Photos and videos of symptoms of subcutaneous parasites in humans are not the most pleasant sight. Unlike intestinal helminths, the existence of which a person may not even realize, epithelial infections are easy to see. In this case, the person feels constant discomfort due to the symptoms accompanying the lesion. This helps to begin diagnosing the disease as early as possible and begin treatment. A photo of subcutaneous parasites in a person evokes emotions close to disgust, but the symptoms of infection are much more unpleasant. The picture does not convey a person’s feelings from the realization that someone is crawling on his body. But epithelial infections are not only discomfort, but also a significant danger to the health of the entire body. The toxins released by the parasite's body can affect all organ systems, and the helminths themselves love to spread throughout the human body. Thus, the manifestation of dermatological problems may be a sign of danger to the patient’s life due to the presence of helminths in the brain, organs of vision or heart.
Types of parasitic skin diseases
What parasites can live under human skin? The most diverse, including insects, helminths, mites and protozoan single-celled organisms. Lesions of human skin by various types of parasites are classified as a separate category of parasitic diseases .
Each group of diseases is united by characteristic pathogens:
- Protozoan organisms cause protozoan skin diseases.
- Ticks cause acariasis lesions of the skin.
- Insects can cause entomotic skin lesions.
- Helminthic diseases develop as a result of infection with helminths.
All these pathogens of human skin parasitic diseases are equally unpleasant and require diagnosis and treatment. Long-term neglected forms can lead to irreparable consequences from blindness to death. Fortunately, we can add that most of the list of parasites living under human skin is typical mainly for countries with a hot and humid climate.
How do botfly larvae enter the human body?
It turns out that not a single species of gadfly is capable of laying eggs directly into the human body. In addition, Dermatobia hominis on a continent far from us. So, there is no need to be afraid of him at all? Unfortunately no.
Cases of infestation by human gadfly larvae are found everywhere. Our country is no exception. Ask why? The fact is that they enter the body in another, more original way:
- The female gadfly quite often catches mosquitoes, ticks and several dozen species of other blood-sucking insects. Holding them with her paws, she diligently lays eggs on their bellies and backs.
- Then he releases them. As a result, after such “hugs,” insects become intermediaries in the process of human infection with larvae. After all, they fly further, land on people, bite them, and through the resulting wounds or cracks, the eggs of the gadfly get under the skin. There the larvae feel the warmth and awaken.
But that is not all. The larva can also penetrate by tactile contact from cattle. True, this usually happens in rural areas, on farms and pastures. It happens that parasites also enter the internal organs of a person. It is enough to eat improperly cooked, gadfly-infected meat.
For reference! Adult gadflies do not eat anything throughout their lives. They have enough of the substances that they accumulated when they were a larva.
Diseases caused by protozoa
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan single-celled pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes. A person infected with leishmaniasis becomes a reservoir for further spread of the infection. After a mosquito bite, which is the main host organism for leishmania, a person develops cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis. Cutaneous leishmaniasis appears as deep ulcers or pustules, as well as extensive skin lesions. The mucocutaneous form of the disease leads to significant deformations of the appearance, especially of the face. Swelling of the airways due to leishmaniasis can be fatal.
Leishmaniasis occurs in 90 countries and is a very common disease in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Peru.
Diseases caused by ticks
Demodicosis
A disease caused by a parasite that lives under the skin in the sebaceous glands and follicles of living human hair. This is a microscopic mite - demodex. Mainly localized on the eyelids, facial skin, and ear canals. Rarely - on the chest and back.
Infection with Demodex causes complicated acne and dermatitis, which worsens in spring and autumn. The skin looks red, hyperemic, lumpy, inflamed. The ciliated edge of the eyelid is usually swollen, red, the eyelashes are stuck together, there is a discharge in the form of crusts along the edge of the eyelid, and eyelash loss is typical. Sometimes the disease occurs without obvious manifestations, so the tick is considered opportunistic. Typically, demodicosis is exacerbated in people with impaired immunity, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and metabolic disorders.
Scabies
Another widespread disease caused by mites is called scabies. These mites gnaw passages in human skin in which they lay eggs. The development of an adult tick is accompanied by a complex cycle. Usually this process occurs at night, so the itching of the skin intensifies at this time. The main diagnostic symptom of the presence of parasites under human skin looks like double red small dots located nearby. These are double passages gnawed by a tick.
The disease is complicated by various infections that the patient incurs while trying to relieve the itching: streptoderma, nodular seals, blood crusts around scratches, rashes in the form of bloody blisters and other skin lesions. Complicated scabies may resemble urticaria, pyoderma, dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.
Infection usually occurs through prolonged contact with sick people (it has been proven that to become infected with scabies, skin-to-skin contact lasting up to 30 minutes is required; one should not discount the fairly low probability of infection when using common household items).
Forest bloodsucking Moscow region
With the arrival of spring, insects, including bloodsuckers, become more active, trying to go through the next cycle and give birth. The abundance of greenery and leaves is an ideal place for breeding, especially near bodies of water. Therefore, going out into nature, visiting a dacha or going into the forest carry considerable danger. While horseflies, mosquitoes, and flies can be easily protected from or simply driven away, a small tick penetrates into the most inconspicuous crevice.
In the forests of the Moscow region, as well as in the entire central zone, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of encephalitis ticks. Although, according to the latest data, no more than 6% of insects are carriers of the virus, and 2-6% of those bitten become ill, the consequences of the infection can be very severe, even fatal. In addition to tick-borne encephalitis, insects can spread borreliosis. Since 2010, the number of infected regions in Russia has increased by 1.5%, although the number of infected people has not increased due to prevention.
Diseases caused by insects
All skin diseases caused by dipteran insects are collectively called myiases.
Wolfarthiosis
The disease is caused by an insect called Wohlfarth fly, which lays larvae in mucous membranes or wounds on the human body. The larvae destroy tissue, secreting a special enzyme, causing severe pain, necrosis, swelling, discharge of pus and gangrene of the affected tissue. They usually parasitize the eyes, nose, and ears. Wohlfarth fly is widespread in countries with hot and temperate climates.
Diseases caused by helminths
Dirofilariasis
A disease caused by round helminths. The source of infection is domestic animals - cats and dogs. The carrier is a mosquito. After its bite, sexually mature nematodes begin to develop in the human body, which, as a rule, parasitize under the human skin. The site of the insect bite becomes hard, inflamed and itchy. A characteristic feature of the pathogen is its ability to move under the skin, so the disease is accompanied by a feeling of moving, crawling inside the inflamed seal. Sometimes the nematode can be seen under the skin; cases of an individual emerging from the mucous membrane of the eye are described.
Accompanying symptoms may be allergic reactions, increased body temperature, nausea, and weakness.
Strongyloidiasis
A disease caused by parasitic larvae that burrow under a person’s skin as soon as he or she walks barefoot on the ground. Foci of incidence of strongyloidiasis are found in Georgia, Ukraine, Krasnodar, and Stavropol. Roundworm larvae burrow through the skin and migrate underneath, causing red, itchy skin and the development of red blisters.
Treatment recommendations
General recommendations have been developed for the treatment of diseases caused by one or another human subcutaneous parasite. The most relevant for our region is the treatment of strongyloidiasis, scabies and demodicosis. Treatment is prescribed after diagnosing the disease and only by a specialist. Some complications and manifestations of the disease require an individual approach to treatment.
- It is recommended to treat helminth infections with Naftamon, Praziquantel and other antiparasitic drugs.
- To treat scabies, benzyl benzoate ointment, Spregal cream and other effective remedies are used. In the fight against scabies, a treatment regimen and a system of preventive measures for contact persons have been developed.
- Treatment of demodex is carried out with comprehensive measures to strengthen the immune system, treat gastrointestinal diseases and other procedures. Ointments are used directly on the skin to treat scabies, as well as various cosmetic procedures.
Subcutaneous parasitic diseases require treatment efforts, so it is better to prevent infection by applying basic rules of personal hygiene . It is a good idea to know the common symptoms that accompany such diseases so as not to come into close contact with sick people.
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What signs of encephalitis occur after a tick bite in a person?
Symptoms, diagnosis and drug treatment of helminthiasis
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What parasites are dangerous to humans, as well as about fish and cats
Reasons for appearance
Bugs in a person's head can appear through direct contact with a carrier of parasites. In this case, transmission does not occur through fleeting contact. You can also become infected through hygiene products, clothing, shared bedding, and pillows. Most often, hair parasites are common in public places: hotels, hostels, baths, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, summer camps.
Unlike lice and fleas, subcutaneous mites live on the skin of 97% of people. But it is active only when the human immune system is significantly weakened.
The carriers of heartworm larvae are usually dogs, mosquitoes, as well as lice and fleas. Transmission occurs through a bite. Only in this case the parasite is able to enter the human blood.
