What are protozoal infections and what are the types of protozoosis

Protozoal infections, caused by parasites belonging to the type of unicellular protozoa, affect various organs and systems of the human body, entering it through sexual intercourse, insect bites, contaminated products, airborne droplets, and can lead not only to severe pathologies, but also to fatal outcome. Recently, the number of carriers of protozoosis has not only not decreased, but even increased, which makes the medical community draw attention to this problem.

Protozoan infections can spread in the liver, lungs, kidneys, blood, intestines, central nervous system, in various organs and tissues, entering the human body through arthropod bites, by alimentary way, through sexual contacts.

Amoebiasis

It is more common in hot climates. Cysts spread with contaminated food, water, various insects in contact with food act as carriers.

Leishmaniasis

Mosquitoes are vectors; the disease has a long incubation and a severe clinical period. Untreated visceral form is fatal; cutaneous form leads to severe ulcerations and necrotization of the skin.

Trichomoniasis

The causative agent is the vaginal trichomonas. It is transmitted exclusively by sexual contact, from an infected partner. If not treated properly, it progresses, leading to loss of fertility or reproduction.

Trypanosomiasis

The disease is transmitted by redouvid bugs in poor areas of Central and South America, tsetse flies in Africa. The pathogen penetrates through a wound in the skin and can be diagnosed at an early stage. The absence of necessary medical care due to the specific regions leads to a high percentage of deaths.

Human protozoan diseases are among the most dangerous parasitic infestations. Some of them are still unstudied and may well be the cause of death in areas where there is a lack of medical care and health education. Protozoa are almost all unicellular, but their level of differentiation varies in morphological features, and the grouping of protozoa into a category called protozoan diseases occurs solely by their property of affecting the human body.

Protozoa have almost all passed into the class of parasites, but only those that affect human organism, commercial birds, fish, animals are of interest for humans.

Symptoms of protozoal infections

Many of them are accompanied by similar symptoms, but there are also characteristic differences:

• malaria – fever, aching joints, itching where the insect bites, blood in the urine
• sleeping sickness – confusion, cerebral ischemia
• a characteristic complication of amebiasis is encephalitis and amebic liver abscess
• trichomoniasis can be detected by urethritis and spermatogenesis

Prevention of the disease includes primarily personal hygiene – washing hands before eating, sanitizing food, drinking purified, or bottled water, and avoiding sources where vectors can be found. Regular deworming of pets, and hygiene in dealing with pets.

Preventive measures

• Quality washing of fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc;
• Heat treatment of meat, fish;
• Observance of the rules of animal housing;
• Use protective gloves when in contact with soil;
• Personal hygiene;
• Visiting countries with a high risk of parasite infection as little as possible;
• Protection against insects.

Maintaining proper immunity, the body’s ability to resist infection, even when it enters the gut. The health of the immune system depends on many components, including the presence or absence of chronic diseases of the body itself, a healthy lifestyle, a proper, balanced diet, a healthy balance of vitamins, and minerals.

When working in a children’s team, visiting hot countries, it is necessary to carry out preventive deworming, regular check-ups with the doctor, to be tested for parasites.

Availability of basic medical knowledge can prevent serious lesions by timely seeking medical help while healing is possible.