Prevention of parasitic infestations

Seeing unpleasant pictures of parasites on the Internet and in magazines, many people think that this problem will definitely not affect them.But this is not the case, anyone can become infected with parasites!It has been proven that almost every person becomes a "home" for helminths and protozoa at least once during their life.

How then?The solution to the problem is competent prevention, which we will talk about in this article.

About parasites in facts and figures

Despite the development of modern medicine, the prevention of parasitosis is still relevant today.The following figures and facts prove the need for preventive measures:

1. According to WHO data, there are more than 4.5 billion people suffering from parasitosis in the world.Parasites cause 16 million deaths each year.
2. In Europe, one in three inhabitants is affected by parasitic infestation.
3. More than 70% of people in our country are infected with toxoplasma - parasites that can cause vision loss and neurological disorders.
4. Every year at least 20% of children who attend educational institutions get helminthiasis.
5. Up to 15 types of protozoa and over 250 different types of worms can attack humans at the same time.Helminthiasis accounts for about 89% of all parasitic infestations.

Parasites can affect not only the digestive tract, but also other vital organs - the heart, liver, kidneys and brain.Traveling throughout the body, they cause mechanical damage to organs and tissues, blockage of bile ducts and inflammatory processes.In addition, they can cause a decrease in immunity, allergic reactions and oncology.

What are the types of parasitosis?

There are many parasitic diseases.The most common of these include:

• geohelminthiasis- diseases caused by parasites that spend one of their life cycles in the soil.The eggs of these parasites can survive in the soil for up to 7 years, surviving severe frosts and remaining invasive;
• zooanthroponoses— parasitic infestations affecting both humans and animals;
• pure anthroponosis- diseases characteristic only of humans.

Apart from parasitic infestations, there are infectious diseases in which parasites can be transmitted from person to person.

How can a person become infected with parasites?

Sources of parasitic diseases can be:

• household items in the apartment, public places, transportation;
• food - poorly washed vegetables, fruits, raw or insufficiently processed meat, fish.Infection with parasites is especially common in summer, when we enrich our diet with vitamins: fresh berries, vegetables, herbs.These products may contain soil grains and thus parasite eggs;
• tap water, water in rivers, lakes.During swimming in the pond, parasites can enter the human body through the skin, mucous membrane, as a result of water intake;
• pets.All pet owners have a high probability of contracting zooanthroponoses;
• children's sandboxes.For example, children's sandboxes may contain animal feces, which means that there is a possibility of helminth infection.

A common cause of parasite infection is poor personal hygiene.Infection can occur if you do not wash your hands after visiting public places, using the toilet, handling money, working in the garden, preparing fish, meat or salads.

There are a number of professions in which people, due to the nature of their activities, have a high probability of contracting parasites.These professionals include plumbers, livestock farm workers, agricultural businesses, the food industry and cleaners.

There are also parasites transmitted by insects.For example, flies, mosquitoes.

Principles of parasite prevention at the social level

In our country, about a million cases of parasitic diseases are registered annually.In this regard, preventive measures have been developed to prevent the spread of parasitosis.The basic principles of prevention include:

1. Timely identification and treatment of patients with parasitosis.A person cured in time does not pose a danger to others.
2. Timely destruction of pathogens of parasitic infestations by disinfection and disinsection methods.This includes disinfection of waste water, food and treatment of public places from insects.For example, treating mosquito resting areas can prevent diseases such as heartworm disease.
3. Protection of the environment from contamination with substrates containing parasites.First of all, this is the timely disinfection of septic tanks and the prevention of the use of fresh animal excrement as fertilizer in agriculture.These requirements are contained in the law and require strict implementation.
4. Prevention of parasitic infestations using chemotherapeutic agents.For example, when traveling to tropical regions or places where malaria is endemic, anti-malarial medication should be used.Such drugs prevent the development of malaria even with possible infection.The same can be said for professional groups of the population.In certain periods, chemoprophylaxis of parasitic infestations is recommended for workers on cattle farms and agricultural farms.
5. Immunoprophylaxis or immunization of the population in areas of development of parasitic infestations.This measure is more concerned with the prevention of protozoan infection than helminthiasis.
6. Improving the general sanitary culture of the population.

Personal parasite prevention measures

There is no magic cure that can protect a person from all parasitic infestations.Prevention of parasite infection is multifaceted and includes many aspects.Prevention measures depend on the type of parasite, its development cycle and the way it enters the human body.

However, we can highlight basic rules that can reduce the risk of developing parasitosis:

• personal hygiene: thorough hand washing after visiting public places, contact with pets, before eating;
• regular wet cleaning of the apartment with disinfectants;
• regular cooking of bed linen and underwear;
• purchase of meat products in places of authorized circulation;
• sufficient thermal processing of meat and fish, which should last at least 30 minutes.Another effective way to fight against parasites is to pre-freeze fish and meat;
• thorough washing and treatment of vegetables, fruits and herbs with boiling water;
• drinking bottled and boiled water;
• protection of food from insects;
• regular screening for parasites.

Plants that can protect against parasitosis

An effective measure to prevent infection with helminths and protozoa is to enrich the diet with plants and spices with antiparasitic effects.Today, more than 50 plant species are known to have a harmful effect on parasites:

• calamus roots.The plant is capable of infecting the nervous system of parasites and expelling them from tissues and organs;
• marshmallow root.It acts on parasites that live in the blood and muscle tissue;
• basil leaves and stems.The antiparasitic effect of basil is similar to that of marshmallow;
• barberry berries, stems, leaves, roots.The plant is particularly effective against parasites that attack the liver;
• carnation.The effectiveness of cloves against parasites has been known since ancient times.Clove is destructive to flatworms, tapeworms, roundworms and protozoa.In addition, it is effective against bacteria and viruses;
• pomegranate.Not only pomegranate fruits, but also the peel have an antiparasitic effect.Pomegranate peels can be used to make tea;
• roots, flowers of elecampane.They kill parasites that infect the digestive tract and nervous system.In addition, the plant removes toxins from the body;
• aerial part of oregano used to make teas.The plant has a harmful effect on protozoa, fungi and opportunistic microorganisms;
• St. John's wort.It actively fights against luminal parasites that live in the interstitial space of the large intestine;
• ginger root.Able to expel parasites from the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.The plant has not only antiparasitic, but also anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory properties;
• fruits, seeds, flowers of viburnum.The plant expels parasites from the bronchopulmonary tree, urogenital and gastrointestinal tract.In addition, it has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• cardamom seeds.They have a strong effect on the larval stages of parasites and protozoa, and have an antifungal effect;
• Cilantro seeds are a common herb often used in salads.Good at expelling intestinal parasites;
• cinnamon.It does not lose its antiparasitic properties even after heat treatment;
• nettles.Effective against parasites affecting the skin, intestines and respiratory organs;
• incense.It has a particularly harmful effect on parasites of the respiratory and nervous systems;
• roots, leaves, stem of common thistle.It helps to eliminate parasites that are in the bronchopulmonary tree and the lymphatic system.

Watercress, red pepper, sesame, alfalfa, raspberries, juniper, birch, mint, wormwood, dandelion, parsley, tansy, chamomile, rhubarb, walnut leaves, fennel, garlic also have a harmful effect on parasites.

Plants with antiparasitic properties should only be used in prophylactic doses.For example, plants such as St. John's wort, yarrow, tansy in large quantities are poisonous, and their overdose is dangerous.If you are not sure about the safety of a certain plant, be sure to consult an expert.

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the effect of garlic.Among folk remedies for parasites, enema with garlic takes one of the first places.But in fact, this method is ineffective and very dangerous.Most parasites live in the small intestine, which is not affected by the enema.A possible complication after a garlic enema is a burn of the intestinal mucosa.