Man is attacked by various pathological microorganisms. Some are transmitted by airborne droplets, others through the blood. How to deal with blood infections, and what are their causes?
What is a blood infection?
This is an infectious disease that occurs when pathogenic microflora enters the body through the blood. Recently, such microorganisms often affect human he alth. The causative agents of blood infections are viruses, protozoa, bacteria and rickettsiae. They are constantly in the circulatory system, that is, in a closed space, and cannot freely leave the human body.
They also include such especially dangerous infections as plague, yellow fever, malaria, typhus. These diseases are most often carried by insects: ticks, fleas, lice. Such a blood infection is transmitted through the saliva of an insect from one person or animal to another at the moment when they are bitten by this same insect. This type of disease also includes HIV infection and viral hepatitis. They can enter the human body through contaminated equipment, through sexual contact.
What types of these diseases are there?
Blood infection is of two types: transmissible and non-transmissible. Transmissible blood infections are carried by living beings. These include plague, malaria, hemorrhagic fevers, and typhus. The sources of such infections can be a sick person or animal, and the carriers can be insects.
Pathogens while being in the body of parasites constantly multiply. Pathogenic microorganisms can be found not only in the saliva of an insect, but also in its body, or on its surface. A person can be infected not only by a bite, but by crushing the parasite.
Non-transmissible blood infections are transmitted directly from person to person during contact.
Infectious processes in the blood can be bacterial and viral. Blood viral infections occur when a pathogen of the corresponding type enters the human body. It could be human immunodeficiency virus or viral hepatitis. Blood bacterial infections occur when a bacterium, such as malaria, enters the body.
Transmission of blood infections
Among the ways of transmission of blood infections are:
- transmissive;
- natural;
- artificial.
A blood-borne infection that is transmissible, that is, that occurs when infected through the blood, occurs when bitten by certain insects.
The natural waythe transmission of this pathology occurs from mother to fetus, during breastfeeding, during sexual intercourse.
Artificially, a person can become infected when a pathogen enters damaged skin and mucous membranes, during medical procedures and operations through poorly processed instruments. A person can be infected by blood transfusion through the transfusion of contaminated blood. Injecting drug users can infect each other when two or more people share the same syringe.
The role of parasites in transmission
Several types of parasites, such as lice, can transmit the infection. They only parasitize humans, so they can carry infectious diseases such as parasitic typhus.
A disease like malaria can only occur if the malarial plasmodium goes through a cycle of development in the body of a female Anopheles mosquito.
Rodents such as rats play a huge role in causing a plague outbreak. And tick-borne encephalitis can be transmitted by ticks that carry this infection.
Therefore, as a preventive measure for blood infections, the leading role belongs to such measures as disinfection (fight against pathogenic organisms), disinsection (fight against insects that spread pathogenic microorganisms), deratization (fight against wild rodents).
Signs of a blood infection in humans
When the causative agent of the infectious process enters the human body, its enhanced reproduction occurs. This isis reflected both in the well-being of a person, in his appearance, and in laboratory and clinical indicators.
All infectious diseases transmitted through the blood have their manifestations, but there are those that are common to all these pathologies. Symptoms of human blood infections are:
- rapid heart rate;
- increased body temperature;
- pain in the head;
- weakness;
- sluggishness;
- loss of appetite;
- skin becomes pale;
- may cause diarrhea or vomiting.
Diagnosis of blood infections
If an infection is suspected in the patient's blood, he is prescribed a clinical analysis of this biological fluid. In the presence of an infectious focus, the results of the analysis will show an increase in the number of leukocytes, sticks, and an increase in ESR. If malaria is suspected, a blood smear is taken on a thick drop.
Be sure to examine the urine for a general analysis. With advanced processes, kidney function is impaired, which will also affect laboratory parameters.
Mandatory for suspected infectious blood processes are biochemical blood tests. At the same time, blood is examined for HIV and syphilis (these tests are mandatory for any hospitalization and preventive medical examination).
If bacterial infections are suspected, bacteriological cultures are performed.
Treatment for such an infection
Most blood infections are life threateningstates. Therefore, all patients with suspected this disease are hospitalized. Each infectious disease has its own specific treatment. But almost everyone requires the appointment of antibiotic therapy, a large amount of vitamins and trace elements that help the body cope with the disease.
Detoxification therapy is also prescribed in the form of intravenous drip infusions of glucose, Ringer's solution, saline.
Prevention of such diseases
To protect yourself from blood-borne infections, you must follow the rules of personal hygiene. After using the toilet, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with warm water before eating. Maintain cleanliness of bedding, personal hygiene. It is important to ensure the constant cleanliness of the body, clothing of a person, his shoes. This is to prevent infection from entering the home.
Prevention of blood infections is also carried out at the state level, with the help of certain programs for draining wetlands, inspections and so on. To get rid of lice in children's institutions and various organizations, a medical check is periodically carried out. After relaxing in the forest, it is important to examine yourself and children to avoid getting ticks under the skin. Constant washing of hands will help against pathogenic microbes on the skin. It is important to fight pediculosis, destroy mosquitoes and various rodents. Mosquito nets should be hung on windows in the summer.
Also for preventionviral infections of the blood, promiscuity should be avoided. For medical procedures, use only sterile instruments and gloves.
