Many people are interested in the question of what worm eggs look like, because cases of infection with parasites are not uncommon. Infestation usually occurs through the entry of worm eggs into the human body. This can happen through dirty hands, food, and contact with feces and pet hair. If a parasite infection is suspected, a person tries to detect worm eggs in the stool on their own. But it is impossible to see the eggs with the naked eye; they are microscopic in size and can only be detected when analyzing stool.
Roundworm infestation
Infection with roundworms occurs when eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, poorly fried meat and fish. Infestation through dirty hands is possible, especially in children. The worm's habitat is the human intestine
Ascaris eggs can only be seen under a microscope. They are very small in size (about 0. 07 mm). Adult worms are also very difficult to see in feces. Only after taking anthelmintic drugs do particles of dead worms come out of the intestines. They look like translucent elongated inclusions.
Only a microscopic examination of stool will help determine the presence of roundworm eggs. The 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.
Ascaris eggs
Since it is very difficult to detect traces of the presence of roundworms in the body, you should be aware of the symptoms of invasion: a sudden increase in body temperature;
- skin rashes;
- choking and coughing (sometimes with blood);
- muscle spasms;
- joint pain.
These manifestations are associated with the effect of roundworm allergen on the body. If such symptoms are detected, it is necessary to take a stool test for worm eggs.
Where to go if you suspect worms?
If you suspect a helminthic infestation, you must make an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. In the early stages, helminthiasis does not have specific symptoms, so it is quite difficult to suspect that you or a loved one have worms. As a rule, the patient complains of mild malaise: indigestion, headache, apathy.
If symptoms do not go away within a week or the condition returns periodically (for example, once every 3-4 months you feel unwell), you should consult 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 (through shared objects, shaking hands). People often get infestations from cats and dogs; worm eggs live on pets’ 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 objects that the patient has come into contact with. They can be found under fingernails, on 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 area of the rectal outlet;
- diarrhea;
- nausea;
- sudden weight loss;
- flatulence.
Pinworm eggs are not excreted in feces. Parasites multiply in the anal area, where they lay eggs, which causes itching. To detect the presence of these worms in the body, a scraping is made from the skin of the anus and a microscopic examination of the taken material is carried out. Such an analysis is usually required when a child is enrolled in kindergarten. The scraping is taken in the morning before washing the child, so as not to wash off the parasite eggs. Conduct triple analysis over several days. Pinworm eggs under a microscope look like oblong-shaped particles of white cereal.
Adult pinworms can be found in the stool of children and adults. These are small white worms about 0. 5-1 cm long, one end of their body is pointed.
Folk remedies for helminths
For diphyllobothriasis, folk remedies should be used only after consultation with a doctor. They should not replace drug treatment, but can only complement it. The most commonly 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, then diluted with water to a paste. For adults, you will need 300 g of seeds, and for children - from 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 need to take a laxative, and after another 30 minutes do an enema.
When the parasite comes out in the feces, it needs to be examined. You should pay attention to whether there is a head at one end of its body. If it is not there, then this means that only the segments have come out, and the parasite will be able to regrow 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 zone of our country. Whipworms often live in the southern regions, since the eggs of this worm love warmth. Most infections are observed 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 occurs - 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 the feces, but they are very small and cannot always be seen even under a microscope. Only with very severe infestation is it possible to detect eggs in a stool test. They are shaped like a barrel and have a brownish-yellow color. There are holes on both sides of the egg.
What do worms look like in feces? They are very difficult to detect alive in feces, since whipworms cannot live long outside the human body. Only with anthelmintic therapy can you notice dead white worms in the feces.
To diagnose trichuriasis, the rectum and sigmoid colon are examined with a special device (sigmoidoscopy). In this way, accumulations of parasites in the intestines are detected. Treatment of the infestation takes a long time, since the whipworm eggs are protected by a dense shell.
Diagnosis of helminthiases
When diagnosing many helminth infections, a stool examination is performed first. If you find black dots in your stool or white worms in your feces, this test should be done as soon as possible.
However, not only feces with black dots are an indication for coprogram. Often, even eggs invisible to the eye can be easily identified under a microscope. A more accurate diagnosis of feces by detecting helminth DNA particles is done using the PCR technique.
If a person has a lot of black spots in his stool, then other diagnostic methods include the following:
- Scraping from the area near the anus;
- Blood testing using ELISA, PCR, RNGA and other methods;
- Be sure to do blood biochemistry and CBC;
- To identify the localization of parasites, in some cases ultrasound, MRI and CT are performed;
- To diagnose the migratory stage of helminths, an X-ray examination is indicated.
For certain forms of helminthiases, examination of sputum, rectal mucus, urine, and the contents of the gallbladder can be carried out. Endoscopic examination is also sometimes used for diagnosis.
Trichinella
This is one of the most dangerous types of roundworms. Trichinella parasitizes human muscles. Severe infestation sometimes leads to death.
Trichinella enters the body by consuming poorly processed meat from wild and domestic animals. Worms are destroyed only at very high temperatures (about 80°C). Worms can be found in salted or smoked meat; such treatment does not kill their 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 is born. These are worms that reproduce ovoviviparously. It is impossible to detect Trichinella in feces. Newborn larvae immediately enter the blood and lymph, bypassing the intestines. The larvae quickly die in the feces.
Usually the disease is diagnosed when the parasite has managed to get into the muscles. In this case, a person is bothered by the following symptoms: muscle pain;
- swelling;
- febrile state (high temperature, aches, malaise);
- irregular bowel movements with constipation or diarrhea.
To detect invasion, a blood test with a serological test is performed. This is the only method for detecting Trichinella in the body.
An article for patients with a doctor-diagnosed disease. Does not replace a doctor's appointment and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.
Wide tapeworm
The human body contains only immature tapeworm eggs. They are excreted in feces and enter the external environment. With untreated wastewater, the eggs end up in water bodies and begin their development there. First they end up in the body of freshwater crustaceans. Fish from reservoirs become infected with tapeworm when eating small crustaceans. And a person gets a helminthic infestation when eating poorly fried, infected fish from freshwater 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;
- bowel problems (constipation or diarrhea);
- loss of appetite or excessive hunger.
What do helminths from the class of tapeworms look like? This is a large parasite that can reach 10 m in length. In feces, only individual living parts (segments) of the worm can be found; they look like long (from 30 cm to 3 m) white ribbons. They should be removed from the stool with tweezers, transferred to a clean container and taken to a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist for analysis.
Microscopic examination of stool can reveal tapeworm eggs. Their size is about 0. 07 mm. The eggs look like yellowish oval-shaped formations covered with a thick shell. One end of the egg is covered with a cap, and the other ends with a bulge.
Worm larvae can be shed in feces, but they are not dangerous. Diphyllobothriasis cannot be contracted from an infected person or animal. Infestation occurs exclusively through consumption of fish.
Harm to the body
When a wide tapeworm gets into the intestines, the disease diphyllobothriasis develops. The helminth primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammations and ulcers form on the intestinal walls where the worm attaches. If there is not one, but several parasites in the body, they can clog the intestinal lumen, resulting in obstruction. The helminth constantly irritates the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to 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 pork tapeworm
People become infected with these types 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 through the soil 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 bovine or pork tapeworm. To kill tapeworms, you need to boil or fry the meat for at least 30 minutes.
Bull tapeworm
Bovine tapeworm causes taeniahrynchiasis, and pork tapeworm causes taeniasis. The symptoms of these diseases are similar: abdominal pain;
- constant feeling of hunger;
- nausea and vomiting;
- weakness;
- weight loss;
- diarrhea;
- itching in the anal area when the segments come out.
Worms in the patient's stool are in the form of segments. 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 stool, tapeworm eggs (oncospheres) are detected. They are round formations with a dense shell, inside of which there is an embryo.
Infection with pork tapeworm 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, pork tapeworm larvae 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 severe damage. With cysticercosis, the segments and eggs are not excreted in the feces. The disease can only be detected through a serological blood test and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
Classification
Modern medicine classifies worms that parasitize the human body as follows: Luminal. Such worms live in the intestinal lumen. These include the wide tapeworm, dwarf and bull tapeworm, hookworm, pinworm, whipworm, roundworm, etc.
Fabric. Such worms choose muscle and lung tissues, as well as organs such as the pancreas, liver, brain, etc. for their habitat.
Depending on where exactly tissue helminths are localized, the invasion may have the following names:
- Filariasis. Parasites live in lymph nodes
- Cysticercosis. The area of the brain affected by helminths
- Echinococcosis. Helminthic infestation is diagnosed in the liver
- Paragonimiasis. Parasites live in the lungs
Flukes
Of the worms of the class of flukes, the cat fluke (liver fluke) is most often found in humans. The habitat of worm eggs is fresh water. From there, the parasite enters the body of shellfish and then into fish. Cats and people become infected with the fluke by consuming poorly processed freshwater fish, as well as through contaminated water. A sick cat does not pose a danger to humans.
Burbot liver with parasites
Most often, fish from the carp family are infected. Salting or smoking does not lead to the death of the parasite. A fairly long heat treatment of the product is required. You can become infected with fluke 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 fluke worm eggs look like under a microscope? When examining stool, you can see transparent ovals with a golden-colored shell. On one side of the egg there is a plug that opens when the larva hatches. For diagnostic purposes, a blood test is additionally performed for antibodies or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
How to find out if there are worms?
It is impossible to independently determine the presence of helminthic infestation. In the initial stages, the disease can be virtually asymptomatic. The patient does not experience pain; the immune system can suppress the pathogenic effects of toxins and allergens for some time. As a rule, exacerbation begins during the period of 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 tests for worms 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 possible in all cases to detect their presence in the body only by the presence of eggs in the stool. Some parasites are microscopic in size and live hidden in the body, without betraying their presence. In addition, they are not always localized in the intestines and are able to migrate throughout the body. Therefore, to diagnose parasitic infections, they resort to serological tests, which are based on the antigen-antibody immune reaction.
All parasites look different, have their own specific development cycles, different symptoms of infestations and differences in treatment regimens. However, there are a number of symptoms that may indicate a parasitic infection in a person:
- rapid weight loss;
- bowel disorder: diarrhea replaces constipation;
- intense itching in the anus;
- skin rashes of unknown etiology;
- stomach ache;
- flatulence;
- loss of appetite;
- inexplicable craving for sweets;
- sometimes uncontrollable appetite in adults;
- frequent colds due to a decrease in the body's defenses.