Tunga Penetrans In The Epidermis: Medical Significance, Carrier, Pathogen

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Tunga Penetrans In The Epidermis: Medical Significance, Carrier, Pathogen
Tunga Penetrans In The Epidermis: Medical Significance, Carrier, Pathogen

Video: Tunga Penetrans In The Epidermis: Medical Significance, Carrier, Pathogen

Video: Tunga Penetrans In The Epidermis: Medical Significance, Carrier, Pathogen
Video: Tunga Penetrans 2 with Amazon Link Below 2024, March
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  • Description of Tunga penetrans

    • Larva
    • Adults
  • Reproduction
  • The harm caused
  • Danger of sand fleas and transmitted diseases
  • Manifestations of tungiosis
  • Bite treatment

    • How to recognize an insect bite
    • Removing sand fleas
  • What is the main danger
  • How to be treated
  • Preventive measures
  • You can defeat parasites!

Tunga penetrans - Sandy, or penetrating fleas belong to the Talitridae family and are ectoparasites. This small insect is the closest relative of the cat and rat fleas that live in Russia.

This flea species has become the most hated enemy of American soldiers stationed in Iraq. The Pentagon was not ready for such a problem. Some of the infantrymen used ordinary flea collars, which were treated with substances that were very toxic to humans and often caused eczema and severe allergic reactions.

What to do in such a situation? To get started, we recommend reading this article. This article details the methods of dealing with parasites. We also recommend contacting a specialist. Read the article >>>

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Description of Tunga penetrans

The sand flea is commonly known as the amphipod or beach flea, and prefers extremely warm climates. That is why the sand flea has chosen Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, as well as the coast of India near the beaches of the Andaman Islands. Currently, the penetration of these fleas into the territory of Asia is more and more often recorded.

Larva

The larvae of this small parasite resemble tiny white worms without legs. They have no eyes, and the mouth apparatus has chewing functions. Their body length is only 4 millimeters. The main habitat of the larvae is sandy soil. This is the reason for the specific name. The larvae molt three times. Then they pupate, and the final stage is complete metamorphosis. After just three weeks, the larvae are transformed into small, but very active adults.

Adults

The body of Tunga penetrans is slightly flattened laterally and provided with a dense chitinous cover. A pair of eyes are located on a rounded head. The third pair of limbs is designed for jumping. Fleas contain large amounts of natural rubber.

The oral apparatus allows an adult to quickly pierce the skin and, using powerful swallowing pumps, draw blood from the capillaries. Then the blood through the pharynx enters the narrow esophagus, and then moves to the enlarged proventriculus. Its posterior part protrudes directly into the midgut, which forms the cardiac valve. Peristalsis allows the blood in the stomach and proventriculus to mix freely. A significant part of the abdomen is occupied by the middle intestine, which performs not only secretory, but also absorbing function.

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Reproduction

Unusual sexual behavior of adults depends on the special structure of their reproductive organs. These organs are the most complex in the entire animal kingdom. The female, climbing onto the male, pulls his genitals into herself. The male reproductive system consists of one pair of testes, vas deferens, two pairs of accessory glands, and the copulatory apparatus. The size of the penis in an inactive state is equal to a third of the length of the body. It has a goatee and spikes. The female reproductive system is paired ovaries that flow into paired oviducts. They merge into a single oviduct, which passes into the ectodermal vagina, which opens outward from the vulva.

Females lay eggs less than a millimeter long. Their development takes about two weeks.

The harm caused

The female Tunga penetrans causes the tropical parasitic disease sarcopsillosis, or tungiasis. The incidence is particularly high in Nigeria, Trinidad, Tobago and Brazil. The peak incidence is recorded in September, and the minimum is in January. The incubation period covers five stages and lasts about twelve days.

After fertilization, females are able to attach to the skin on the legs of a person and almost instantly penetrate the soft skin of the interdigital folds, under the nails and in the ankle area, and then completely immerse themselves in the epidermis. There, sand fleas feed on blood for 10 days and acquire a spherical shape with a diameter of five millimeters.

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The protruding end of the body remains visible on the surface of the skin. In a few weeks, the female is able to lay several thousand eggs. Getting into sandy soil, they continue their development cycle. The death of the parasite can be accompanied by the development of sepsis in a sick person.

The sand flea quickly moves in search of a wet place over the human body. Socks are a particularly favorite spot. Even if you take off your clothes, it will not help get rid of a flea - it lives there for several days. Once a suitable skin area has been found, the adult injects a liquid containing enzymes into it. Thus, the cells are converted into a food mixture. Eggs will be laid in the skin cavity formed after the meal.

Primary infestation is manifested by severe irritation and itching. This occurs when the flea reaches the final stage of development. The skin area can ulcerate and become inflamed.

If the site of penetration is the subungual bed, then the result is the formation of an abscess, and in case of death at the site of the introduction of the female, a secondary infection develops. The result can be tetanus or gangrene, which can lead to amputation of the toe.

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Danger of sand fleas and transmitted diseases

In the process of living in nature, they become infected with causative agents of dangerous diseases:

  • viruses;
  • bacteria;
  • rickettsia;
  • sporozoans, etc.

When they enter the blood of a person, infection occurs with subsequent complications:

  • self-amputation of limbs;
  • defeat of gangrene and tetanus, leading to tissue necrosis and sepsis;
  • limb deformation;
  • thrombophlebitis, pneumonia, lymphostasis;
  • elephantiasis.

Manifestations of tungiosis

Tungiasis is a disease of the poor mostly in the local population. They rarely wear shoes, and sand flea bites often easily affect the feet.

  • a strong inflammatory process;
  • unbearable pain;
  • constant peeling of the skin;
  • the formation of weeping wounds around the affected area.

When a female foreign body is under the skin, an inflammatory process called tungiosa begins. The incubation period is 8-14 days before the first symptoms appear.

Bite treatment

If bites are found, you need to watch them. If after 2 days the inflammation does not go away, but only increases, you should consult a doctor who will select the optimal remedy for treatment.

Calamine lotion or topical hydrocortisone cream can help relieve itching before medical attention. You can use a handy tool: dilute baking soda with water and apply to the inflamed area. It is worth drinking a pain reliever to relieve pain.

If a male sand flea has bitten it, then high temperatures will help to quickly relieve inflammation and itching: taking a hot shower. A heated cutlery applied to the site of the bite will relieve the condition.

How to recognize an insect bite

Signs of a female sand flea bite:

  • itching, the intensity of which increases;
  • the gradual appearance of a trace similar to a mosquito bite, but with a black dot in the center;
  • the appearance of a burning sensation and pain when pressed;
  • an increasing inflammatory process, when a swollen white abdomen the size of a pea can be seen under the skin.
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It is worth distinguishing between the bite of the male and the female:

  • After the male, the skin begins to ache, later itch, a red blister appears. Itching on its own goes away after a couple of days.
  • When bitten by a female, it manifests itself more slowly than that of a male.

Note. You cannot remove a female flea on your own. She fixes herself with her paws. Unsuccessful extraction may damage the capillary, and the remains of the parasite may enter the blood. Then the chance of getting infected will be much higher.

Removing sand fleas

Only a doctor is able to surgically remove the parasite, for this he:

  • cuts the wound;
  • kills a live flea with chloroform;
  • removes the parasite's body full of unborn larvae using tweezers and a needle;
  • disinfects the wound;
  • applies a sterile bandage;
  • prescribes a course of antibiotics and antihistamines.

What is the main danger

Sand fleas cause considerable harm with their bites, but the main problem is the inability to detect the parasite in time. At first, the symptoms of tungiosis resemble the body's response to any other insect, including a mosquito. In addition, signs may not appear until 7-14 days after infection.

Parasites are dangerous for children and pets, since the size of the food item and the density of the hairline do not affect their choice. The result of the introduction of a flea under the skin will be a huge abscess, which turns into an ulcer after opening. Such a wound does not heal for a long time and causes severe inconvenience. Getting into a wound of infection increases the risk of developing sepsis and gangrene, and in the first days of infection, dirt can be brought in by accident - just walk barefoot on the sand.

How to be treated

Tunga penetrans prefer places with thin and soft skin, so they rarely touch the surface of the foot. Most often, they bite in the popliteal hollows, lateral heels, buttocks and abdomen. Sometimes the parasite can settle between the toes. It is problematic to see the puncture point, the damage will become visible only after the formation of an infiltrate.

Self-removal is not within the power of everyone. You will need a disinfectant, a needle or tweezers, but in advanced cases, a scalpel is used. Tools, like the wound, will need to be processed and try to remove the insect so as not to crush it and deepen the body even more. In the absence of the proper skills, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

There is no cure for bites as such. You can try using an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory ointment with a cooling effect. If the parasite does not penetrate the skin, such measures should be sufficient to eliminate the symptoms. In the case when it was not possible to avoid tungiosis, the doctor himself will prescribe the necessary care for the wound after removing the infiltrate.

Preventive measures

Sand fleas live close to water, so before visiting the beach, it is worth knowing the degree of probability of infection with parasites. It is worth walking in potentially dangerous territory only in the afternoon, when the heat reaches its peak.

To reduce the risk of insect attack, you should wear sneakers with socks, or at least not neglect shoes. In addition, it is recommended to get all vaccinations before the trip, and to use special ointments and repellents to protect against sand fleas. During excursions, it is necessary to bypass the areas overgrown with grass and puddles, since these are the places that parasites love.

After each walk, you need to check the body for bite marks and the insects themselves, monitor hygiene and choose areas open to sunlight.

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