Many people are interested in the question of what worm eggs look like, because cases of parasite infection are not uncommon. Infestation usually occurs due to the entry of worm eggs into the human body. This can happen through dirty hands, food, and contact with pet feces and hair. If a parasitic infection is suspected, the person tries to detect worm eggs in the feces themselves. But the eggs are impossible to see with the naked eye, they are microscopic in size and can only be detected by analyzing feces.
Intestinal worm infestation
Intestinal worm infection occurs when eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, poorly fried meat and fish. Infestation is possible from dirty hands, especially in children. The worm's habitat is the human intestine.
Ascaris eggs can only be seen with a microscope. They are very small in size (approximately 0. 07 mm). Adult worms are also very difficult to see in stool. Only after taking anthelmintic drugs do particles of dead worms leave the intestines. They look like translucent elongated inclusions.
Only a microscopic examination of feces will help determine the presence of roundworm eggs. Eggs are yellow formations with a shell covered with tubercles. Sometimes an embryo is visible in fertilized eggs. They are very resistant to environmental influences and can exist outside the human body for many years.
roundworm eggs
Since it is very difficult to detect traces of the presence of intestinal worms in the body, one should be attentive to the symptoms of invasion: a sudden increase in body temperature;
- skin rash;
- choking and coughing (sometimes with blood);
- muscle spasms;
- joint pain.
These manifestations are associated with the effect of the roundworm allergen on the body. If such symptoms are detected, it is necessary to carry out a stool test for worm eggs.
Where to go if you suspect worms?
If you suspect a helminth infestation, you should make an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. In the early stages, helminthiasis does not present specific symptoms, so it is quite difficult to suspect that you or a loved one has worms. As a rule, the patient complains of mild discomfort: indigestion, headache, apathy.
If the symptoms do not go away within a week or the condition recurs periodically (for example, once every 3-4 months you do not feel well), you should see your doctor. Attacks of poor health may be associated with the migration of parasites.
Pinworm infection
Pinworms can be contracted through casual contact with a sick person (sharing objects, shaking hands). People often get infestations from dogs and cats; Worm eggs live in pet fur. Children are especially susceptible to this disease. A child can become infected with these parasites in kindergarten or from animals. Pinworm eggs can be found on any object that the patient has come into contact with. They can be found under fingernails, in toys, bedding, and underwear. Therefore, it is very easy to become infected with pinworms.
pinworm eggs
Pinworms lead to the development of a disease called enterobiasis. Signs of infestation are as follows:
- itching in the rectal exit area;
- diarrhea;
- nausea;
- sudden weight loss;
- flatulence.
Pinworm eggs are not excreted in feces. The parasites multiply in the anal area, where they lay eggs, causing itching. To detect the presence of these worms in the body, the skin of the anus is scraped and a microscopic examination of the extracted material is performed. This analysis is usually necessary when a child is enrolled in kindergarten. Scraping is done in the morning before washing the child, so as not to eliminate the parasite eggs. Perform a triple analysis for several days. Pinworm eggs under the microscope look like white cereal particles of an oblong shape.
Adult pinworms can be found in the feces of children and adults. These are small white worms about 0. 5 to 1 cm long, with one end of their body pointed.
Folk remedies for helminths.
For diphyllobothriasis, folk remedies should be used only after consulting a doctor. They should not replace pharmacological treatment, they can only complement it. The most used recipe is with pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin seeds have a detrimental effect on many helminths, including tapeworms. They contain cucurbitin, a substance that destroys parasites. The seeds are ground with a coffee grinder or blender and then diluted with water until a paste is obtained. For adults you will need 300 g of seeds, and for children - 50 to 100 g. The prepared product is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach for 1 hour. After this you should not have breakfast. After 3 hours, you should take a laxative, and after another 30 minutes, do an enema.
When the parasite comes out in the stool, it is necessary to examine it. You should pay attention to whether there is a head at one end of its body. If it is not there, it means that only the segments have emerged and the parasite will be able to grow back into the body and release eggs. In this case, the course of treatment must be repeated.
whipworms
This type of parasite is quite rare in the central area of our country. Whipworms usually live in southern regions, since the eggs of this worm love warmth. Most infections are seen in rural areas.
Whipworm eggs live in the soil. Infestation occurs through hands, contaminated soil particles, and poorly washed vegetables and fruits.
As a result of infection, a disease arises - trichocephalosis. Whipworm parasitizes the intestines. This worm causes anemia, as it feeds on human blood, and severe abdominal pain.
Whipworm egg
The eggs of the parasite are excreted in feces, but they are very small and cannot always be seen even under a microscope. Only in cases of very severe infestation is it possible to detect eggs in a stool analysis. They are barrel-shaped and brownish yellow in color. There are holes on both sides of the egg.
What do worms look like in stool? It is very difficult to detect them alive in feces, since whipworms cannot live long outside the human body. Only with anthelmintic therapy can dead white worms be noticed in the feces.
To diagnose trichuriasis, the rectum and sigmoid colon are examined with a special device (sigmoidoscopy). In this way, accumulations of parasites are detected in the intestines. Treatment of the infestation takes a long time, since whipworm eggs are protected by a dense shell.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis.
When diagnosing many helminth infections, an examination of the stool is first performed. If you find blackheads in your stool or white worms in your stool, this test should be done as soon as possible.
However, not only stools with black dots are an indication of coprogram. Often, even eggs invisible to the naked eye can be easily identified with a microscope. A more accurate diagnosis of feces by detecting helminth DNA particles is performed using the PCR technique.
If a person has a lot of black spots in their stool, other diagnostic methods include the following:
- Scraping of the area near the anus;
- Blood analysis using ELISA, PCR, RNGA and other methods;
- Be sure to perform blood biochemistry and complete blood count;
- To identify the location of the parasites, in some cases ultrasounds, MRIs and CT scans are performed;
- To diagnose the migratory stage of helminths, an X-ray examination is indicated.
For certain forms of helminthiasis, an examination of sputum, rectal mucus, urine, and gallbladder contents may be performed. Sometimes endoscopic examination is also used for diagnosis.
Trichinella
This is one of the most dangerous types of intestinal worms. Trichinella parasitizes human muscles. A severe infestation sometimes causes death.
Trichinella enters the body when consuming poorly processed meat from domestic and wild animals. Worms are only destroyed at very high temperatures (around 80°C). Worms can be found in salted or smoked meat; This treatment does not kill its larvae.
Possible infection from undercooked meat
Parasite eggs cannot be detected in the human body. The female Trichinella carries the eggs inside her body and then the larva hatches. They are worms that reproduce in an ovoviviparous way. It is impossible to detect Trichinella in feces. Newly hatched larvae immediately enter the blood and lymph, bypassing the intestines. The larvae die quickly in the feces.
The disease is usually diagnosed when the parasite has managed to penetrate the muscles. In this case, a person is bothered by the following symptoms: muscle pain;
- swelling;
- feverish state (high temperature, pain, discomfort);
- irregular bowel movements with constipation or diarrhea.
To detect invasion, a blood test with a serological test is performed. This is the only method to detect Trichinella in the body.
An article for patients with a disease diagnosed by a doctor. It does not replace a doctor's appointment and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.
had wide
The human body contains only immature tapeworm eggs. They are excreted in feces and pass into the external environment. In the case of untreated wastewater, the eggs end up in bodies of water and begin their development there. They first end up in the body of freshwater crustaceans. Fish in reservoirs become infected with tapeworm when they eat small crustaceans. And a person gets a helminthic infestation when eating infected, poorly fried fish from fresh water bodies or raw pike caviar.
Broad tapeworm eggs
The disease diphyllobothriasis occurs, which is manifested by the following symptoms: pain in the abdominal cavity;
- nausea and vomiting;
- intestinal problems (constipation or diarrhea);
- loss of appetite or excessive hunger.
What are tapeworm class helminths like? It is a large parasite that can reach 10 m in length. Only individual living parts (segments) of the worm can be found in the feces, which look like long (from 30 cm to 3 m) white ribbons. They should be removed from the feces with tweezers, transferred to a clean container, and taken to a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist for analysis.
Microscopic examination of stool may reveal tapeworm eggs. Its size is about 0. 07mm. The eggs look like yellowish oval-shaped formations covered by a thick shell. One end of the egg is covered with a lid, and the other ends with a bulge.
Worm larvae can be passed in feces, but they are not dangerous. Diphyllobothriasis cannot be contracted from an infected person or animal. The infestation occurs exclusively through the consumption of fish.
Damage to the body
When a broad tapeworm enters the intestines, the disease diphyllobothriasis develops. Helminths mainly affect the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammations and ulcers form on the intestinal walls where the worm adheres. If there is not one, but several parasites in the body, they can block the intestinal lumen and cause an obstruction. Helminths constantly irritate the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, causing disturbances in the digestive processes. In addition, it poisons the human body with waste products, which causes allergies. When the parasite remains in the body for a long time, severe anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency develop.
Bovine and porcine tapeworm
People become infected with this type of parasites by consuming poorly processed meat from domestic animals. The worm segments are excreted in the patient's feces. In the external environment, the segments move along the ground and lay eggs with larvae inside. These eggs are then ingested by pets. When a person eats contaminated beef or pork, they become infected with the bovine or porcine tapeworm. To kill tapeworms, you need to boil or fry the meat for at least 30 minutes.
I had a bull
The bovine tapeworm causes taeniasis and the swine tapeworm causes taeniasis. The symptoms of these diseases are similar: abdominal pain;
- constant feeling of hunger;
- nausea and vomiting;
- weakness;
- weightloss;
- diarrhea;
- itching in the anal area when the segments come out.
The worms in the patient's stool are segment-shaped. They look like light stripes about 1-2 cm long. The segments of the pork tapeworm are longer and consist of 3 segments.
When analyzing feces, tapeworm eggs (oncospheres) are detected. They are round formations with a dense shell, inside which is an embryo.
Pig tapeworm infection is possible through dirty hands, without an intermediate host. The segments excreted in the patient's feces are dangerous. They can enter the human body from contaminated soil. In this case, the larvae of the pork tapeworm multiply in the human body and cause a serious disease - cysticercosis. This is a very dangerous invasion. The larvae enter the brain, spinal cord, eyes, heart and lungs, causing serious damage. In cysticercosis, the segments and eggs are not excreted with the stool. The disease can only be detected by a serological blood test and an analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Classification
Modern medicine classifies the worms that parasitize the human body as follows: Luminal. These worms live in the intestinal lumen. These include broad tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm and bull tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, roundworm, etc.
Fabric. These worms choose muscle and lung tissues as their habitat, as well as organs such as the pancreas, liver, brain, etc.
Depending on where exactly the tissue helminths are located, the invasion may have the following names:
- Filariasis. The parasites live in the lymph nodes.
- Cysticercosis. The area of the brain affected by helminths.
- Echinococcosis. Helminthic infestation is diagnosed in the liver.
- Paragonimiasis. The parasites live in the lungs.
trematodes
Of the worms of the fluke class, the cat fluke (liver fluke) is most commonly found in humans. The habitat of worm eggs is fresh water. From there, the parasite enters the body of the shellfish and then the fish. Cats and people become infected by chance by consuming poorly processed freshwater fish, as well as through contaminated water. A sick cat does not represent any danger to humans.
Burbot liver with parasites.
Most often, fish from the carp family are infected. Salting or smoking does not cause the death of the parasite. A fairly long heat treatment of the product is required. You can become infected with flukes by accidentally swallowing water from a pond or river. There are known cases of invasion after watering beds with contaminated water.
The cat fluke attacks the liver. There is pain in the abdominal cavity on the right side, nausea, vomiting, fever. During a medical examination, an enlargement of the organ is detected.
Adult worms are not excreted in feces. What do trematode worm eggs look like under a microscope? When examining the feces, you can see transparent ovals with a golden-colored shell. On one side of the egg is a plug that opens when the larva hatches. For diagnostic purposes, a blood test for antibodies or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is also performed.
How do you know if there are worms?
It is impossible to independently determine the presence of helminthic infestation. In the initial stages, the disease can be practically asymptomatic. The patient does not feel pain, the immune system can suppress the pathogenic effects of toxins and allergens for some time. As a rule, the exacerbation begins during the migration of larvae or with an increase in the number of worms. The stronger the infestation (i. e. the more parasites), the more symptoms appear.
However, the asymptomatic course of the invasion is dangerous: the patient infects others, and his health gradually worsens. To detect the disease, it is necessary to periodically undergo a preventive examination in the hospital. As part of prevention, the therapist prescribes worm testing at least once a year. If you live in an endemic region, once every six months.
What can be seen with the naked eye?
Since some parasites are very small in size, it is not in all cases possible to detect their presence in the body solely by the presence of eggs in the feces. Some parasites are microscopic in size and live hidden in the body, without revealing their presence. Furthermore, they are not always located in the intestines and can migrate throughout the body. Therefore, to diagnose parasitic infections, serological tests are used, which are based on the antigen-antibody immune reaction.
All parasites look different, have their own specific development cycles, different infestation symptoms and differences in treatment regimens. However, there are a series of symptoms that may indicate a parasitic infection in a person:
- rapid weight loss;
- intestinal disorder - diarrhea replaces constipation;
- intense itching in the anus;
- skin rashes of unknown etiology;
- Stomachache;
- flatulence;
- loss of appetite;
- unexplained craving for sweets;
- sometimes uncontrollable appetite in adults;
- Frequent colds due to a decrease in the body's defenses.