Helminthes
(Worms)
Ø
Helminthes
These diseases are caused by parasitic worms which include Platyhelminthes and Nematahelminthes and are worldwide in
distribution affects billion of people in endemic areas resulting serious
clinical complication.
They are about 2 – 10 mm in size; body is covered with
a cuticle or tegument.
These were first
discovered by Carl Gegenbaur.
Diseases caused by helminthes in Human beings
|
Disease
|
Helminthes
|
Mode of infection
|
Affected part
|
Life Cycle
|
Incubation period
|
Symptoms
|
Preventive & Control measures, Treatment(Antibiotics)
|
|
Taeniasis
|
Taenia
solium
|
Contaminated
food : Pork, undercooked food
|
intestine
|
Man ,
Pig
|
5 – 12
weeks
|
Abdominal
pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, chronic indigestion etc.,
|
Washing & cleaning the vegetables
before cooking, taking proper cooked food. Pyraziquantal, Scolex:surgery
|
|
Ascariasis
|
Ascariasis
lumbricoides
|
Contaminated
food : faeces
|
Small Intestine,
lungs
|
Man
|
4 – 8
weeks
|
Abdominal
pain, colic pains, conclusions, nervousness etc.,
|
Washing & cleaning the hands
before & after taking the food, proper disposal of faeces.
Albendazole, Mebendazole.
|
NOTE: For all of these
diseases, fever and head ache are common symptoms
Ø
Diseases
These diseases
occur in the humans by living in the gastrointestinal
tract leading to abdominal manifestation
Ø
Taeniasis
It
is caused by a tapeworm Taenia solium by living in the lumen of the intestine.
At about 100 million people iun the world affecting with this disease per year.
·
Life Cycle
o
Eggs
or gravid proglottids present in
human faeces passed to the environment.
o
Pig ingests the food contaminated with faeces
hence eggs enters into the intestine.
o
Onchospheres hatches and moves through the
intestinal wall via circulatory system then penetrate to muscle cells and
develops to cysticercosis.
o
Human acquires the parasite by eating
undercooked pork.
o
Scolex attaches
to the small intestine of human and develops into adult.
o
Adult worm lays eggs which come out from the
human faecal matter.
Ø Ascariasis
o
Infection is acquired by taking contaminated
food.
o
Infective eggs are swallowed by the human enters
to the small intestine and larvae hatches by invading the intestinal mucosa.
o
Larva matures in the lungs and penetrates to the
alveolar walls finally reaches to the small intestine (second time).
o
After reaching it develops into adult worms.
