Ankylostoma

Ankylostoma is a kind of helminths parasitizing in the human body. Consider the main types of malicious parasites, the symptoms of infection, methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Aniclostomosis is a disease that arises from parasitic roundworms. The disease is known from ancient times under the names: anemia of miners, African cachexia, Egyptian chlorosis. The parasite is widespread in the tropical and subtropical zones, that is, in Africa, South Asia, Central America. Foci of infection are registered in the south of Europe, in some regions of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Infection occurs through contaminated soil and plant products grown on it, while walking barefoot or resting on the ground. There are three ways of transmission of helminthiosis: contact, drinking and food. The groups at risk for infection include: agricultural workers, summer residents, miners. But children are at greatest risk of infection, because they are more likely to walk barefoot and do not adhere to hygiene rules. Once the larvae penetrate the skin, they move through the venous system to the alveoli, move to the larynx and trachea, move through the esophagus and enter the colon and stomach. Within a month the helminths reach their maturity and begin to lay eggs, causing symptoms characteristic of the ailment.

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Structure of hookworm

Parasites that penetrate the human body and cause a number of negative signs on the part of many organs and systems have a peculiar structure. The head is a small nematode, 1-2 cm long, pale pink in color. The head end consists of a mouthful capsule with four prongs. At the caudal end, males have a bell-shaped extension of the cuticle, i.e. The genital bursa. Eggs have an oval shape with rounded ends and a thin shell, colorless or transparent. In the center of the egg is 4-8 blastomer, i.e. Germ cells.

Parasites enter the body in such ways:

• Penetrate through the skin when working on the ground, walking barefoot or in light shoes, while relaxing on the grass.
• Swallowed with dirty food and unwashed hands.

But irrespective of the path of penetration, the larvae enter the venous system and carry blood through the body, penetrating into all organs. Gradually, the parasite penetrates the respiratory system and the duodenum, where within 3-6 months the larvae turn into mature individuals.

Types of hookworm

To date, several species of parasitic worms have been identified that affect the human body. Of particular danger are two types: ancylostoma duodenale and necator americanus. In both species, the head end of the worm has a curved shape, so the helminth is called the curve-head. The size of an adult reaches 0.5-1.5 cm. In addition to humans, hookworms can infect other mammals, for example, domestic animals, but these are other types of worms: Brazilians, canatium. Kanatium does not affect a person, the Brazilian infects, but can not develop, so the larvae remain in the subcutaneous layer, provoking severe allergic reactions and itching.

• Ancylostoma duodenale - parasitizes a person. Has a mouth opening with tooth-like outgrowths, a life span of 5-8 years.
• Necator americanus - affects the human body. Oral opening contains cutting blades, life cycle - up to 15 years.
• Ancylostoma caninum - most often parasitizes in dogs. The oral opening has a tooth-like outgrowth. Larvae penetrate to the person, causing dermatological diseases.

Helminths cause anemia, vomiting, diarrhea. With total invasion, mental and physical development slows down. To prevent infection, it is possible only if elementary rules of personal and public hygiene are observed.

Ankylostoma duodenale

One of the varieties of helminths parasitizing in the human body is hookworm duodenale. The female parasite is 10-18 mm in length, and the male is 8-10 mm, the head end of the worm is bent to the dorsal side. At the head end there is a funnel-shaped oral capsule with cuticular teeth, with which the parasite is attached to the mucosa of the small intestine. The posterior end of the male body contains a copulatory bag (two large lateral lobes).

Infection is carried out through the skin of the feet when walking on the ground barefoot and dirty hands. There are several ways of infection:

• Transplacental is intrauterine infection by the hematogenous way, that is, through the placenta or because of penetration from the peritoneum into the uterus and the placenta.
• Almentary - the larvae enter the body through the oral cavity with food or water. The parasite lives in the duodenum, attaching to its mucous membrane with its sharp teeth. The individual does not migrate through the body.
• Percutant - the worm actively penetrates the skin into the venous path, penetrating into the right atrium, lungs, trachea, pharynx. Together with saliva penetrates into the small intestine, where the biotransformation passes into an adult.

The worm is localized in the intestine and feeds on blood. Each individual a day absorbs from 0.36 to 0.7 ml of blood. The cycle of development from egg to adult takes 1-2 months, and the duration of parasitism in the body is 5-15 years.

This type of helminth leads to the development of hookworm. The main symptoms of the disease are: anemia, geophagia, vomiting and diarrhea. If there was a percutaneous infection, the patients complain of itching, pains in the place of penetration of the larva and erythema with red papules.

The main preventive measures that prevent infection are: methods of public and personal hygiene. First of all, this is health education and environmental protection from fecal pollution. At the first symptoms of the disorder, it is necessary to seek medical help, get the diagnosis and start urgent treatment. This will minimize damage to the body from the life of the worm.

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Ankylostoma Kaninum

A living organism is susceptible to various parasitic infections. Ankylostoma cannaminum parasitizes in dogs. The adult worm has a mouth opening with tooth-like outgrowths. When the animal is affected, the main symptoms of the disorder are anemia, vomiting, and geophagia.

Larvae of helminth can infect humans, causing skin dermatitis. This type of parasite does not migrate through the body, so it does not cause disturbances in the circulatory system and internal organs. At the first symptoms of an illness, it is necessary to seek medical help. Since without appropriate diagnosis, self-medication not only does not eliminate the disease, but will lead to complications.

Treatment of skin lesions is carried out with topical preparations, as well as with special pills and injections. As a preventive measure, it is recommended that you limit any contact with stray animals and regularly eliminate parasites in domestic four-fingered pets.

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Hookworm eggs

An adult specimen of the worm can lay about 25,000 eggs in the intestine within 24 hours. Hockworm eggs have an oval shape with a transparent or colorless shell and bluntly rounded poles. The dense cuticle acts as a cover, but there is no segmentation. Each egg contains 4-8 blastomeres. Together with the feces, the larvae enter the soil and after 10 days are able to infect humans. Parasites live in deep layers of the earth, in a special capsule and under favorable conditions retain their viability for several months. Larvae can live on wet grass, but when it dries up, they die.

After entering the body, the parasites are attached to the mucous membranes of the small intestine and with the help of cutting plates of the oral cavity destroy the integrity of the organ. This causes bleeding ulceration. From the cervical glands of helminths, substances that reduce the level of coagulability of the blood are secreted. The total loss of blood per day per hookwort is up to 0.3 ml. Isolation of harmful microorganisms creates favorable conditions for fungal diseases, streptococcal, chlamydial and staphylococcal infections.

Ankylostoma Nosodes

From the cultures of many parasitic microorganisms, pathological excreta and secrets, special preparations are made. The ankylostoma nosodes are made from the raw materials, adhering to the homeopathic rules. Sterilized material is diluted with alcohol or water and used only as directed by a physician.

There are several groups of nosodes, consider them:

• Hereditary - are used for the treatment of hereditary disorders.
• Specific - involved in the treatment of diphtheria and influenza diseases.
• Autonosods are made of material that is excreted from pus, organs or blood of the patient.

Treatment with nosodes is considered one of the most effective methods of removing toxins from the body that are left after a viral infection or parasite action. The medicine is selected by the attending physician, focusing on the symptoms of the underlying ailment and the presence of other diseases.

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Life cycle

The development of parasite larvae begins with the entry of feces and eggs into the soil. The life cycle does not violate the increased soil moisture and temperature fluctuations. The optimum temperature is 28-30 ° C, but the larvae survive at 14-40 ° C. After 7-10 days of development, they become infectious and transform into a filaria with a cylindrical esophagus. Parasites actively move along the soil, so when the skin is in contact with the soil, the heat of the human body attracts them. Hookworms penetrate through the skin into the blood vessels and alveoli, tearing the walls of the capillaries.

If infection occurs through unwashed products, the larvae immediately enter the duodenum, where they develop to the sexually mature stage. During their migration, the sensitization of the human body occurs through the products of their decay and metabolism. As a result, there appear at first sight causeless rashes on the skin, itching, eosinophilia of the blood, bronchitis and pneumonia. The future generation of larvae comes out with feces. Approximately in 8-10 weeks from the patient's organism mature eggs of helminths are allocated. The life cycle of the curve is 4-5 years.

Symptoms of hookworm

The first signs of infection appear after the end of the incubation period, which lasts 40-60 days. Symptoms are weak, but as soon as the worm reaches the mature state, the signs of the disease progress. If the helminth penetrates through the skin, then there are allergic reactions, similar to burning nettles and itching. Penetrating the skin way, the parasite can infect pathogenic flora, microbes of anthrax, tuberculosis and much more.

Symptoms depend on the individual characteristics of the patient's body. Consider the main symptoms of infection:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain and disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract
• Heartburn and eructation
• Flatulence, diarrhea
• Headaches, dizziness
• Cardiovascular pain
• Allergic reactions
• Coughing, shortness of breath
• Menstrual irregularities
• Infertility and impotence
• Increased weakness, fatigue
• Increased body temperature
• Hair loss
• Inflammation of the eye mucosa
• Nervousness, irritability

Because the worm lives in the intestines and feeds on blood, it leads to poor coagulation and intestinal bleeding. At the place of bites, long, bleeding bleeding wounds appear long. If the parasite has got into the body of a pregnant woman, then it penetrates into the fetus, disrupting the vital functions of its organs, death and miscarriage. If the fetus survives, the children are born with various defects, deformities and diseases. When a parasite infects a child or adolescent, mental and physical developmental disorders occur, and many organs and systems function.

Diagnostics

When the first symptoms of an illness appear, you need to seek medical help. With early diagnosis, you can quickly start treatment and minimize complications and adverse effects.

The diagnosis is based on the following criteria:

• The doctor conducts an examination and collects an anamnesis.
• Clinical symptoms characteristic of a particular phase of the disease are observed.
• In the results of the blood test there are changes: increased level of eosinophils, decreased hemoglobin, red blood cells and color index.
• Pathological changes are visible on radiography. In the lungs there are eosinophilic infiltrates, hypotension of the intestine, congestion of stool.
• In the analysis of stool, parasite eggs were found.

Let's consider in more detail the main methods of research:

1. Stool analysis is one of the simple and affordable tests that you can take in infectious and parasitic hospitals, laboratories. To do it, a few grams of feces are enough. If in the course of the analysis eggs or adult specimens of the worm are found, the diagnosis is confirmed. The absence of eggs does not mean that a person is not infected, it is necessary that two months pass after a potential infection to detect the disease using this method.

1. The general analysis of a blood - at infected there is an elevated level of eosinophils in a blood and zhelezodefitsitnaja an anemia. Such changes do not confirm the presence of a disorder, but allow one to suspect it.
2. Chest X-ray - allows to identify inflammatory lesions of the respiratory system caused by migration of helminth larvae.

Unfortunately, for today there are no express methods of diagnostics. But with the help of the above, traces of the presence of the parasite in the body can be detected within 1-14 days.

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Treatment with hookworm

It is very important for ankylostomiasis therapy to diagnose the disease correctly. Treatment is aimed at identifying the causes of pathology, that is, to eliminate hookworm. Therapy is carried out under strict medical supervision, with regular monitoring of the patient's blood. If the disease proceeds in a mild form, then the treatment is outpatient, the heavier forms require a stationary regime. The patient is prescribed a number of medications that can cause adverse reactions and have contraindications.

Most often for the destruction of parasites use such medicines:

• Pirantel - this drug is taken first. Dosage is 10 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. Take with food, the duration of treatment is 2-3 days. Analogues: Helmintox, Combatrin.
• Levamisol (Decaris) - is prescribed for both adults and children. Patients under 14 years of age are taken to take 2.5 mg per kg of body weight, patients over 14 years of age and adults - 150 mg once a day.
• Naftamone - this tool is prescribed for children of childhood. Single application, dosages of 2-5 mg are indicated. Before use, the medicine must be mixed with sweet syrup and consumed only on an empty stomach, two hours before a meal.

In addition to medicines for the destruction of worms, patients are prescribed medicines for pathogenetic therapy. First of all, this is the use of preparations of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid. In some cases, patients are prescribed sedatives and sedatives, antihistamines.

Treatment with alternative means

Many methods are used to eliminate helminths. Treatment with alternative means deserves special attention, since it has proven itself to be effective, minimal side effects and contraindications.

• From onions can be prepared medicinal tincture. Take a liter jar and fill it with half-chopped onion, bay with vodka. The drug should be infused for 10 days in a dark, cool place. Ready tincture should be filtered and taken on a tablespoon twice a day.
• Grind the green fruits of the walnut with the peel and pour them with boiling water. The remedy should be infused for 30-40 minutes. Infusion is taken during the day, combining with laxatives.
• Peel and grind 2 heads of garlic (7-10 teeth), pour them with boiled milk and drink. If the above described method seems to you to be radical, then garlic can be poured with milk for a day, after which it can be filtered and consumed throughout the day.
• An excellent remedy for helminths is a decoction of birch buds. Take a spoonful of kidneys and pour them a glass of boiling water. The broth should be infused for 20-30 minutes. Take 2-3 times a day for two tablespoons.

Prevention

To prevent infection with parasitic worms, special attention is paid to personal hygiene. Prevention requires careful washing of hands and feet after contact with the soil and before eating. Any vegetables grown on the ground, fruit, berries and greens should be thoroughly washed and, if possible, peeled.

Minimize contacts with stray animals that can be carriers of hookworm. Take regular medical examinations. This is a mandatory method of prevention for people who are at high risk of infection. At the first symptoms of the disease, seek medical help immediately.

Forecast

The outcome of infection with worms largely depends on the correctness of the diagnosis and the selected treatment regimen. The prognosis is usually favorable, but in especially severe cases and in the absence of proper therapy, it can cause death.

Ankylostoma is a parasitic worm, when infected, pathological changes are observed in the entire body. Observing the rules of personal hygiene and adhering to recommendations for the prevention of disease, infection can be avoided.

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