented in the article.

Leishmaniasis

Let's start with a disease called leishmaniasis. It is caused by the simplest subcutaneous parasites. It is very important to note that the problem is often found in countries where the climate is warm.

There are several types of disease:

• cutaneous;
• mucocutaneous;
• visceral.

Leishmania for its entire life cycle is able to change two owners. Moreover, in each organism, it forms a flagellum or flagellum. Who or what is the source of distribution? These are infected animals and people. The disease is transmitted by insects that feed on infected blood. This occurs by a transmissible method (i.e. through a bite). A week after mosquito infection, he will become a carrier of the disease for life.

The disease manifests itself in this way:

• lethargy;
• decline in performance;
• sleep disturbances;
• fast fatiguability;
• poor appetite;
• the appearance on the skin of painful ulcers (Leishmaniomas).

It should be extremely careful, leishmaniasis can be easily confused with a number of other diseases (typhoid, sepsis, malaria, and so on).

Gnatostomiasis

Subcutaneous parasites can cause a disease called gnatostomiasis. The first and very important difference from the previous ailment is the method of infection. With leishmaniasis, a person is infected as a result of an insect bite, and with gnatostomiasis when a person eats an intermediate host (carrier of the disease). The following organisms may act as intermediate hosts:

• fish;
• frog;
• snake;
• bird.

Cause nematode disease. It is important to note that the person in this case is a random host. Larvae in the human body cannot develop. However, in many vertebrate carnivores, the normal life cycle of these parasites is observed, and they will be the final hosts.

The disease manifests itself in this way:

• subcutaneous nodules;
• dermatitis;
• pain
• vomiting
• loss of appetite;
• diarrhea;
• fever;
• weakness;
• peritonitis;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• eye damage;
• lung damage.

Note that the last three points are extremely rare in practice. There are several types of disease: skin, ocular, visceral, neurological.

The most dangerous is the last type of gnatostomiasis, which is associated with the migration of larvae into the nervous system. This can cause eosinophilic meningitis and encephalomyelitis. With this type of disease, the larvae can migrate to the brain, which in most cases ends in death.

Schistosomiasis

Subcutaneous parasites are very dangerous. As mentioned above, they can form whole colonies. So schistosomiasis is caused by a whole group of parasites. It is very important that they lay eggs that have spikes. That is, they can freely enter any part of the human body:

• bladder;
• liver;
• spleen;
• the uterus;
• circulatory system and so on.

Another danger is that clogging may occur in crowded areas. As a result, tumors, cysts and the like are formed. Schistosomes are attached to a tropical climate. From the human body into the external environment, they enter the feces and urine. After passing through some stages of maturation, the larvae look for a new host and make their way into his body directly through the skin. Their task is to get into the right heart. There, the larva of the schistosome matures and after a month of stay in the human body is ready to lay eggs.

Symptoms of the gastrointestinal form of the disease:

• abdominal pain
• intestinal upset;
• flatulence;
• bleeding
• weight loss.

Symptoms of the urogenital form:

• in women, a menstrual cycle malfunction;
• miscarriages;
• in men, sexual weakness;
• spotting in urine and so on.

Symptoms common to all types of disease:

• rash;
• itching
• fever;
• headache;
• diarrhea;
• blood or mucus in the stool;
• depression;
• weakness;
• fatigue and so on.

Dracunculiasis

Subcutaneous parasites (worm worms ) can cause a disease called dracunculiasis. How does a person get infected? Everything is very simple, small crustaceans that are already infected with parasites can be contained in dirty water. When it is consumed, the crustaceans die, and the larvae are released and begin to actively develop.

This disease is common in areas where there is no access to clean drinking water. Worms live under human skin. After entering the body, the larvae tend to enter the stomach or intestines. After they are able to penetrate into the abdominal and retroperitoneal cavity. There they develop for the whole three months without manifesting themselves. After the passage of this period, reproduction occurs (mating of heterosexual individuals). When fertilization occurs, the females migrate to the tissue. During this period, a blister appears on the surface of the skin (often on the foot). Within three days, it bursts and a living worm is released. This process is accompanied by severe burning, and a person is often forced to lower the affected area of ​​the skin into the water, and its infection occurs.

How to prevent infection? Everything is simple, it is necessary to clean drinking water with filters and the boiling process.

Filariasis

Subcutaneous parasites in human filariasis can cause filariasis disease. This disease is tropical. You can get infected through the bite of an insect. Only two years later can filariasis be detected in the form of mobile and painless nodes.

Symptoms

• rash;
• fever;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• subcutaneous worm congestion;
• eye damage;
• drowsiness and so on.

In this disease, several stages are distinguished:

• early (occurs three months after an insect bite, the duration of the period is six months);
• carriage (ripening of worms, the period can drag on for seven years);
• blockage (clogging of the gaps of the lymphatic vessels).

Dirofilariasis

Now we will consider another subcutaneous parasite. Symptoms of dirofilariasis:

• hypodermic seal, which has the ability to move (it primarily appears at the site of an insect bite);
• sensation of goosebumps;
• pain;
• redness;
• itching

The disease is caused by a filamentous nematode. In animals, it is more common, but now there are more and more cases of human infection. The method of infection is insect bites.

Entomoses

Subcutaneous parasites in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which we consider in the article, can be represented in the form of insects. For example, in our case we are talking about a sand flea.

Getting infected is easy enough. Do you like the sea and often go on vacation? Be careful with walking barefoot in the sand, there can be a very small insect that can gnaw through your skin and stay with you for a long time, causing a lot of inconvenience.

At the same time, a person experiences itching and burning at the site of a bite. Soon the parasite will die and will go out.

There is another dangerous parasite that is carried by insects - the human gadfly. The larva that enters the human body, independently leaves after a year.

Acariases

Subcutaneous parasites in humans, photos are provided in sections of the article, can be ticks. In humans, two types are most common:

• scabies;
• demodex.

Infection occurs as a result of close contact with a sick person. Symptoms

• itching
• a thin strip that is visible under the skin (traces of the female when laying eggs).

Treatment and prevention

For prevention, wash fruits and vegetables before use, filter and boil water, use insect repellents, in public places (including the beach) use personal slippers, do not wear other people's clothes.