Parasites are called lower organisms that are able to live in the body of a person or animal and feed on it. Scientists have a huge number of such 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 broad categories that differ according to the structure of the body: unicellular (bacteria, virus) and multicellular;
- parasites can live both on the surface of the body (for example, lice) and inside a living being (for example, types of intestinal parasites: worms, etc. );
- by the amount of 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;
- protozoan invasion group;
- arthropodosis.
Helminthiases are the most frequent intruders into the human body. These include roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes, which can cause diseases such as flukes.
TOP 5 most famous parasites in the human body
- Pinworm - is most often found among children's groups. In the human body, they parasitize in organs such as the small and large intestines. The eggs she lays are not only in the body but can also be transferred to bedding and underwear, which makes her highly contagious. Furthermore, the eggs keep perfectly for a long time in the external environment, even if it takes only 4-6 hours to hatch a new parasite.
- Toksokara - very often we get an intruder from our beloved pets, mainly dogs. The size of this creature is quite large: it can reach up to 0. 3 m in length. The eggs of this parasite are often "collected" by children playing in the sandbox, near which the dog walked. This type of parasite is dangerous because it can penetrate almost all organs and the consequences of its vital activity can be irreversible.
- Ascaris is one of the most common parasites that infects more and more people every day. It enters the human body more often along with poorly washed food, raw water, dirty hands and dust. The parasite egg that enters the human body gradually begins to parasitize in the intestine and thus can travel through the blood vessels to other organs.
- The tapeworm is the largest parasite of the most common ones. 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 you later notice alarming symptoms in yourself in the form of exhaustion, increased salivation in the morning, nausea and lethargy, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Echinococcus can enter the body with both poorly washed food, raw water and animals. This parasite is dangerous because its larvae can travel to almost any organ. Gradually, they stop somewhere and turn into a cyst, which begins to put pressure on neighboring tissues.
The most dangerous and rare parasites
Alongside the known and easily treatable "traditional" parasitic organisms, there are 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.
- Filaria is a more exotic parasite that can be found in tropical countries. Once in the human body, it leads to obstruction of the lymphatic vessels, as a result of which the limbs begin to reach 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 by scientists. Previously, there was information that these parasites are not dangerous since they cannot develop in the human body. But it has now been proven that these parasites can cause life-threatening diseases. Most often they enter the body along with half raw fish and fish.
- Schistosoma - this host cannot be picked up in normal life, but when traveling somewhere in the tropics - it is elementary. Especially if you shop somewhere in a warm tropical climate in fresh water. Once in the human body, they can lead to anemia, growth inhibition and arrest, and a decrease in learning ability.
