Everyone has heard about the terrible diseases that are carried by mosquitoes and other parasites, such as malaria, but not everyone knows that right now they can already live inside us.
Parasitism is very common in nature. There are parasitic animals, parasitic insects, parasitic worms, parasitic plants, etc. There are so many of them that even some parasites have their own - and they can be the most bloodthirsty in every sense. All parasites in the world live at someone's expense, at the expense of their victim. But despite this, they may not receive food for themselves, their life cannot be called easy and simple. The host's body is busy looking for ways to kill intruders. To survive, the parasite has to resort to all sorts of tricks. Parasites, namely worms and beetles, are living beings that crawl freely inside the human body. The worst thing is that they can live inside a person for years and decades and not make themselves felt.
Naegleria fowleri
Zombies are mindless creatures that feed on the human brain. Naegleria fowleri behaves the same way, it also eats the brain and damages the nervous system. It essentially destroys the human brain.
The few victims, into whose body a tiny amoeba has crept, are doomed. Naegleria fowleri is called a brain-eating amoeba and no one knows how to stop it. Despite their microscopic size, amoebas belong to the animal kingdom and belong to the Amoebidae family. They inhabit mainly rivers, ponds and other bodies of water. Symptoms that accompany the presence of this parasite include headache, nausea, vomiting and even death. This is a very rare parasite; only about a thousand cases of infection with it are known in the world. The source of infection is bodies of warm water, so swim carefully.
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis is a worm, helminth, which causes blindness in a person. There is a great chance of contracting it in uncivilized regions. Dermatological changes in this disease are characterized by the formation of dense fibrous nodes, an itchy rash, slowly healing ulcers, areas of depigmentation.
The parasite affects only the human cornea, causing river blindness. Human immunity is unable to recognize the parasite, so blindness is inevitable. The only source of invasion and the final host of helminths is a person sick with this disease. Blood-sucking Simulium midges living near rivers and water bodies act as intermediate hosts and at the same time as carriers.
Roundworm
This parasite is very often called the elephant parasite, but not because it is huge, but because of the way it outwardly disfigures the human body. After entering the human body, the parasite behaves in the same way as others. The larvae of the parasite are carried by blood-sucking insects, entering the human blood, they are located in the subcutaneous and lymphatic tissues of the body, causing damage to the lower extremities, as a result of which they significantly increase in size. In medicine, lymphatic filariasis is often referred to as elephantiasis.
A year later, the worm becomes an adult and enters the lymphatic system, which controls the outflow of fluid from the body. When an adult worm with "comrades" blocks the drainage channels, the liquid does not leave, it accumulates, as a result the limb becomes like an elephant's leg. It is easy to determine the presence of parasites in the body by one symptom - bad breath. You need to ask your loved ones if your breath smells in the morning (before you brush your teeth). If so, there is a 99% chance that you are infected with parasites.
Loa loa
Loa Loa is more like the name of a cocktail on a tropical beach on an exotic island. But in fact, it is a parasite that can be infected by an insect bite. The females of the parasite are 70 mm long and 0. 25 mm thick. Males are about 2 times smaller than females. The habitat of worms is the subcutaneous layer of the human body. When an infected person bites, the loa loa, along with the blood, draws in hundreds of microfilariae, which begin to actively develop. This process is completed within a week.
The larva penetrates through the bite into the human body, lives for some time in the area of the bite, causing inflammation and pain. Over time, the worm grows and can penetrate the eye, a person will even feel how he moves there. By biting a healthy person, Chrysops introduces Loa loa parasites into their bloodstream in the invasive stage. Insects attack people during the daytime and can be attracted by smoke and moving objects. The usual habitat is forests located along the banks of flowing rivers, but sometimes they are found in settlements. Once in the human body, loa reach the mature stage in 6–18 months and continue to parasitize up to 10–15 years. The worm can live in the body for up to 17 years.
Gadfly
The gadfly is able to lay eggs in the human body. If a gadfly has chosen someone as a victim, then he will bear thousands of larvae that will hatch from the eggs. It is good for someone who has not experienced the sensations and consequences of meeting such a fly. If you're lucky, you can get away with an allergic reaction. In the worst case, the human or animal organism acquires new "tenants" - larvae that parasitize tissues and organs.
During its short life, one individual is able to lay up to half a thousand eggs and not just anywhere, but in the immediate vicinity of the "incubator". This is mainly animal hair, with females choosing areas with a thick undercoat and short hair: head, area around the lips, belly and inner thighs. The gadfly often lays on forage plants. The larva, in order to grow, will eat everything that it finds around, that is, flesh, as a result a hole will form on the skin, and the person will feel how the larva moves under the skin. In the daytime, the larvae of parasites migrate to small peripheral vessels. In the period from 9 to 18 hours, their highest concentration in the vessels is noted. In the body of a definitive host, adult worms can parasitize for 17 years. Removing the parasite or eggs will require the help of a surgeon.
Water flea
Sea fleas are one of the representatives of resort places that can bring significant discomfort to vacationers. These small crustaceans are capable of biting humans. When a person swims or bathes in bodies of water with unfiltered water, they may swallow a water flea. These fleas love polluted lakes and ponds, where they sit and wait for their prey. When they enter the stomach, the gastric juice dissolves the flea, but the water flea that was inside the flea passes on.
A year later, the worm already reaches 60-90 cm in length. The human body becomes small for him, and he tries to get out of it to the surface. The body begins to burn, there is a desire to plunge into cold water to get rid of the burning sensation and pain. But this is what the worm needs! He releases thousands of his larvae into the water, while he remains in the body. The most common habitats for sea fleas are the coastal areas. After all, the water always has high humidity, and the even warm climate is just ideal for raising offspring.
Vampire Fish
Both parents and representatives of the authorities always remind that you cannot write in a river or lake or a pool. Now, for sure, no one will do this by reading a vampire fish. In nature, adults exceed 1 meter in length, in an artificial environment a little less, but still reach impressive size and weight (more than 10 kg). At first glance, this fish looks harmless. Small, thin, translucent body. What is the danger? The fact is that this fish feeds on blood.
These are small fish. Some species can grow up to 15 centimeters, while others are no longer than a match. It would seem that a harmless little fish parasitizes other fish species, feeding on their blood. Getting into a person, it causes him incredible suffering, and if you do not provide the victim with medical assistance in time, a lethal outcome is possible. Outwardly, they are very similar to small translucent eels. Such a narrow and elongated body shape allows them to easily climb into the gill slits of fish, the urogenital organs of large mammals and humans. It is a very small fish that enters the bladder when urinating in water. In the body, it feeds on blood and flesh, causing severe pain.
Ascaris
Ascaris, a worm, in the human body can grow up to 30 cm in length. The transmission of ascariasis occurs from person to person. But it is impossible to get sick with it from contact with a sick person. This is evidenced by the life cycle of the human roundworm. It is easy to get infected in rural areas. Her living inside is not accompanied by any symptoms until the number of worms reaches a maximum.
Roundworm eggs begin their development after entering the soil along with feces. The maturation of the larva in the egg should be facilitated by access to oxygen, as well as the optimum air temperature - up to 25 degrees Celsius. The larvae enter the human body together with unwashed vegetables, fruits and garden herbs. If roundworm has entered the body, then headaches, fever, nausea, diarrhea, etc. will torment. Basically, roundworms affect children more often than adults, as they wash their hands less often.
Scabies mite
The scabies mite causes itching and red spots on the skin. The oral apparatus is slightly extended forward, of a special type, which allows the tick to penetrate under the human skin. The front legs are equipped with spikes that help the tick to move under the skin, creating passages and paths. The bristles located on the hind legs help the animal to keep inside. This small parasite digs holes in the host's skin, where it reproduces; feeds on blood.
Mites can affect any part of the skin, but most often they are found on the back of the hands, in the interdigital spaces, armpits, and perineum. The entire cycle takes 10 to 14 days. All females have a special secret that allows them to make the epidermis loose. The life of female ticks lasts up to 60 days, during which they constantly dig new passages under the skin.
Lentets
The tapeworm is the worst parasite, if I may say so. It mainly lives in the human brain and lives for 20 years. During this period, symptoms appear that are so common that it is extremely difficult to associate them with the vital activity of the parasite. The first signs of the disease can appear at different times (most often after 2-3 weeks, with ascariasis - after 2-3 days, and the incubation period can last 6-18 months). The broad tapeworm negatively affects a person due to the release of waste products, mechanical damage to the intestines, impaired absorption of nutrients and vitamins, as well as the development of allergic reactions.
When he grows up, he seeks to kill his master. You can become infected with the parasite by drinking contaminated water and meat.
All these parasites are extremely dangerous to humans and can cause death.