Vermin

Do not rush to rejoice when you see this subtitle. Those who think that all diseases at us from parasites, here the most valuable information will be for you that it is far not so. After all, what is medical dishonesty and direct "wiring" ignorant (sorry!), but worried about their health people?

The illustration is very easy to get: type the word “parasites“on the Internet! Hundreds of sites that paint the horrors when a myriad of disgusting creatures with alien-looking suction Cup mouths suck, gnaw and tear our long-suffering body! In describing this process, the drafters of such articles sometimes reach a highly artistic level worthy of better application. Many dozens of clinics offer to identify your parasites and clean you from them! Many recipes for cleansing from parasites (all with herbs!), special diets and, of course, dietary Supplements!

The whole inadmissibility of this situation is that the biggest parasites here are just these clinics. And most effectively they clear … of money your wallets! Moreover, they literally invalidate our population with their “horror stories” and unreliable information! After all, one of the most common mental disorders on Earth – “illusory parasitosis” – a condition in which people begin to think that they are infected with parasites, and this is the source of all their troubles!

This is a separate medical problem, because patients with such phobia harm themselves with constant “cleaning of parasites”, destroy their liver with herbs and dietary supplements, they change the normal behavior.

Notes in the margin

At the end of 2014, a study was published, which demonstrated a jump in the proportion of herbs and dietary Supplements in the development of toxic liver damage. For 10 years, the number of severe cases of toxic hepatitis due to their fault has increased from 7% to 22 %! And these cases are much more likely to require liver transplantation than those that were caused by conventional, standard drugs!

So there are no parasitic worms and it’s all a myth? Well, why-of course there is! And diseases cause, and there are countries where they are widespread. Only in our country the proportion of such diseases is low enough. And in any case, these diseases-helminthiasis have a fairly well-defined clinical picture. The main prevention: observance of elementary hygienic rules! In our fear of parasites, we think of them as worms, like rain worms, maybe a little less. Strictly speaking, we do not have” parasite fear”, but” worm fear ” (now you will see that there is a huge difference). Yes, and there are, there are more, but, again, worms-helminths occupy a very small niche, the last place in the hierarchy of infectious diseases in our climate.

Another thing – some microorganisms. They are mostly single-celled, but already have other possibilities and ways of reproduction and nutrition than bacteria, and they just make up the main class of parasites from a medical point of view (called “protozoa”). Let’s get to know them.

Toxoplasm. From a biological point of view, it belongs to the class of parasites. Necessary for reproduction of the cat’s body, without him, Toxoplasma gondii can not exist! But we are infected with toxoplasmosis is not always through cats.

The main source of toxoplasmosis for humans is unroasted meat and unboiled water. Cats excrete Toxoplasma only 3 weeks after infection. (And they are also infected through meat: cats that live all their life on canned food or dry food, toxoplasmosis does not tolerate). However, only what cats are made is not contagious (even if the cat and carrier). Therefore, it is necessary to change the tray daily. How Toxoplasma gondii gets into the meat? All the same cycle, only now Toxoplasma, in nature! Myriads of cats around the world, sorry, defecate on land, grass, water, then herbivore animals eat, chew and drink, we in turn eat them and feed our fluffy Pets (you should have seen my cat!). The circle closed! And then there’s the water, not washed in time hands…

As a result, 10-15% of people aged 15 to 45 years have traces of this infection in their blood (in Brazil up to 80 %). Toxoplasma, once in the body, remains there forever! Dormant in nervous and muscle tissue. The vast majority of us – people with a normal immune system, which keeps Toxoplasma in the sleeping form. Some may have mild ailment such as colds, enlarged lymph nodes, occasionally-inflammation of the eyes. And that’s why we are all so concerned about toxoplasmosis – it can cause damage to the nervous system in the fetus, so all pregnant women are screened for the presence of this infection. But here is not so simple linearly!

If the screening showed on the 13th week, even the presence of acute infection, the chance of defeat of the fetus only 1-3 %: IgM antibodies (remember what it says? See. above) remain elevated for a long time. Positive test must be repeated after 2 weeks. If IgM was positive in the first test and IgG was negative, and IgG was positive in the second, then There really is an acute infection, and now it is necessary to carry out an amniocentesis – to take a sample of amniotic fluid for analysis to find out whether the child is infected?

Please remember that. I write so in detail because I have repeatedly seen how incorrectly the tests of patients were interpreted, and what it led to. And finally: there is no vaccine, you can get pregnant after an acute infection in 3 months.

You can get toxoplasmosis not only because of the hot love for cats, but also through boiled water and unroasted meat.

Plasmodium malaria. Cause (as the name implies) malaria. Carried by a separate species of mosquitoes, which are a necessary link in the life cycle of the parasite. Disease distant tropics? Well, Yes, although until recently malaria mowed whole villages in Italy, France, the southern provinces of the Russian Empire and even the USSR (Volga region, Georgia, Central Asia). Now the area of the disease has really shrunk to the tropical zone. But with the advent of aviation, the world has become small, for half a day we are free to fly from hemisphere to hemisphere: one quietly bitten by a mosquito, the other has already fallen down with the temperature or fell into a coma! We will talk about malaria in the corresponding Chapter.

Trichomonas. This microorganism is the second cause of STD after viruses, i.e. sexually transmitted diseases. Affects women more often than men, can proceed for the time being asymptomatic. After infection, it is often not apparent for several months, so it is sometimes difficult to trace the causal relationship. (Then questions to the doctor: “Where? I have the same 3 month there was nobody!»)

Notes in the margin

That’s who you cannot be neither naïve nor gullible, so it’s the doctor! Abdominal pain, menstrual disorders, inflammation: the doctor of the emergency room should consider any diagnostic concept, including pregnancy. How many times have I heard fervent assurances that “this is impossible!”that “I do not live a sexual life”, and even “doctor, are you mad, to me so many years!”. And invariably received a positive pregnancy test!

If need malaria mosquitoes, for Trichomonas only want people, in any intermediate host she doesn’t need. According to very approximate data, 2-7% of the inhabitants of the Earth are infected with it, who transmit this microorganism to each other with understandable enthusiasm! Women is not only unpleasant (meaning not the process, but the consequences), but can be fraught with urethritis, and cystitis, and even premature pregnancy!

There are several microorganisms that belong to the “protozoa” (amoeba, Giardia, isospora, cryptospora – common causes of acute gastroenteritis), but I think for our short course listed will be enough.