A common cause of poor health, sleep disorders and digestive problems is helminths.Infection with parasites in children or adults causes a range of different, seemingly unrelated symptoms, and to prevent this you need to know how worms are transmitted from person to person.Parasitic diseases caused by worms are often treatable, but such treatment involves the use of toxic drugs, so it is better to avoid larval infections.
What are worms?
There are many types of helminths, divided into two types - nematodes (roundworms) and flatworms.Worms are parasitic organisms that live in the animal or human body, affecting various organs and tissues, causing specific symptoms and general health problems.Worms have different sizes: from a few millimeters to tens of meters.Helminths are very contagious, and their presence in the body is manifested by symptoms that resemble other diseases (intestines, liver, pancreas, etc.).
Where do parasites come from?The appearance of helminths in the body is often associated with inadequate hand hygiene, but this is not the only way of their transmission.Different types of parasites are transmitted from person to person in different ways.Diseases caused by worms spread between people are called contact helminth diseases.
Today, dozens of parasitic pathogens are known, however, despite this, the process of infection with them is almost the same.Eggs and larvae of the parasite can enter the body with food, water, sexual intercourse, etc.Another common method of infection is ingestion of adult individuals or body fragments of the worm.After entering the body, helminths begin to develop and some of them multiply.Some parasites are still in the larval stage and covered by a protective shell.
Any type of helminth disease is characterized by an aggressive progression, and lack of adequate treatment will lead to deterioration of the patient's health condition.In addition, without appropriate treatment, a person will become a source of spreading helminths.Helminth infections are most commonly diagnosed as roundworms and helminthiasis.Roundworms and pinworms have effective protection - a sticky shell, thanks to which they firmly fix themselves in the organs.
Are worms transmitted from person to person?
With strict compliance with all hygiene rules, it is impossible to protect yourself 100% from helminth infection.However, this reduces the risk of parasites entering the body by about 60%.Are parasites transmitted from person to person?Despite popular opinion, animals are not at the highest risk of being infected with helminths.The most common route of parasitic infection through person-to-person contact is that some types of heartworms are transmitted this way.
Risk groups include preschool children and children in primary school.This is explained by the child's weak immune system, the child's daily presence in public places, the child's physical characteristics and the frequent habit of biting his nails.Parents should know how helminths are transmitted - this will prevent infection in the baby.
How are worms transmitted?
There are several main ways the parasite is spread.How does helminth infection occur?Worms are transmitted in the following ways:
- By droplets in the air.In this case, as a rule, a person swallows eggs, fragments or larvae of worms by eating dirty vegetables/fruits (it is extremely important to thoroughly wash the product before consumption), drinking alcohol, swimming in contaminated water, eating meat or fish carrying parasites.
- For family contacts.The worms still lay immature eggs, rendering the host harmless to others for several weeks.However, the larvae can survive under fingernails for long periods of time and can be transmitted through shaking hands, other personal contact, or sharing toiletries and underwear.
- Through saliva.Pinworms and other parasites are capable of moving from one host to another in this way, but this is extremely unlikely.
- Method of transmission of worms.It is possible to become infected with parasites when attacked by carriers of helminth larvae such as insects (fleas, midges, midges).As a rule, such a danger exists in countries with a tropical climate.
- Cross-country road.If the mother is a carrier, they can be transmitted across the placenta to the baby.
Passage through the skin
With this method of helminth infection, the larvae/eggs of the pathogen enter the human body through mucous membranes or skin.The dermal route involves an attack by larvae waiting in the soil on the person.At the same time, they penetrate inside the skin and move to the intestines.Another example is a person infected with schistosomiasis while swimming in a pond.As a rule, such dangerous parasites live in places with hot weather conditions.
Are worms transmitted through kissing?
It is practically unlikely that helminths will be transmitted through saliva (during kissing).Worms do not live in the mouth and their eggs do not exist at the beginning of the digestive tract.Saliva cannot contain parasite larvae;In addition, it serves as the first barrier against helminths entering the body, therefore, through kissing, they can enter the human body only if specific requirements are met:
- One of the two people has just bitten but not yet swallowed the helminth-infected product;
- a woman kisses the palm of a child who has just played in the sandbox and then immediately kisses her husband;
- Just before kissing, one of them touched his lips to an object with worm eggs on it.
Can parasites be transmitted through bed?
Eggs of pinworms and some other types of helminths live outside the animal or human body for several months, and in everyday life they can be found on any surface that the carrier touches.You can get parasites through bedding, dishes, doors, furniture, etc.Therefore, if one member of the family is infected, after a short time, the rest of the family will also be infected.Everyone should get tested and start treatment promptly to avoid continuing to spread helminths to loved ones and those around them.
Worm infection of mother and child
Doctors cannot rule out the possibility that the fetus is infected with worms through placental tissue.In addition, if a pregnant woman is infected with any helminthic pathogen, the risk of the child getting sick is very high.It is unlikely that the parasite will enter the baby through breast milk.Worms can enter a child's body during childbirth, when the child moves out through the birth canal.Helminth infections in mother and child require complex treatment, while many drugs are banned, so traditional medicine is often used.
Worm infection through sexual contact
There is a risk of contracting helminthiasis when being intimate with a carrier of the parasite, especially if we are talking about amoebiasis or giardiasis.Statistics show that infection through sexual contact is more common in people with homosexual tendencies.As a rule, Giardia and amoeba live in the intestines and organs of the genitourinary system, so protective measures such as contraception cannot protect a healthy person from this disease.
Can worm infections occur through dishes?
A common variant of parasitic infection is through household contact.Usually a person gets helminth disease by eating dishes containing worm larvae or eggs.The pattern of transmission looks like this: after going to the toilet, a child or adult does not wash his hands thoroughly or does not wash his hands at all, and then when clearing the table, he touches cutlery, plates and other items.
Due to unhygienic conditions, eggs will stick to food and then go straight into the digestive system.Contamination through dishes can be facilitated by flies landing on the stool and then on the plates.When the first signs of helminths appear, you should not self-treat, but see a doctor immediately to get tested and determine the type of parasite.A specialist will help you choose appropriate therapy and prevent complications.
Measures to prevent parasitic worm infections
There are many types of parasites that cannot be protected by vaccination or other preventative measures.It is also impossible to ignore the possibility of helminthiasis, because over the years it becomes a widespread problem and often leads to the development of serious accompanying pathologies.Despite the fact that new anthelmintics are constantly appearing, the parasites have adapted to toxic substances and are still transmitted from person to person.
Due to the spread of the disease, measures to prevent parasitic worm infection are appropriate and mandatory:
- strict compliance with hygiene rules;
- Meat and fish must be thoroughly processed before consumption;
- provide each family member with personal hygiene items (wipes, toothbrushes, towels, etc.);
- Support the immune system with vitamins;
- drink clean water exclusively;
- eliminate bad habits;
- reduce consumption of sweets (parasites love them);
- undergo an annual physical examination to detect helminth infections.