Parasitic worm: species, danger and control measures

Most of the species of organisms existing on our planet, for many centuries and millennia, have followed the path of evolution and biological progress. However, there are such representatives of wildlife that have achieved greater success by a completely different path - regress or simplification of the organization. How did this happen and how could this be useful? It turns out that this is a necessary condition for the conduct of a parasitic lifestyle. Especially successfully to adapt to life at the expense of others managed to various types of worms - helminths, which we'll talk about further.

Structure of parasitic worms

Helminthes, or parasitic worms, include such organisms that have adapted to live inside mammals and other creatures, including in humans, causing their vital activity a serious harm to health and even the life of the owner. Each parasitic worm is capable of replacing several hosts in the life cycle. This is necessary to preserve the number and survival of eggs, that is, the future offspring.

Of course, each class has its representatives, which in turn are endowed with features that distinguish them from each other and allow them to be unique parasites. However, we can distinguish several common characteristics that each parasitic worm possesses.

1. In the structure of the body there are organs serving to be fixed in the body of the host. Examples: suckers, hooks.
2. The presence of special veils of the body, not allowing the host's body to digest them.
3. Delaying offspring of several million eggs at a time and a complex structure of the reproductive system (most often hermaphroditic type).
4. Regression in the structure of all sensory organs. Digestive and excretory systems are as simple as possible in structure and functionality. Breathing is carried out by the entire surface of the body.
5. The ability to reproduce even in the larval stage.

All these features make different types of parasitic worms just universal and very dangerous creatures that have simply colossal survival.

Classification of worms-parasites

In total, two main groups of similar organisms can be distinguished.

1. Type Flat worms. It is parasitic forms are the classes of Tape, Flukes. Types of parasitic flatworms of this type: bovine tapeworm, pork tapeworm, wide ribbon, echinococcus, cat's fluke, schistosome, paradoxical leukochloride, fluke and others.
2. Type Round worms. Class Actually roundworms. Examples of organisms: anisakids, pinworms, ascarids, hookworms, rishty, whipworm, trichinella, filarias and others.

Types of parasitic worms are very diverse. Scientists allot about 300 representatives, who can live in the body of a person, not to mention other animals. The damage caused by these creatures is truly irreparable sometimes.

Class Actually roundworms: parasitic forms

In comparison with flatworms, this group in terms of body structure is more highly developed. So, this class of parasitic worms has the following features.

1. Diversity. Males have testes and a vas deferens opening into the hindgut. Females are ovaries that combine into a common vagina. Reproduction is sexual.
2. Low ability to regenerate lost parts of the body, since the number of cells is limited.
3. An anal opening appears. Thus, the digestive system has the form of a simple tube, which consists of the oral part, middle and anal canal.
4. The nervous system is represented by ganglia. While quite simple, but nonetheless already existing.
5. Excretory system of the protonephridia type.
6. The covers of the body are three-layered, the outer - hypodermis. It performs not only a protective role, but also a function of the skeleton. In it, there are exchange processes.
7. The center of the body is occupied by a pseudo-objective - this is the cavity in which the liquid is located. It fulfills the role of blood.

A parasitic worm of this class can lead a different lifestyle. So, the bio- and geo-parasites are isolated. Bioghelminthes should include those species that change several hosts during life and thus spread. To geogelmint - those whose distribution occurs in the external environment.

Whitewash

This parasitic roundworm belongs to geogelmints, because for him to grow growth and development you need two conditions:

• Presence of the human body;
• Ordinary wet earth.

With such modest needs, it is not surprising that the prevalence of this helminth is very high. The adult worm itself rarely reaches a length of 5 cm. Males and females differ in the posterior end of the body: in the former it is thickened and spirally twisted, and in the latter it is elongated threadlike.

It feeds the parasite not to the contents of the human intestine, namely, its blood, so treatment from its effects requires special. It deeply affects the wall of the intestine, so it can cause inflammation. It affects the body with the products of its vital activity.

The disease caused by this being is called trichocephalosis. Infection occurs through tactile contact with dirty vegetables and fruits, water. It is on these objects that there are barrel-shaped eggs of parasites that reach the maturity within the body in a few weeks.

Eggs are excreted with feces and development is obtained in the external environment - in warm, moist soil. Back again swallowed by a man.

Pinworm

Parasitic roundworm, which occurs in almost every second child, can also be found in an adult. Small white parasites, rarely reaching a length of more than 5 mm. Their main feature, allowing so widely to spread, is the absence of a change of owner. They parasitize in one organism, feeding on the contents of its intestine.

At night they leave the anus and lay a lot of eggs on the anus. This causes the child to itch and irritation, he starts unconsciously in the dream to scratch this place. So eggs fall under the nails, from where again into the mouth and surrounding objects.

After laying eggs, the female dies. Therefore, in the case when repeated infection is not observed, it is possible to cure the body without drug intervention. The disease caused by pinworms is called enterobiosis.

Trichinella

Parasitic worm of very small size. Rarely reaches a length of 3.5 mm. Males are even smaller. Refers to biogelmints. Parasitize in humans and mammals animals. The muscles are affected, as they settle and settle in them. Each female is able to lay a lot of eggs (up to 2 thousand) and then die.

Approximately two months later, larvae emerge from the eggs, which, with the current of lymph and blood, spread throughout the body, strengthening in the muscles and disrupting their normal functioning. The disease is called trichinosis, with severe parasite contamination it can be fatal.

Type Flat, class Worms

Representatives of this type can be both free-living and parasitic forms. For all of them, some features in the structure of the body.

1. Bilateral symmetry.
2. Absence of body cavity.
3. Enormous ability to regenerate.
4. The simplest digestive system.
5. The overwhelming majority of species are hermaphrodites.

The main parasites are two classes - Tape and Flukes.

Wide ribbon and echinococcus

A wide ribbon is a parasitic tapeworm, replacing three masters for life. The first of them are crustaceans, the second - fish, the third and final - a man. The length of these helminths can be up to several meters. They feed on the contents of the intestine, which causes a sharp starvation and a shortage of substances for the life of the owner.

Infection occurs through the fish that people eat. The disease is called diphyllobothriasis.

Echinococcus is also a parasitic tapeworm. Its peculiarity is that man is an intermediate host for him. The main ones are dogs and wolves. However, having got into the body of people, the larvae are carried by a current of blood. Then larvae emerge - oncospheres. They form a bubble that begins to grow gradually. This disease is called echinococcosis.

Both types of parasites considered have several rows of tenacious hooks for rooting in the host's body, causing additional harm and causing painful sensations. Also common and terrible parasites from tape are the chain - bull and pork.

Schistosome and leukochloridium paradoxical

For which of the parasitic worms is characterized by a change of host with the participation of gastropods? The answer is this: it is for many flukes. These are worms that have numerous suckers. It is they who are fixed in the body of the ultimate host, which is a person.

Schistosoma - this is a kind of infection that occurs when swimming in the water, where larvae swim. They feed on the blood of mammals. Their main danger is the thorns on the body, by which they pierce the walls of internal organs, causing their inflammation, the occurrence of cysts, tumors. It is difficult to cure these parasites.

Leukochloridium is paradoxical - it is he who uses gastropods as one of the hosts. The final item for life, this worm chose birds. Interestingly, in the body of the cochlea, the larva grows and becomes so prominent that it can be seen from the outside. It resembles a bright green caterpillar, which attracts birds. They peck it, resulting in infection.

Measures to combat parasitic worms

The fight against parasitic worms is not an easy task. The most important thing is to carefully observe all necessary preventive measures. Personal and public hygiene is of great importance. Without this, it is impossible to fight helminth eggs. Secondly, it is certainly a good heat treatment of food.

Treatment for each particular type of parasite is strictly individual and is prescribed by the doctor. Most often, these are tablets (Vermox, Decaris, Pirantel, etc.). However, in more severe cases, injections, droppers, irradiation and other forms of exposure are necessary.