Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body can often seem incoherent and inexplicable, and while the idea is intimidating, it is more common than many believe. There are many organisms in the world - various worms, protozoa that can parasitize almost any internal human organ and cause symptoms of various diseases. You can find out what tests need to be done for parasites and when to do them in this article.
When should I test?
Infections of parasitic diseases most often occur when poorly washed vegetables and fruits, poorly processed meat, fish, raw water are consumed, and the use of standard utensils and toys in children through household contact.
The following parasites exist:
- Protozoa (lamblia, amoeba, plasmodium malaria).
- Parasitic arthropods (demodex mite, the causative agent of scabies).
- Parasitic worms (helminths).
The most common parasitic diseases are caused by helminths (worms) and occur among young children, pet keepers, and socially disadvantaged people.
The main feature of parasites is their unnoticed existence in the initial stages. They do not manifest in any way for a long time after infection and cause symptoms already expressed in the advanced stage.
You can detect the presence of parasites in the body by the following manifestations:
- Flatulence, gas, constipation, diarrhea, pain in the stomach, intestines.
- Decreased or increased appetite, discomfort after a meal.
- Unmotivated weight loss.
- Itchy skin, incomprehensible rash, dermatitis, urticaria.
- Pale skin, increased fatigue, or diagnosed anemia (most commonly iron deficiency).
- Overload, sleep disorders (drowsiness, insomnia).
- Gnashing of teeth during sleep, prolonged cough.
If these symptoms occur, you should consult a GP and examine for parasites.
What tests pass the parasites
There are several studies to identify the presence of parasites (protozoa, arthropods, helminths) in the body.
Since the most common diseases are helminthiasis, the best way to test for parasites is through a stool test.
To perform the standard test, the patient must collect three separate stool samples from different areas of the same section in a sterile container and deliver the biomedon to the laboratory as soon as possible. The doctor-laboratory assistant examines the samples obtained under a microscope and is also able to identify live parasites and the ovum.
Routine examination of the feces of worm eggs is not always informative. Due to the life cycle characteristics of the parasites, the test sample may contain dead helminths or fragments thereof instead of eggs or adults that cannot be used to diagnose the disease.
More informative is the extended stool analysis, which uses the polymerase chain reaction. This technology allows the detection of helminth DNA even when it is dead, in hibernation, or only fragments of the organism have entered the test substance.
In order to be able to tell exactly if there are parasites in the body or not, the test should be done at least three times on different days. The accuracy of a single test is 50% according to statistics, while it increases to 99% with a triple test.
Another, no less important analysis is serological reactions - determining the level of antibodies against the parasite. They may learn about acute (IgM) and chronic or delayed helminthic invasion (IgG). They can also detect infection with parasites that are not found in the stool.
It parasitizes some helminths in the bile ducts and can also form cysts in the lungs, liver and brain. They may be suspected with appropriate clinical symptoms and may be detected by serological tests, X-rays, CT or MRI, and biopsy.
Special tests (iodine) and serological tests are used to diagnose parasitic skin diseases (scabies, demodicosis, certain types of helminths), to scrape and biopsy the skin.
What tests should an adult do for parasites?
Adults are less likely to suffer from helminthiasis because they follow better rules of personal hygiene, eat unwashed fruits and vegetables from the garden less often, and have less contact with street animals during games.
It is necessary to perform tests on adults for certain non-specific complaints of helminthiasis (stomach and intestinal complaints, prolonged itching of the skin, rash, weakness, fatigue, anemia) before all patients are admitted to hospital and on a regular basis for certain categories of workers. as part of a study.
These include employees in the food industry, people working with children (kindergarten teachers and nurses, teachers, sports department heads). These individuals must be examined for enterobiasis and ascariasis.
Hunters and farmers should be regularly screened for trichinosis and strongyloidiasis; it is important that fishermen undergo a serological test for opisthorchiasis. Further information on which tests should be performed in this or that case is available from your therapist.
What tests should be passed on to the parasites for the child
All children should be fully diagnosed to identify the worms and prescribed effective therapy against them before attending kindergarten and elementary school (upon admission, after a long break, or after illness). In addition, compulsory preventive examinations are carried out in kindergartens and schools to detect and prevent the spread of helminthic infections at an early stage.
To diagnose helminthiasis, children should make a general analysis of the stool and scrape from the perianal folds.
Scraping is the most effective and accurate method for diagnosing enterobiasis (a disease caused by pinworms). In doing so, before going to the toilet and the toilet of the perineum, a special cotton swab, a spatula or a small piece of transparent tape is taken from the perianal folds, which is then placed on a glass plate and examined under a microscope. In the presence of disease, the laboratory assistant finds pinworm eggs in the test material.
Treatment of parasitic diseases is prescribed by a doctor or pediatrician, in severe cases - an infectious disease specialist. In case of skin lesions (some helminths, scabies or demodicosis), the therapy is selected by a dermatologist.
It is important not to delay contact with a specialist if you suspect a parasitic disease, as delaying treatment can lead to complications for the patient itself and also increase the risk of passing the disease on to others.