The most terrifying, dangerous and horrific human parasite

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 90% of the world's population is infected with one parasite or another. About 250 species of helminths (worms) alone can live in the human body, but in addition there are protozoa (amoebae, lamblia, etc. ), arthropods, insect larvae and many other parasites.Most often, residents of large cities are infected with banal worms, roundworms and tapeworms, which are harmful to health and very unpleasant parasites, but only residents of tropical countries and tourists on vacation to the South usually encounterTruly horrific creatures that inhabit the human body. . America, Africa or Australia.Everyone is exposed to large numbers of parasites every day; you can get worms by eating food or drinking water that contains parasite eggs or larvae, or (less commonly) by having close contact with a parasite carrier (animal or human). Infection occurs through household items or insect bites.

most common parasites

• roundworms– 100 million people worldwide are diagnosed with this type of worm every year. Adult roundworms are roundworms up to 40 centimeters long that can live in the human intestine for years, feeding on its red blood cells and poisoning the body through waste products. Female roundworms can lay up to 200, 000 eggs per day, which are excreted in feces and infect the soil. Roundworm larvae can migrate throughout the body, affecting internal organs, blood vessels and even the human brain.
• Pinworm- Small roundworms that live in the large intestine. Pinworm infections are common in childhood; if personal hygiene rules are not followed (not washing hands after going to the toilet, after walking, before eating, not changing underwear on time, licking fingers, quickly). These roundworms do not cause serious poisoning like other worms, but they can cause enterocolitis, vulvovaginitis, salpingitis, cystitis and other diseases. During the breeding season, adult worms leave the lower part of the large intestine and lay eggs in the perianal folds, causing severe itching in children, which is the main symptom of helminth infection.

• Beef and pork tapewormsTapeworms are large tapeworms that can reach 10 m in length. Despite its impressive size, tapeworms are not considered the largest and longest parasites. The longest worm in the world is the broad tapeworm, which can reach a length of 25 m. Parasitic infections can occur from eating undercooked meat or through contact and household contact. Tapeworms not only cause poisoning and depletion of the host's body, but can also cause bile duct blockage or intestinal obstruction. Equally dangerous are worm larvae, which can invade the guts, brain and even eyeballs.
• Giardia- Protozoa or protozoan parasites that live in the human small intestine. Protozoal infection can occur by consuming food or water contaminated with cysts. Diagnosing a Giardia infection is difficult because the disease has no specific symptoms. Patients often feel unwell, are frequently sick, or are diagnosed with symptoms of multiple internal organ diseases.

Which parasites are considered the most dangerous?

Representatives of the following species are considered the most terrible and dangerous parasites in the world: filarial worms, schistosomiasis, Guinea worms, cysticerci, Toxoplasma gondii, Loaloa and some other less common parasites.

Filarial genus

Filarial worms are round and long worms, about 45 centimeters in length; filarial worm larvae can be infected through the bite of blood-sucking insects; mosquitoes usually carry filarial worm larvae, and other insects rarely carry them. Filariae invade lymphatic vessels and block them. As a result of the infection, a person's lower limbs swell so much that they lose the ability to move independently."Elephant disease" is prevalent in hot countries, affecting both local residents and tourists, with the latter being more severely affected. The disease is considered particularly dangerous because of the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment - it only becomes apparent when it becomes chronic and is nearly impossible to cure.

Schistosoma

Schistosomiasis is a special type of worm that lives in human blood vessels. Tiny flatworms, up to 2 mm long, enter the body while swimming or drinking water contaminated with the parasite's cercariae.Schistosomiasis is primarily a tropical disease that is contracted through swimming in open water. Once inside the body, schistosomiasis can cause serious damage to the liver, bladder or intestines.

Guinea worm

Guinea worm disease is another serious parasitic disease that can be contracted in tropical countries by drinking dirty water. After entering the human intestine, roundworms bite through the intestines and then penetrate the lymphatic vessels and subcutaneous fat, where they can grow up to 80 centimeters in length.Deep abscesses develop where the parasite lives, and one or several large worms can be found inside. This parasitic disease can only be cured through surgery.

Loa

Loa Loa, or "eyeworm, " is a round worm that lives in subcutaneous fat. Humans are infected when bitten by blood-sucking insects, which are the intermediate hosts of the parasite.Once inside the body, loa loa begins to migrate throughout the body, including penetrating the eyeball, brain, or neural tissue.

Beard Wandalan

Unlike other parasites, it belongs to freshwater fish and lives in Amazon rivers. A rather large fish - up to 15 centimeters long, almost invisible in the water due to its transparency and eel-like shape, swims silently towards its victim. The bearded wonderland can swim into the human urethra, attach to the walls of blood vessels and suck out blood, eating its owner from the inside. You can only get rid of this parasite through rigorous surgery.

Anyone can become infected with parasites; hundreds of thousands of dangerous parasites await each of us: in water, soil, leaves, public transportation, seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits. Therefore, it is very important to follow all hygiene rules and teach your children the rules of personal hygiene as early as possible.

Most parasites enter the body completely unnoticed; the first symptoms of disease appear only weeks or months after infection. Symptoms of parasitic diseases can vary: from mild discomfort and headache to severe exacerbation, fever and hemoptysis.Only constant monitoring of your health, regular medical check-ups and extreme caution when visiting tropical countries can help you avoid contracting the most terrible parasites, or at least diagnose such infections in time.