Photos Of Worms In The Human Body (symptoms And Description)

2023 Author: Riley Dean | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 09:15

Photo of worms in the human body. People and animals are attacked by these creatures, the infection is easily transmitted to each other through contaminated food, water and dirty hands. The rules of prevention and careful adherence to personal hygiene will help prevent the appearance of parasites in the body, but even these measures do not guarantee one hundred percent protection. Helminths inhabiting the human body can live in various organs, differ in appearance, size, and the degree of harm to humans.

The content of the article:

1 Parasites in the human body
2 How parasites enter the human body
3 In which organs of a person can parasites live
4 Pinworms - how they look in the human body (Photo of worms)
5 Ascaris - how they look in the human body (Photo of worms)
6 Vlasoglavs - how they look in the human body
7 Liver fluke - what it looks like in the human body
8 Trichinella - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)
9 Wide tapeworm - what it looks like in the human body
10 Echinococcus - how it looks in the human body
11 Alveococcus - what it looks like in the human body
12 Schistosoma - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)
13 Pork tapeworm - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)
14 Which doctor should I contact if infected with worms

Parasites in the human body

How many situations are there when a person has been going to the doctor for years and cannot get rid of allergies, treating asthma, drinking antidiabetic drugs and everything is useless? Each of us has such acquaintances who have spent huge sums on the treatment of various diseases, and have not received any result.

Only in rare cases, when a doctor turns out to be either very smart or very responsible, he directs such a patient to a routine fecal analysis and then … Then parasites are found in the human body, which are the cause of dozens of diseases, and with which no one is involved in the treatment of these pathologies does not fight.

Photo of worms. Contrary to popular belief, worms do not necessarily "prescribe" in the intestine and can be detected by a banal analysis of feces. Many parasites thrive in the lungs, heart, muscles, even the brain and eyes.

The well-known malaria, which was once defeated on the territory of the USSR, has returned again and this is the most dangerous parasitic disease, according to WHO experts. Plasmodium malaria lives exclusively in the blood and not every doctor will be able to recognize this disease with sufficient certainty.

How parasites enter the human body

They enter the human body in different ways, most often this is due to the use of contaminated water and food.

Pinworm eggs remain viable for up to 6 months and enter the body through toys, carpets, underwear and pastel linen. Ascaris eggs get inside us through poorly washed vegetables and fruits. Shish kebab or homemade bacon is a 95% guarantee of Trichinosis infection.

Parasites get inside us with insect bites, when swimming in freshwater reservoirs, through the air, with dust, which is the carrier of eggs.

Salted fish, sliced fish or caviar are the cause of infection with tapeworms, which are up to 12 meters long and which can live in your body for up to 25 years. Cases of infestation with parasites in infants have become more frequent in the womb. Dogs and cats, through their wet breath, can disperse parasite eggs at a distance of up to 5 meters.

You can get infected through dirty hands, not only your own, but also sellers, cooks, waiters, parasite eggs travel on money and public transport handrails. A high concentration of parasite eggs is observed in foods such as: bacon, smoked sausage, ham, sausages, pork of any form, beef, chicken, lamb, and even chicken eggs are very often infected with them.

Epidemiologists around the world are trying to fight this scourge. In the USA, for example, to check for helminthiasis, 1 pig carcass out of every thousand is destroyed. This adds up to multimillion-dollar losses, but it cannot be otherwise.

There are no absolutely reliable ways to disinfect meat, and conventional culinary processing does not destroy the larvae. You cannot guarantee yourself the purity of your food by boiling or frying meat, a huge number of parasite larvae still enter your body.

In what organs of a person can parasites live?

Photo of worms. Worm parasites are divided into two categories, which correspond to the site of activity in the donor's body:

abdominal: worms that live in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. There are about 100 varieties of intestinal parasites, and there are a couple of dozen species for each section of the intestine. The small intestine is ready to accept roundworm, antilostomy, broad tapeworms and other less common "brethren". The small intestine "will share living space" with pinworms, dwarf tapeworm and others. The medical literature describes cases when one person was simultaneously infected with several types of parasites;
tissue: worms localized in organs, tissues and even in the blood. Modern medicine successfully copes with paragonimiasis (lungs), cysticercosis (brain), echinococcosis (liver) and filariasis (lymphatic vessels). Some larvae of worms move through the body through the circulatory system and randomly attach to any organ. If many eggs are introduced, the entire body may be infected.

Pinworms - how they look in the human body (Photo of worms)

Pinworms are one of the most common human roundworm (nematode) parasites. Pinworm infections are most common in children, but also in adults.

The pinworm is a white parasite, small in size and round in shape. Individuals of a female have dimensions: 8-13 mm in length, 0.5 mm in thickness, an oblong shape and a straight tail, pointed at the end.

This feature of the tail of the female parasite explains its name - "pinworm", from the word "sharp". The male is much smaller: its length is 2-5 mm, its thickness is 0.2 mm, the tail is curved, in contrast to the female pinworm.

Photo of worms. Human infestation with pinworms is called enterobiasis, and occurs mainly when personal hygiene rules are not followed (insufficient hand washing). Mostly, pinworms live in the small intestine and upper large intestine, but in some cases they can also migrate to other organs and organ systems.

The female helminth, having entered the human body by the oral route, and having mated with the male representative of the nematode, migrates to the large intestine, where it receives the necessary nutrients for life and the maturation of eggs from undigested food debris.

After 4 weeks, the female pinworm begins to migrate into the rectum at a speed of 12 cm per hour, crawls out of the anus and lays about 5000-15000 eggs in the perianal region, which after 4-6 hours fully mature and are ready for the further life cycle.

This process can be accompanied by itching, which prompts the infected person to scratch the anus, and thus contribute to the further spread of parasites that get into food from under the nails into the hands of other people (this is especially true for children who are in very close contact with each other and not always observing the rules of personal hygiene).

Pinworm infection occurs from person to person, through the dust with the eggs of the parasite, objects that the patient touched. Pinworm eggs can also be carried to food by cockroaches and flies.

Also eggs remain on linen, clothes, bed, which explains their rapid spread. Due to the fact that the life cycle of the worm is very fleeting, and infection occurs from person to person, it is quite difficult to get rid of parasites, since in addition to taking anthelmintic drugs, it is necessary to process the patient's personal belongings, and isolate him from other carriers of the nematode.

Ascaris - how they look in the human body (Photo of worms)

Ascaris is a large spindle-shaped parasite of red-yellow color, reaching 40 cm (females) and 15-25 cm (males) in adulthood. Without suction cups or other fastening devices, roundworm is able to independently move towards the food masses. The eggs laid by the female parasite are excreted in the feces.

Infection with ascariasis occurs when mature eggs are swallowed along with water or unwashed vegetables and fruits, which have soil particles. After the eggs enter the intestines, mature larvae emerge from them.

Then, penetrating into the intestinal wall, they reach the heart through the bloodstream, and from there they enter the lungs. Through the pulmonary alveoli, the roundworm larva through the respiratory tract again enters the oral cavity.

Photo of worms. In the intestinal phase of their existence, roundworms, endowed with the ability to spiral movements, can penetrate even the narrowest openings. This feature of the parasite often leads to the development of rather serious complications (obstructive jaundice or pancreatitis)

After re-ingestion, the parasite reaches the small intestine, where it develops into an adult. The worm lives for 12 months, then dies and is excreted along with the feces. In the intestines of one host, both one and several hundred individuals can live.

Allergens secreted by ascaris can provoke severe allergic reactions. Large numbers of adults can cause intestinal obstruction, and worms that enter the respiratory tract sometimes cause suffocation.

Vlasoglavs - how they look in the human body

This type of parasite is quite rare in central Russia. Vlasoglava more often live in the southern regions, since the eggs of this worm love warmth. Most infections occur in rural areas. Whipworm eggs live in the soil.

Invasion occurs through hands, contaminated soil particles, poorly washed vegetables and fruits. As a result of infection, a disease occurs - trichocephalosis. Vlasoglav parasitizes in the intestines. This worm causes anemia, as it feeds on human blood, and severe abdominal pain.

To diagnose trichocephalosis, the rectum and sigmoid colon are examined with a special device (sigmoidoscopy). Thus, accumulations of parasites in the intestine are detected. Treatment of the invasion is long-term, since the whipworm eggs are protected by a dense membrane.

The eggs of the parasite are excreted in the feces, but they are very small, they cannot always be seen even under a microscope. Only with a very strong invasion is it possible to detect eggs in the analysis of feces. They are barrel-like in shape and have a brownish yellow color.

There are holes on 2 sides of the egg. What do worms look like in feces? They are very difficult to find alive in feces, since whipworms cannot live long outside the human body. Only with anthelmintic therapy can be seen in the feces of dead white worms.

Hepatic fluke - what it looks like in the human body

The parasite that causes opisthorchiasis is a flatworm reaching a length of 7-20 mm. It should be noted that more than 50% of cases of infection with the hepatic fluke (also called the cat fluke) occur in the inhabitants of Russia.

In the acute phase of helminthiasis, the patient has soreness in the upper abdomen, body temperature rises, nausea, muscle pains, diarrhea, and skin rashes develop. The parasite larvae begin to develop after the eggs enter fresh water (from the snails that have swallowed them). Then they penetrate into the body of fish (carp, crucian carp, bream, roach).

Photo of worms. Human infection occurs when eating contaminated fish meat that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment. The larva of the hepatic fluke from the small intestine penetrates into the bile ducts and into the gallbladder, fixing there with the help of two suction cups.

The chronic course of opisthorchiasis is manifested by symptoms of hepatitis, inflammation of the bile ducts, cholecystitis, disruption of the digestive tract, nervous disorders, weakness and increased fatigue. The parasite leads to the development of irreversible changes, and even after its expulsion, the patient does not undergo chronic inflammatory processes and functional disorders.

Trichinella - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)

The causative agent of trichinosis is a small round helminth, reaching 2-5 mm in length. Infection occurs when eating poorly roasted meat (pork, bear meat, wild boar). Penetrating into the intestines, the larva of the parasite matures to the state of a sexually mature individual in 3-4 days.

The life span of the worm is 40 days, after which the parasite dies. By piercing the intestinal wall, the larvae enter the bloodstream and are carried to all organs of the human body, settling in the muscles. In this case, the respiratory and facial muscles, as well as the flexor muscles of the limbs, are most often affected.

In the first days after the invasion, patients complain of abdominal pain.

Then, after about 2 weeks, the body temperature rises to 39-40 C, itchy rashes appear on the skin, muscle pains develop, and the face swells.

During this period, in case of massive infection, there is a significant risk of death. After about a month, he recovers. The parasite is encapsulated in a spiral form, after which it dies within two years.

Wide tape - what it looks like in the human body

This is one of the largest helminths, reaching a length of 10-20 meters. The disease caused by this parasite is called diphyllobothriasis. The worm's developmental cycle begins with freshwater fish or crustaceans.

Photo of worms. Reaching the small intestine, the parasite attaches to its wall and within 20-25 days grows to a sexually mature individual.

The larva enters the human body, which is the final owner of the broad tapeworm, along with eggs or infected fish fillets.

Diphyllobothriasis occurs against the background of disorders of the digestive tract and B12-deficiency anemia.

Echinococcus - how it looks in the human body

For this parasite, a person is an intermediate host. The worm parasitizes the human body in the form of the Finns. The final owner of echinococcus is a wolf, dog or cat.

Infection occurs alimentary through contact with animals and with environmental objects seeded with echinococcus eggs. After entering the intestine, oncospheres (six-hooked larvae) develop from them. From the intestines, they enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body.

Photo of worms. The "favorite" places of parasitism of the worm are the liver and lungs. By settling in these organs, the larva turns into a Finn (echinococcal cyst), which, gradually increasing in size, begins to destroy nearby tissues.

Often, echinococcosis in the diagnostic process is mistaken for a tumor of benign or malignant origin. In addition to mechanical stress (squeezing of organs and blood vessels), echinococcal cyst rupture sometimes occurs. This condition can cause toxic shock or the formation of multiple new cysts.

Alveococcus - what it looks like in the human body

This parasite, considered a type of echinococcus, is the cause of one of the most dangerous helminthiases (alveococcosis), which is similar in severity to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Infection occurs when oncospheres (eggs with mature larvae) enter the intestine.

This parasite, considered a type of echinococcus, is the cause of one of the most dangerous helminthiases (alveococcosis)

There, the embryo leaves the egg and, penetrating into the intestinal walls, enters the bloodstream. Further, with the blood flow, the parasite spreads to all tissues and organs of the body (most often it is localized in the liver). It is there that the main stage of development begins in the larvae (a multi-chamber bubble, laurocyst is formed).

Photo of worms. Each chamber contains the embryonic head of the parasite, which continues to develop gradually. Laurocysts are very aggressive formations that constantly grow due to enlarging bubbles, and also have the ability to grow into the liver, like cancer metastases.

Necrotic changes due to disturbances in the functioning of blood vessels undergo necrotic tissue changes. Spreading to nearby structures, the alveococcus forms fibrous nodes with inclusions of multicameral blisters. This condition can last for several years, and therefore requires mandatory surgical intervention.

Schistosoma - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)

Schistosoma - blood fluke, belongs to the class of trematodes, depending on the species, causes various schistosomiasis. It is a flat dioecious helminth, reaching 4-20 millimeters in length and 0.25 mm in width. The body of the schistosome is equipped with 2 suckers - oral and abdominal, they are located close to each other. Female schistosomes are longer and thinner than males. There is a longitudinal groove on the body of the male, with its help he holds the female. Their eggs are 0.1 mm in diameter, oval in shape, on the surface of one of the poles there is a large spike.

Photos of worms in the human body (symptoms and description)

Human worms schistosomes in the role of the final host choose people, in their bodies they parasitize in the small veins of the large intestine, abdominal cavity, uterus, bladder. Worms feed on blood, partially absorb nutrients through the cuticle. Schistosome eggs are transported to the intestines and bladder, where they mature and are excreted along with feces or urine. In freshwater waters, a larva emerges from the eggs - miracidium, its intermediate host is mollusks. In the body of the mollusk, metacercariae develop to cercariae in 4-8 weeks.

Pork tapeworm - what it looks like in the human body (Photo of worms)

The pork tapeworm, like the bovine tapeworm, has 4 suckers on its body, but in addition to this, the helminth's body is also equipped with a double rim of hooks. The strobila reaches two to three meters in length. The pork tapeworm has a three-lobed ovary, on each side the uterus has from 7 to 12 branches. A characteristic feature of this helminth is the ability of the segments to crawl out of the anus. After going outside, their shell becomes dry and bursts, so helminth eggs enter the external environment. The intermediate owner of the tapeworm can be pigs and humans. Photo of worms.

The main owner is a person. Intestinal parasites in humans include pork tapeworm, the helminth is located in the intestines of the patient, where it lays its eggs. Infection occurs when eating invasive meat.

Which doctor should I contact if infected with worms

If an infection with worms is suspected, then it is necessary to consult an infectious disease doctor, helminthologist or parasitologist. An infectious disease specialist can be contacted for infection with any parasitic worms or protozoa.

If infection with worms is suspected, then it is necessary to consult an infectious disease doctor, helminthologist or parasitologist

You can contact a helminthologist only if infection is suspected with parasitic worms (pinworms, roundworms, whipworm, opisthorchiasis, etc.).

A parasitologist can be consulted in cases where infection with protozoa is suspected - lamblia, toxoplasma and amoeba.

In addition, if the parasite is localized not in the lumen of the intestine or stomach, but in other organs (for example, lungs, liver), then you can contact a specialist who is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of this organ. That is, for example, with opisthorchiasis, you can also consult a gastroenterologist or hepatologist, and with echinococcosis - a pulmonologist.

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