Human protozoan parasites, regardless of their microscopic size, are one of the most dangerous microorganisms that can cause serious diseases.
General information about representatives of protozoa
The kingdom of Protozoa has a large number of representatives (about 15 thousand species), many of which are human parasites.
Another name for this kingdom, accepted in medicine and biology, is unicellular organisms.
These creatures consist of a cell of a certain shape, some can change it, the cell has organelles that maintain stability.Unicellular microorganisms are adapted to locomotion using cilia, flagella, or pseudopods.
Due to their small size and structural features, protozoa can live even in the most protected tissues of the body.Parasites of the protozoan kingdom are causative agents of diseases of varying severity, some of which can even lead to death.
The removal of unicellular organisms is complicated by the fact that they are able to cover themselves with a protective shell (cyst) and wait for unfavorable conditions for their existence.
Classification of the simplest inhabitants of the human body
Unicellular parasites are divided into 4 classes, depending on the structure of the cell and the way of life.
Table "Classes and representatives of protozoan parasites"
| Class | Short description | representatives |
| flagella | The cells are oval in shape, have a flagellum for movement, move forward with a cord, thus being able to penetrate deep into the liquid environment.Flagellate colonies can reach 10 thousand individuals.Most species live in tropical and subtropical climates. | Leishmania, Giardia, Trichomonas, Trypanosoma. |
| Sardcodae (rhizopods) | Movements are carried out with the help of pseudopods and have a variable body shape. | Dysenteric amoeba |
| Sporozoa | They got their name due to the presence of a spore stage in their development.Localized in tissues and cells, they can cause hepatitis or anemia. | Piroplasmas, Babesia, Coccidia, Plasmodium falciparum. |
| Ciliates | Move with the help of cilia, you can live attached or swim freely | Balantidium |
Depending on the location of localization, unicellular parasites are divided into 2 types:
- endogenous (live in internal organs and systems);
- exogenous (choose the skin as their residence).
Human protozoan parasites can move throughout the body and infect various organs and tissues.
What diseases are caused by flagella and ciliates?
Class flags
- Leishmania causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (Pendinsky's ulcer) and visceral leishmaniasis, the former manifesting as persistent rotting ulcers on the body, and the latter causing inflammation and bleeding.Leishmania enters the body through warm-blooded animals or mosquito bites and affects the skin, heart, kidneys, blood and bone marrow.
- Giardia, the causative agent of giardiasis, affects the mucous tissues of the intestines or the gallbladder.After the loss, people begin to suffer from asthma, mental disorders (most often depression) and the skin becomes dry.Giardia is common in hot climates.
- Trichomonas (depending on the habitat - oral, intestinal and genital or urogenital), causes trichomoniasis.After infection, a person feels itching in the area of the reproductive system and pathological discharge from the genitals is observed.The biggest risk of this disease is the high risk of developing infertility.
- Trypanosoma causes African or American trypanosomiasis (the first is sleeping sickness, the second is Chags disease).It affects the lymph nodes (they enlarge), the cerebrospinal fluid, the blood and the spleen, as a result of which the functioning of the spleen and liver is disturbed, the patient suffers from drowsiness and may die.
Ciliate class
Balantidia is the causative agent of balantidiasis, which affects the mucosa of the large intestine.A clear sign of this parasite is diarrhea with mucus and blood.This disease often ends in death.
What diseases are caused by rhizomes and sporozoans?
Sporozoic class
- Plasmodium malaria enters the blood and liver and causes malaria.Symptoms of the disease are fever, chills or fever, disorders of the central nervous system and death is possible.It is transmitted through the bite of malaria mosquitoes and is transmitted by humans.
- The causative agent of toxoplasmosis is toxoplasma, which affects the central nervous system, digestive organs, muscle tissue and eyes.At first it appears without symptoms, then disturbances in the functioning of certain organs are observed.
Class sardcode
Dysenteric amoeba is the causative agent of amebiasis, which affects the mucosa of the large intestine and, less commonly, the bladder and skin.It can be asymptomatic or it can signal itself with vomiting, diarrhea mixed with blood and low temperature (up to 37.5 degrees).Symptoms appear 7-10 days after the amoeba enters the body.
Less common are the extraintestinal forms of the disease, which affect the liver, lungs or other organs.This disease is common in Asian and tropical countries.
Routes of infection
Single-celled parasites enter our body in different ways - through the skin or natural openings in the human body.
There are four main ways (routes) of human infection with a parasitic disease:
- the contact-family route opens in case of unsanitary conditions and non-compliance with personal hygiene rules (during handshakes or using household items, washing in dirty water, cysts enter the human body and begin to develop), trypanosomes and trichomonas are transmitted through this route;
- through products contaminated with parasites (meat, especially wild animals, fish, dairy products), they can be disinfected using heat treatment;an example of a disease transmitted in this way is toxoplasmosis;
- Fecal-oral route: parasites leave the body with feces or vomit, then get into water, food, household items, hands of the owner and through them into the body of a new carrier (this route of infection is especially common in children: contact with animals, eating unwashed fruits, playing in a dirty sandbox);
- transmissible (malaria) - transmission of protozoan parasites through bites along with the carrier's saliva.
Much less often, parasites enter the body in the following ways:
- from mother to fetus during pregnancy, this route is called transplacental, as the parasites penetrate through the placenta;
- together with contaminated blood (blood transfusion and other medical procedures, injections, including narcotic ones, during intimacy) - blood contact;
- during sexual intercourse - sexual tract.
Prevention of infection
To prevent infection with single-celled organisms, a person must follow a number of simple rules:
- proper thermal treatment of fish and meat, milk control;
- You can eat only those products that have passed the sanitary inspection;
- washing fruits before eating and simply soaking them in water is not enough;you must wash them thoroughly and, if possible, pour boiling water over them;
- avoiding casual sexual contacts;
- prevention of insect bites (use of special creams, mosquito nets);
- regular medical examinations for suspected infection and for prevention;
- increasing immunity, including the consumption of garlic, oranges, carrots, green tea, dried fruits, rice porridge;
- basic knowledge of which protozoa parasitize the human body and how they get there.
It is easy to follow these rules, the main thing is regularity.
Information about the groups of parasites, the examples where single-celled parasites live, helps to choose the priority among the mentioned preventive measures.
With proper prevention, and in case of disease - surgical treatment, parasites will not harm your body.