Helminthiasis is one of the most common problems in children - about 70% of babies become carriers. Ignoring the presence of invasion can lead to complications up to the disruption or failure of the work of individual organs. To prevent unpleasant consequences, doctors recommend that you systematically be tested for helminths. What research is carried out to identify parasites, and how should biomaterial be collected?
When is the analysis necessary?
It is recommended to take an analysis for worms regularly, even though there are no symptoms.
Although, there are typical signs that indicate the presence of worms in a child:
- Cough and rash of an allergic nature. By the way, cough is not associated with respiratory illness. These symptoms are a response to the waste products of parasites.
- At night, itching appears in the anus.
- Fatigue and weakness. This can be explained by the fact that the child's body poorly assimilates useful incoming substances.
- A sharp decrease in body weight. Oddly enough, but with a sufficient amount of food, the weight becomes less and less. The explanation is simple: all the nutrients entering the body are eaten by helminths.
- Headache and dizziness. This is due to the intoxication of the body.
- The work of the digestive tract is disrupted. There is nausea, urge to vomit and pain in the abdomen. Such symptoms clearly indicate the presence of parasites in the intestines.
In addition, reactions of the nervous system can be observed, for example, insomnia. An unhealthy pallor of the skin may also appear.
Myths and reality
Myth 1: It is believed that all animals are dangerous carriers of helminthiasis. Moreover, pet owners are convinced that this applies to absolutely everyone - except for their own pet. "Others are undoubtedly dirty and sick, but mine is perfectly healthy and does not need any treatment."
Reality: Any domestic animal (dogs, cats, rodents) can become a carrier of parasites dangerous to humans.
Myth 2: Deworming of pets should be done only before vaccination.
Reality: Deworming should be carried out once a quarter (once every 3 months), that is, at least four times a year. Only in this case you can be sure that the pet is healthy and is not a carrier of parasites. Your veterinarian will advise you on the specific drug for your pet.
Attention: antihelminthic drugs suitable for animals, absolutely cannot be applied to treat humans!
Myth 3: Cats and dogs are predators and need raw meat and fish. By this, according to the owners, they not only pay tribute to nature, but also provide their pet with a good mood.
Reality: Modern pet food fully meets the pet's needs for all nutrients. And through raw meat and fish, there is a guaranteed infection with dangerous parasites.
Tests for parasites in a child are prescribed by pediatricians quite often. Worms in children are a more frequent phenomenon than in adults, and in no case should you overlook this problem.Helminthiasis (or the invasion of other types of parasites) can provoke severe complications, including death. Some types of harmful microorganisms are difficult to diagnose. Sometimes they cannot be confirmed by conventional analyzes.
What are the types of tests for worms?
To detect worms in the body, a number of specific studies are carried out.
Immunoassay blood test
For this analysis, blood is taken from a vein, which is checked for the presence of antigens and antibodies to parasites. Antibodies are proteins called immunoglobulins, which are produced in the body, reacting to the vital substances of helminths, which are antigens.
The advantage of this study is that it can detect infestation at an early stage. The analysis accuracy reaches 95%.
What the analysis shows:
- Type of parasite;
- How it reproduces;
- The number of helminths in the body.
The analysis is deciphered by counting the number of antibodies JgG, JgM, JgA.
The stage of invasion is determined by analyzing the results:
- When 3 antibodies are absent in the body, the result is considered negative. This means that the child has a stable immunity to worms.
- When immunoglobulin G is positive (JgG (+)), it means that the child recently had this infection.
- Indicators JgM (-), JgG (- / +), JgA (+/-) indicate a chronic form of pathology in a child.
- The result indicates the acute phase of the disease - JgM (+), JgG (- / +), JgA (- / +).
- The result of JgM (+), JgG (+), JgA (+) indicates that this infection has worsened.
- With a negative indicator of immunoglobulin M, we can talk about an absolute recovery of the child.
If we compare this analysis with other laboratory methods, then the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has a large number of advantages: high accuracy, determination of the stage of the disease.
Stool tests to detect worm eggs
This study is the most common way to detect helminthic invasion. You should be aware that a single test delivery sometimes shows an incorrect result. This is because parasites do not lay eggs every day, but in periods.
To get an accurate result, a certain scheme is applied: 3 analyzes are taken, but after 2 days. The feces are placed in a dry and clean container, then the feces are collected from three different places with a spoon and placed in a special container.
The material must be delivered to the laboratory within 1 hour. As a last resort, it can be stored for 8 hours in the refrigerator. When this period expires, the analysis cannot guarantee the correct result.
You can read more about the delivery of a stool analysis in our other article: Stool analysis: How much is needed for analysis, how to collect and where to store?
If the indicators are normal, then in the decoding opposite the helminths will be "negative" (-). If o (+), then the child has a parasite.
Scraping for the presence of worm eggs
This analysis is usually performed to detect enterobiasis in children, that is, infection with pinworms. This procedure is done only in the morning.
Before the study, you must not wash the child, as the eggs of the helminths can be washed off. Naturally, the result of the analysis will turn out to be false negative.
Scraping for the presence of worm eggs is collected with a cotton swab near the anus of the child. Then it is placed in a plastic tube.
You can also use duct tape for scraping. The material is delivered to the laboratory in the morning. This is because females lay eggs only at night. Store in the refrigerator no more than 2 hours. Re-analysis can be done after three days.
The analysis is deciphered as follows:
- The desired result is negative (-). In the child's body, helminths were not found.
- If one plus (+) is noted in the analysis, then there is an invasion, but to a weak degree.
- Two pluses (++) as a result of the analysis - a moderate invasion was detected.
- When the test result has three pluses (+++), then there is a high degree of invasion.
The results are usually ready within a day. You should be aware that scraping is only intended to detect pinworms. The presence of other parasites cannot be detected.
Stool examination
One of the first examinations for parasites that children undergo are tests for worm eggs. The biomaterial for the study is feces. The method allows you to identify roundworms or elements of various types of helminths, such as dwarf tapeworm, liver fluke, cat fluke, roundworm. These types of worms either live in the lumen of the colon or lay their eggs there. When analyzing a child's feces for worm eggs, the elements of tissue helminths are not determined. Analysis time: 24 hours, in some laboratories up to three.
This biological material is also used to detect pinworms. These are roundworms, which are considered the most common causative agent of parasitic diseases in children.
In some cases, feces are tested on protozoa. The analysis is aimed at detecting cystic forms of amoebas and lamblia. Organisms are parasites, but not worms. However, they destroy the child's immune system. The pediatrician can prescribe this type of analysis in conjunction with a study on the eggs of the worm.
A blood test for the presence of worms in a child
Sometimes stool examinations and scrapings do not provide accurate information. To make sure that there is no helminth infection, parents should bring the child for additional tests.
The child must pass:
- Blood for enzyme immunoassay;
- Blood for general analysis.
Research data will give more informative and accurate results.
In the presence of helminthic invasion, you can find:
- Low hemoglobin levels.
- High white blood cell count. Basically, this is observed if the infection has occurred with roundworms or pinworms.
How do I prepare for a blood test?
To get an accurate result, you should properly prepare for the test.
The preparation is as follows:
- The study is necessarily carried out on an empty stomach, but it is allowed to eat mineral water (not carbonated);
- Food is taken for the last time 8 hours before the test;
- Spicy and fatty foods are excluded from the diet 3 days before the study;
- 24 hours before the procedure, it is necessary to exclude taking medications, when this is not possible, it is imperative to notify the doctor.
The analysis result will be ready in 3-5 days. Sometimes the doctor doubts the result, then a second examination is carried out after 2 weeks. If helminthiasis is detected, the pediatrician prescribes the necessary treatment.
What is the hemoglobin level in the presence of worms?
If helminthic invasion is present, then hemoglobin values are significantly reduced. Anemia is more likely to develop in young children.
There are 2 reasons for the development of this disease:
- Most of the worms feed on blood, they are hemophages;
- Helminths produce toxins that inhibit hematopoiesis.
Hemoglobin decreases, mainly when infected with ascaris.
The consumption of adults is about 40-50 ml of blood, which causes the development of general anemic syndrome in the child.
The child begins to complain:
- Lethargy;
- Sudden weakness;
- Dizziness and headache;
- Hum in the ears.
In this case, therapy with iron-containing drugs is absolutely ineffective, you must first cure helminthiasis, which is the cause of anemia.
The indicator of eosinophils in the blood with worms
A high level of eosinophils to the blood also indicates the presence of helminthiasis.
Usually this:
- Ascariasis;
- Enterobiasis.
If an increased content of eosinophils in the body is detected, the child is sent for an x-ray of the lungs. This is necessary, since some helminths have a pulmonary growth cycle, which leads to serious pathological processes in these organs.
Helminthic invasion is manifested by complaints with identified eosinophilia. In this case, a scraping of eggs is done, as well as a study of feces.
Uninvited guests are parasites
Several protective barriers await parasites in the body of a healthy adult. In the mouth there are enzymes that are harmful to the eggs of worms. If they break through the first obstacle, they will be stopped by the aggressive acidic environment of the stomach. And the local immunity of the intestine, which produces antibodies, will destroy the most persistent representatives. In a child's - not yet formed - body, these protective barriers may not work, as in the weakened body of an adult.
The further life path of the helminth depends on the type of pathogen. For example, roundworm parasitizes in the intestines. But first it goes through the blood vessels, liver, bronchi and lungs, causing the corresponding symptoms. Then the helminths enter the oral cavity through the respiratory tract, are swallowed again, and only then develop in the intestines into adults, settling for a permanent place of residence. This is where reproduction begins. A female roundworm can lay up to 25,000 eggs per day.
Clinical manifestations of helminthiasis are also more pronounced in children than in adults. Using nutrients for their development, as well as disrupting their absorption in the intestines and poisoning the child's body with metabolic products, helminths negatively affect the child's health. Over time, a cheerful and active baby can become lethargic and moody. He gets tired quickly, allergic reactions appear, including skin reactions, such as rash, hives, redness and irritation.
Allergists say that more than half of all allergic reactions are the result of existing or once experienced helminthiasis. Parasites negatively affect the body's defenses, and this leads to a decrease in immunity, which in turn leads to an increase in acute respiratory and infectious diseases, prolongation and complication of their course.
Parasites are usually divided into intestinal and extraintestinal helminths. As the name implies, in the first case, the worms and their larvae live in the intestine, and in the second - outside it: in the muscles, lungs, liver and other organs. With the flow of blood, they can be carried to any corner of the human body and settle there for a long time.
How to protect a child from infection with worms?
To prevent helminthic invasion in a child, parents are advised to follow preventive measures:
- After a walk and before eating food, be sure to wash your hands;
- Children's toys should be washed periodically or even washed;
- Be sure to follow basic hygiene rules;
- Washing hands with soap after contact with animals;
- Washing of all food products;
- The washing of the child's clothes must be carried out at a high temperature;
- To avoid autoinvasion, it is necessary to regularly cut the nails of the child, otherwise, if there is itching in the anus, when scratching, the eggs fall under the nails, and then through the mouth into the intestinal system.
Helminthiasis in a child is the most common cause of their poor health and weakness. Observing the rules of prevention, you can avoid infection with helminths, and if signs appear, you should immediately seek medical help.
We also recommend that you read our article: Worms in children: symptoms, signs. Komarovsky's recommendations and opinions to know about the problem, even before its pronounced appearance.
It is advisable to donate blood for analysis every year.It is imperative to find a laboratory where specialists can guarantee high accuracy of results.
Roundworms, pinworms, toxocaras - a "gift" from dogs and cats.
Most of us face infection with helminths, but children are especially at risk when meeting with worms - their body is not always able to resist parasites. At the beginning of the summer season - the traditional time for playing in the sandbox, communicating with street dogs and cats - we will talk about the prevention and treatment of helminthiasis in children.
Medical statistics claim that the incidence helminthic invasions (helminthiasis) is very large. Among children attending preschool and school childcare facilities, the infection with worms is close to 80%. Experts are sure that the majority of the population (even those who follow the rules of hygiene) have worms. A large number of helminthic invasions at an early stage of formation proceeds in a latent form, and not every doctor can make the correct diagnosis in time. At the same time, not a single organ and not a single human tissue is immune from the possibility of invasion by one or another type of worms. Parasites are able to live in the human body for years, even decades, adapting to the most unfavorable conditions, and not manifest themselves in any way. They are activated when the host's immunity decreases.
Minimizing the risk for the whole family is simple: you need to follow the usual rules of personal hygiene, and it is also imperative to deworm your pets at least 4 times a year. Before deworming, you should consult with your veterinarian, since a number of drugs on the market may not contain the required amount of the active ingredient. Only a specialist can choose the right drug.
ELISA advantage
When using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for worms, antibodies and antigens to various parasites are detected in it. The modern method of laboratory diagnostics allows you to determine the type of parasite, its quantity and ability to reproduce.
The great advantage of this method is in early diagnosis. The coprogram method and the scraping method are based on the identification of eggs and larvae of sexually mature individuals. This period is called intestinal, or the second phase of the disease. The possibility of detecting the disease from the first days of invasion by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method allows for faster treatment.
The following types of helminths are determined by ELISA:
- trichinella;
- roundworm;
- lamblia;
- opisthorchis;
- fasciola;
- amoeba;
- pork tapeworm.
This blood test method can be called an immunoassay. The main disadvantage of ELISA is the issuance of false-negative and false-positive results. Taking medications during the examination, disruption of metabolic processes in the body, a bouquet of chronic diseases are the main reasons for inaccurate results.
Prevention of parasitic diseases
The main preventive measures are aimed at preventing the disease:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene;
- eat clean fresh vegetables, herbs, berries;
- protect food from insects;
- do not swim in dirty water bodies, rivers;
- do not drink water in random springs, rivers;
- wash hands after play, contact with pets;
- purchase meat, fish that have passed sanitary and veterinary control;
- observe the technology of cooking meat and fish dishes.
Compliance with these rules will save you from parasitic diseases.
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Factors transmitting parasitic diseases
The main factor in diseases of ascariasis, enterobiasis are violations of the rules for washing hands before eating. Babies can become infected when they put toys, other objects, sand in the sandbox on the playground into their mouths. A sick child can also cause illness.
- It is dangerous to take fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs without thorough washing;
- In summer, insects (flies, mosquitoes, ants) are carriers of not only infectious diseases, but also parasitic ones;
- Another route of transmission is waterborne. With the onset of hot days, children and adults swim in reservoirs, rivers, quarries that are not suitable for this. Toddlers may accidentally drink water from the river;
- Worms can be contracted by playing with pets. Close contact, games with animals are the reason for the transfer of helminthic invasions;
- A family can get a serious parasitic disease when eating meat contaminated with trichinosis. Poorly fried fish and meat can be the source of the disease.
Classification of helminthiasis in children
Depending on the characteristics of the life cycle, methods of infection with parasites, all helminthic infestations are divided into groups:
Contact helminthiasis
The life cycle of these worms takes place mainly in the human body, and the release of the eggs of the worms occurs in the environment. A child can become infected with the disease through common items, contaminated hands. The crumb swallows invasive eggs, the parasite larva develops in the baby's intestines, the life cycle of the helminth begins.
Enterobiasis belongs to this group of diseases; a baby can become infected with pinworms only from a sick person. The disease is highly contagious, since one female helminth can lay about 15 thousand eggs. The sick person quickly spreads them to the external environment, putting them at risk of invasion of others.
Geohelminthiasis
Part of the life cycle of these worms takes place in the soil, where their eggs mature. Therefore, a child becomes infected with a parasite upon contact with the ground, grass, sand, when using insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, unboiled water.
Ascariasis is considered a significant and widespread representative of geohelminthiasis. The life cycle of roundworm takes place in the human body and in the soil. After swallowing the eggs of the parasite, the larvae are released that can enter the portal vein, and then spread throughout the body - into the liver, gallbladder, right atrium, lungs and bronchi.
Biohelminthiasis
For the spread of these parasites, not only a person but also an animal is needed. Ripening of larvae occurs in the bodies of intermediate hosts - fish, molluscs, cattle, insects. This group includes bovine and pork tapeworms, trichinella, echinococcus and other parasites.
Preventive methods
A huge mistake is made by parents who give children anthelmintic drugs for prevention. They are not able to protect the body from parasite infestation. Such drugs should be prescribed by the doctor individually. They contain a large amount of toxic substances that have a bad effect on the health of the child. Especially if you self-medicate.
Treatment for parasites is complex. This helps to remove the waste products of helminths and their residues from the body. At the same time, improve immunity.
