Trichinae and Whipworm

Trichinella is a very small nematode, barely visible to the naked eye. The male is only about 1.5 millimeters long, and the female is 3 to 4 millimeters long. In total, the infestation with trichinae is estimated to be about 40 million people all over the world. In our country, however, trichinosis has become increasingly rare as a result of meat inspection, which has been required by law for years.

Reproduction and lifestyle of trichinae.

Trichinae are carried throughout the body, but in the long run they can only persist in muscles that are well supplied with oxygen. Sexually mature trichinae develop in the small intestines of humans, domestic and wild pigs, foxes, badgers, mink, and rats. They develop after eating raw, infected meat that contains trichinosis capsules. After mating, females secrete about 1000 to 2500 live larvae, which enter the lymphatic, and blood stream. They are carried throughout the body, but in the long run they can only survive in the muscles, which are well supplied with oxygen. Here they grow and encapsulate. After about 6 to 8 months, the capsule begins to calcify. Trichinae can remain alive in this way for 2 to 3 decades. However, they absolutely require a new host to continue to develop.

Symptoms of trichinosis infestation

Symptoms of disease are initially caused by the presence of trichinae in the intestine, which may result in diarrhea with fever. This stage lasts about 8 to 12 days; in the second stage, larval immigration begins, during which muscle pain, blood count changes, circulatory and metabolic disorders may occur. In the so-called resting stage, anemia, emaciation and rheumatic complaints finally occur. A large part of the symptoms of the disease is caused by metabolic products of the trichinae and by substances released when the muscles decay.

Treatment and prevention of trichinosis

Treatment must consist primarily of good care, nutrition, alleviation of pain, and prolonged rest with remedial exercise. We do not know of any actual agents that kill the trichinae in the muscles. Therefore, it is especially important to prevent trichinosis or trichinellosis. The statutory meat inspection and the avoidance of raw meat products help us in this. Also, raw offal must not be fed to pigs. Care must also be taken to prevent them from eating animal carcasses of rats and foxes, which are often carriers of trichinosis.

Whipworm

A common parasite is the whipworm. It is estimated to be present in about 450 million people. The male has a length between 3.5 to 4.5 centimeters, and the female can grow to about 5 centimeters. However, the thickness is only 1 millimeter. These worms are usually found in the appendix and colon, and rarely in the small intestine. As with the roundworm, development occurs without an intermediate host by ingestion of the fertilized eggs containing a larva. Severe worm infestation may cause loss of appetite, nausea, nausea, distended abdomen, abdominal pain, constipation and, less commonly, diarrhea. In general, however, whipworm causes virtually no symptoms. Its detection is complicated by the fact that worms are rarely found in the stool. Therefore, the diagnosis can only be made by detecting the eggs. Treatment is quite difficult because the worms are relatively resistant. However, modern drugs succeed in dissolving or killing them, although this treatment requires a lot of patience. There are still a number of worms that are found mainly in tropical areas. These include the sucking worms called flukes. They are much more dangerous than the species known in our country and described here. But although the worms native to our country are usually not life-threatening parasites, they can, as we have seen, cause all kinds of damage. We must therefore try by all means to contain the parasite infestation as far as possible. The best way to do this, however, is through impeccable hygienic behavior.