Opisthorchiasis is a rather rare infectious disease, which, perhaps, not everyone has heard of. That is why it is necessary to answer the question of interest to many: "Opistorchiasis - what is it?"
This infection is a helminthiasis that mainly affects the liver, is characterized by a long course, occurs with exacerbations and can contribute to the development of cirrhosis of the liver. It is the worm that causes opisthorchiasis. What it is can be judged from a brief description: the cat's two-cat measures up to 13 mm, its eggs up to 0.03 mm in size have a lid.
The final hosts of the parasite or infectious agents are cats, dogs, foxes, and humans. Intermediate hosts are mollusks living in freshwater reservoirs, cyprinids. Infection occurs during the use of fish that has not undergone a full heat treatment and contains live worm larvae. Often the infection is observed in persons working as fishermen, timber rafters.
How opisthorchiasis develops in the human body. What is it?
After ingestion, the larvae enter the small intestine and are released from their shells. After 3-7 hours, they begin to penetrate through the bile ducts into the liver and pancreas. After 2 weeks, sexually mature individuals are formed, which begin to secrete eggs.
The main thing in the development of the disease is the toxic effect of fluke waste products on the human body, which is accompanied by liver damage and impaired motility of the digestive tract. This contributes to the attachment of a secondary infection, the development of cholangitis, cholelithiasis, cirrhosis of the liver.
Clinic of infectious disease "opisthorchiasis"
What is it, especially at an early stage, it is difficult to answer, since the disease is almost asymptomatic. 3-4 weeks after infection, patients develop malaise, fever, rash, diarrhea, pain in the liver. In the later stages of infection, there are cramping pains in the gallbladder and liver, nausea, vomiting, headache, sleep disturbance. Outwardly, pallor and subicteric skin and mucous membranes are noticeable. Palpation examination can determine the increase in the size of the liver, gallbladder, painful and enlarged pancreas.
Diagnosis
Hypereosinophilia is noted in the general blood test. A biochemical blood test revealed a violation of liver function. An analysis for opisthorchiasis involves the detection of helminth eggs in the contents of the duodenum and feces. The disease can be complicated by liver abscesses, cholangitis, peritonitis, parasitic cyst rupture, primary cancerliver. Opisthorchiasis has an adverse effect on the course of infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis, shigellosis, typhoid fever.
Treatment
There is a simple answer to the question of how to treat opisthorchiasis. Praziquentel has a high efficiency and low toxic effect. It is applied at 50 mg/kg once. You can use "Chloxil" for 5 days at 60 mg / kg per day. Depending on the indications, it is advisable to apply pathogenetic and symptomatic treatment. The control of cure is carried out 2 months after the course of therapy.
