Bubble gum – a parasite like a tumor

Proven content

Echinococcosis is a dangerous parasite that causes echinococcosis. The summer period offers numerous opportunities to spend time outside the city. So, if you are planning a trip to the forest and picking local fruit, be careful – on blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, a dangerous parasite – the bubble tapeworm – may be waiting for you.

What is echinococcosis and what causes it?

The larvae of its two most common forms (Echinococcus granulosus or Echinococcus multilocularis) cause echinococcosis (aka echinococcosis), while humans are an accidental and atypical intermediate host for both tapeworms. Echinococcosis is an ailment that rarely affects people (several dozen cases are reported every year in Poland). However, its appearance is dangerous and irreversible complications, so it should not be taken lightly.

What are the sources of tapeworm infection?

The tapeworm infection usually comes from an infected animal, such as a cat or dog. It is worth mentioning that the tapeworm can live in our pet’s body for many years without showing any symptoms. In a young dog, the tapeworm causes vomiting, diarrhea and problems with absorbing food from the intestine. In addition, the animal may experience persistent itching associated with the excretion or active crawling of tapeworm members from the anus. It is usually not a problem to eliminate the tapeworm from your dog’s or cat’s body. For this purpose, anthelmintic preparations prescribed by a veterinarian are used.

A person can become infected with echinococcosis as a result of stroking an infected animal or while playing with it. Usually, through direct contact with an animal, small children become infected by putting their dirty hands in their mouths while playing.

Wild animals such as wolves or foxes can also be carriers of the tapeworm. They, in turn, shed parasite eggs along with their faeces, thus contaminating the environment. Therefore, we get infected with echinococcosis directly by eating, for example, previously unwashed vegetables or plants growing in the forest, e.g. blueberries, blackberries, wild strawberries. Remember to wash the harvested fruit or vegetables before consumption, as this significantly reduces the risk of infection. Mushrooms should also be scalded with boiling water before being eaten.

Note: Tapeworm infection does not always mean disease. It all depends on the resistance of a given organism and on favorable conditions for the larvae.

Prophylactically and supportively in the treatment of parasitic diseases, use Parasites – the Panaseus dietary supplement, which you can conveniently and safely buy at Medonet Market.

The mechanism of echinococcosis infection and types of echinococcosis

The eggs get into the human digestive tract and cause the larvae to hatch, which then pass through the intestinal wall to the blood or lymph vessels. Later they are spread throughout the body. They stop in small blood vessels of various organs (e.g. liver, kidneys and lungs), blocking their lumen.

Single-chamber echinococcus

E. granulosus leads to single-chamber echinococcosis and is usually found in the liver and lungs (important: the larvae can develop in the organ for several years). The organism, wishing to protect itself from the larva, separates itself from it, surrounding it with a connective tissue sheath, then a cyst (bubble) filled with fluid is formed. Secondary blisters develop on its inner and outer walls, in the middle of which tapeworm heads are formed, prepared for the infection of the final host, e.g. a cat or dog (importantly, such a cyst may contain up to several hundred thousand tapeworm heads). The growing bubble compresses the adjacent tissues, leading to disruption of their function and the formation of inflammatory changes, and sometimes even necrosis. In addition, the tapeworm secretes toxins and can cause an allergic reaction.

Multi-chamber echinococcosis

The E. multilocularis tapeworm causes multilocular echinococcosis. Then the parasite is most often found in the liver, and the human body does not form a shell around its cyst. The parasite creates a rich network of projections in the liver, it spreads among others. along the blood vessels (including the lungs), which may resemble the metastatic metastasis process. This type of echinococcosis is characterized by jaundice, an enlarged liver, and ascites.

1. Do you like blueberries? Watch out for tapeworm

Symptoms of echinococcosis

The symptoms of echinococcosis depend on the location of the cyst. If it is in the liver, it can lead to:

1. liver failure
2. portal hypertension,
3. inflammation of the bile ducts,
4. mechanical jaundice.

Tapeworm located in the lungs can create inflammation in the lower respiratory tract, cause shortness of breath and cough in a patient. However, in the case of the location of the tapeworm in the brain – the patient may have problems with vision, as well as impaired consciousness and epileptic states.

When the bladder becomes large, it may rupture spontaneously. Then, small bubbles with echinococcal protocolleks (the so-called secondary echinococcosis) are spread throughout the body. The release of large amounts of toxins can even cause anaphylactic shock.

Bąblowiec – diagnosis and treatment

Drug treatment of echinococcosis is usually aimed at shrinking the cyst. This is a type of preparation that allows the walls of the blister to be as tight as possible and there is a small risk that the cyst will rupture during the procedure.

Initial diagnosis of echinococcosis is made by the doctor on the basis of a medical interview with the patient, reported symptoms and imaging tests (X-ray, ultrasound, etc.). A certain diagnosis can be made only on the basis of the results of fluid examination or histopathological examination of the cyst. These materials are collected during a biopsy or during surgical resection of the lesion formed by the parasite.

Curiosity: Tapeworm cysts are often a random find (so-called incidentaloma) in ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

If you want to prevent parasitic infections, order Worms – a mixture of herbs, the regular use of which will reduce the risk of getting sick and help you get rid of the problem faster.

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