- Main symptoms
- Strongyloides stercoralis life cycle
- How is the diagnosis and treatment
- Prevention of Strongyloidiasis
Strongyloidiasis is an intestinal disease caused by the parasite Strongyloides stercoralis , which causes symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and flatulence. However, there is a more serious and widespread variant of the disease, which affects the lung and circulation, causing fever above 38ºC, vomiting, coughing and shortness of breath.
This worm infects people through the skin, in the form of a larva, and spreads through the body until it reaches the intestine, where it grows and reproduces. To avoid this disease, it is recommended to walk in the street and wash your food well before eating, and the treatment is done with vermifuge tablets, such as Albendazole and Ivermectin.
Main symptoms
When the immune system is not compromised or when the number of parasites is very low, symptoms usually do not appear. However, in some cases, especially when the number of parasites is very large, some symptoms may appear, such as:
- Reddish patches on the skin, which appear when the larvae penetrate the skin or move through it; Diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, nausea and poor appetite arise when the parasites are in the stomach and intestine; Dry cough, shortness of breath or asthma attacks, when the larva causes inflammation in the lungs when passing through this region.
People with compromised immune systems, such as people with AIDS or malnourished, for example, often develop the widespread form of the disease, which manifests with fever above 38ºC, severe pain in the belly, persistent diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, coughing with secretion or even blood.
In addition, as this parasite is able to pierce the intestinal wall, it is likely that intestinal bacteria will be transported to other parts of the body, resulting in generalized infection, for example.
Strongyloides stercoralis life cycle
The parasite's infective larvae, also called filarioid larvae, are present on the ground, especially in the soil with sand and mud, and are able to penetrate the body through the skin, even if there is no wound. Then they spread through the bloodstream until they reach the lungs. In this region, the larvae mix with mucus and respiratory secretions, and reach the stomach and intestine when these secretions are swallowed.
In the intestine, the parasites find favorable places to grow and reproduce, where they reach the size of up to 2.5 mm, and release eggs that give rise to new larvae. Strongyloidiasis is transmitted by people, mainly, but also by dogs and cats, which release larvae into the environment through feces.
Other forms of infection are the ingestion of water and food contaminated with larvae or feces of contaminated people. The period between contamination until the release of larvae by feces and the onset of symptoms can vary between 14 and 28 days.
How is the diagnosis and treatment
Strongyloidiasis is diagnosed by examining feces by identifying the larvae, but for confirmation, it may often be necessary to repeat the exam several times until the parasite is found.
The treatment is done with antiparasitic medication in tablets guided by the general practitioner, such as Tiabendazole, Albendazole or Nitazoxanide for 3 to 5 days or ivermectin in a single dose. To improve the effect and eliminate all parasites, the ideal is to repeat the doses after 10 days, since the person can get the disease again with the larvae that come out through the feces.
Prevention of Strongyloidiasis
The prevention of strongyloidiasis can be done through simple measures, such as:
- Do not walk barefoot, especially on sand and mud floors; Wash food well before eating; Wash hands after going to the bathroom; Treat the infection correctly to avoid picking up again.
In addition, washing the genital area after defecating is a good way to prevent the larva from re-infecting the organism or passing it on to other people.
