A Blood Test For Parasites - Which Doctor And How To Take

What are the most effective blood tests for parasites?

Content

• 1 Prevalence and causes of helminthiasis
• 2 Symptoms of helminthic invasion
• 3 Types of tests for parasites
• 4 How to get tested correctly
• 5 Types of blood tests
• 6 Decoding a blood test
• 7 Diagnostics by a comprehensive blood test for parasites
• 8 Conclusions

There is a misconception that worms are characteristic of the population of underdeveloped countries. Unfortunately, helminths, which include about 400 species of worms, affect the health of the entire population of the Earth.

Many do not know that in modern medicine a blood test for parasites is used - one of the most effective methods for detecting helminth infestations. The main thing is to promptly seek help from specialists.

Prevalence and causes of helminthiasis

Approximately 50% of people are carriers of various parasites without noticing it. By direct exposure and waste of their life cycle, helminths harm the internal organs of their host. And in especially severe cases, it can be fatal.

Parasites are often guided into the body by:

• Poorly washed foods eaten raw;
• Contaminated water;
• Meat and fish with insufficient heat treatment;
• Failure to comply with hygiene rules;
• Swimming in open water;

• Pastel and hygiene items, other reasons.

  

Children are at increased risk. Adults cannot totally control all the actions of the child, as a result of which the baby brings parasites into the mouth with dirty hands or becomes infected through close contact with other children and animals.

In addition, worms spread in more unexpected ways: for example, through the skin or through the urethra when swimming in a natural reservoir. Therefore, you should not urinate while in the water, as this type of parasite reacts to the presence of ammonia and thus finds a victim.

Symptoms of helminthic invasion

Symptoms are more pronounced in children. This could be:

1. Uneven appetite - from overeating to complete refusal to eat;
2. Alternating constipation or loose stools;
3. Morning toxicosis;
4. Skin rashes or pallor of the integument;
5. Unreasonable rise in temperature;
6. Dark circles around the eyes.

If any of the listed symptoms are observed within a few days, parents should contact a medical facility to be tested for the presence of helminths in the child. As a rule, parasites spread to other family members. Doctors recommend, in case of detection of infection in one, to be checked by the whole family.

Types of tests for parasites

Targeted appeal to the laboratory for passing the analysis for the presence of parasites can be dictated by:

• Prevention of helminthiasis;
• Prevention of the spread of infection in crowds of people, such as - kindergarten, sports clubs or catering establishments;

• Doctor's appointment based on symptoms characteristic of helminthic invasion.

  

Currently, there are different types of analyzes, with the help of which it is quite accurately possible to determine the presence and number of parasites or their absence. The most common are scraping, stool analysis for parasite eggs and blood tests.

How to get tested correctly

To get the most reliable results, it is necessary to properly prepare for various types of analyzes

1. Scraping is best done in the morning before going to the toilet and, without washing, to reveal the eggs of worms laid over the night in the perineal area.
2. Before taking stool for analysis, you should not take antibiotics, antihelminthic drugs and diarrhea drugs. The feces collected in a container must be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible or stored at a temperature not exceeding 5 ° C and no more than eight hours from the moment of defecation. It is advisable to carry out such an analysis 2-3 times. A single check establishes the absence of parasites with an accuracy of 50%, and a triple negative result increases the confidence to 99%.

3. A week before taking blood for analysis for parasites, it is recommended to stop taking antibiotics and other drugs that can affect the picture of the tests, to refrain from eating eight hours before the procedure.

   

Varieties of blood tests

Despite the availability and simplicity of stool analysis, it significantly loses to modern studies of blood composition in terms of information content and accuracy of results.

1. ELISA - enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

   Held for children and adults. Allows you to establish the quantitative and qualitative components of antigens and antibodies in the blood due to the presence of parasites in the body. With repeated analyzes, it is possible to trace the dynamics of the development of the disease or, conversely, the effect of treatment on the patient's condition. Since the analysis is quite expensive, it is prescribed in case of suspicion of dangerous parasites, for example, echinococcus, which are difficult to detect by other methods.

2. PCR - diagnostics.

   Various body fluids are used for research: blood, serum, blood plasma, urine. The result of the study is the identification of fragments of RNA and DNA molecules of protozoan parasites in the liquid.

3. Serological analysis.

   The patient's blood serum is examined for the presence of antibodies to multicellular and protozoan parasites. Serologic testing may reveal traces of other infectious diseases. In order to accurately establish the stage of infection, it is necessary to conduct a second study in two weeks.

4. Blood hemoscanning.

   For the analysis, live blood from a finger is used, placed in a magnifying device with a high resolution and displaying an image on the screen.

   

The method shows:

• Type of parasite;
• Condition and number of red blood cells;
• Leukocyte activity;
• The effectiveness of immunity;
• The presence of viruses and fungi;
• Plasma viscosity.

Hemoscanning is very clear, informative and fast.

Decoding a blood test

The information content of blood tests is based on the detection in the blood of antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the presence of a particular parasite. Also, by the type and number of antibodies, the stage and severity of the damage to the body is determined.

1. IgM - are present in the blood only at the initial stage of the disease, as a primary response to a new unfamiliar infection. A large number of them are recorded 10-14 days after the penetration of helminths into the body. Subsequently, the concentration decreases to zero.

2. IgG - also appears in the blood two weeks after the helminth invasion, but retain a high level throughout the course of the disease.

   

Different concentrations of IgM and IgG antibodies may indicate acute or chronic damage to the body by parasitic life forms.

• The presence of a large amount of IgM indicates the initial stage of the disease;
• A high IgG level indicates that the disease has become chronic;
• The presence of both antibodies in high concentrations in the analyzes may serve as a sign of an exacerbation of the chronic process.

Diagnostics by a comprehensive blood test for parasites

Ascariasis is a severe defeat of adults and children. A fifth of the entire population is infected with roundworms. These worms, belonging to a large group of nematodes, can grow up to forty centimeters. They quickly spread throughout the body, affecting the respiratory system, liver, biliary tract and lead to secondary diseases of internal organs.

In the absence of adequate treatment, ascariasis can lead to the most sad outcome for the patient. Ascaris eggs are found in the soil and remain viable for many years. Once in the mouth with unwashed vegetables or dirty hands, they multiply rapidly, causing rapid fatigue, weakness and itching around the anus. In the case of ascariasis, a blood test for antibodies to parasites is quite effective.

Opisthorchiasis is an invasive human infection with flatworms of the feline fluke. The spread of the disease is local in nature: most patients are residents of the CIS countries and Russia. Infection with opisthorchiasis occurs through fish, which becomes an intermediate carrier of the worm.

Parasites invade the pancreatic ducts and bile ducts. Symptoms are manifested in allergic reactions, infectious organ lesions, high fever and pain in the side.

If the patient does not consult a doctor in time, parasites and their waste products can lead to stomach ulcers, severe gastritis and duodenal ulcer, and even to damage to the central nervous system.

If you suspect infection with opisthorchiasis, it is necessary to take a blood test to detect IgG antibodies corresponding to the cat's fluke. It is optimal to take the analysis 6-8 weeks after the intended penetration. After this period, the disease becomes chronic and the test results lose their reliability.

Trichinosis - pathogens - Trichinella, penetrating into a person through parasitized pork. The assortment of meat in large retail outlets is mandatory checked for the absence of larvae and eggs of various helminths.

But hunting trophies or meat from small peasant farms that have not passed such a test can cause illness. Moreover, ordinary heat treatment does not neutralize these helminths in the same way as smoking and salting.

In the first 15-20 days, the disease manifests itself through nausea, vomiting, loose stools and allergic rashes. Subsequently, the pathology of the organ develops in which the parasites have nested. They easily penetrate tissues and membranes and can cause irreparable harm to any part of the body, up to and including death.

A blood test for specific antibodies to these parasites gives the greatest accuracy, at the end of 15-30 days after the estimated date of infection. If the test result is negative, and the symptoms persist, the test should be repeated after 1-2 weeks.

Strongyloidosis - causes intestinal acne disease - a white round worm that penetrates the victim through the skin when exposed skin contacts the soil. The range of helminths is located in areas with a tropical climate, where the local population, cultivating barefoot gardens, is often infected with it.

At the point of penetration, a red mark appears on the skin, which itches strongly and persists for 3-5 days. Then the manifestations become both typical (loose stools, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, itching around the anus), and absolutely smoothed.

The eel can coexist unnoticed with its host for many years. However, with a weakening of the body's defense reaction, it can kill more than 50% of its carriers.

Strongyloidosis is well diagnosed by examining the feces, but the analysis of the patient's blood for antibodies to these parasites provides great information content and accuracy.

conclusions

Helminthiases are insidious and pose a danger to life and health. Timely treatment will save you from disability or death. An annual parasite check is a guarantee of the health of the whole family.

To put a reliable barrier against parasites, it is enough to follow simple rules: keep your hands clean during the day and immediately before eating, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, fish and meat products before cooking, soak for about thirty hours in the freezer, give anthelmintic drugs to pets every three months.

Learn more about modern diagnostic methods, take care of your loved ones and be healthy.