Last Updated on July 29, 2021 by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT
How do you get Intestinal Parasites/How can you get it? Intestinal Parasites Causes:
Intestinal parasites are microscopic, one-cell animals called protozoa. They infect the intestines.
They are often transmitted by contaminated food and water and during nonsexual, intimate contact. They may also be transmitted sexually.
They are most common in places with poor hygiene and sanitation.
These parasites are spread when fecal matter — bits of feces — get into the mouth. This can happen through:
- contaminated food or water
- oral and anal sex play, or nonsexual intimate contact, such as diaper changing
How to tell if you have it? Intestinal Parasites Symptoms:
Often there are no symptoms. When there are symptoms, they may include
- diarrhea, which may become severe and chronic
- abdominal pain
- bloating
- nausea, vomiting
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How to know if you have it? Intestinal Parasites Tests:
A health care provider can do tests to see if you have these parasites, even if you do not have symptoms of intestinal parasites.
Your health care provider will examine your stool (feces). Other tests are sometimes needed, such as proctoscopy — a test that involves a health care provider inserting a thin tube that has a light into the rectum.
Relief spells (Rolaids?!) Intestinal Parasites Treatment:
Medicines are available for treatment. Pregnant people cannot take some of them and treatments may not be as effective for people with weakened immune systems.
Alternative treatments may be helpful along with conventional medications. However, your health care provider must find out what kind of organism is causing your problems before you start treatment.
What’s going to happen to me?!!?! Intestinal Parasites Expectations:
Millions of Americans have these parasites. Although these infections are usually asymptomatic and often go unnoticed, some have the potential to become chronic infections and lead to serious health consequences.
Things to be aware of… Intestinal Parasites Complications:
For people with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV, they can be very serious — even life threatening.
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References
- Symptoms
- Kiani, Hamed, et al. “Prevalence, risk factors and symptoms associated to intestinal parasite infections among patients with gastrointestinal disorders in Nahavand, Western Iran.” Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 58 (2016).
- Krogsgaard, Laura Rindom, et al. “The prevalence of intestinal parasites is not greater among individuals with irritable bowel syndrome: a population-based case-control study.” Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology 13.3 (2015): 507-513.
- Omrani, V. Fallah, et al. “Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections and associated clinical symptoms among patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis.” Infection 43.5 (2015): 537-544.
- Ramírez, Juan David, et al. “Blastocystis subtyping and its association with intestinal parasites in children from different geographical regions of Colombia.” PloS one 12.2 (2017): e0172586.
- Babaei, Zahra, et al. “Adaptive immune response in symptomatic and asymptomatic enteric protozoal infection: evidence for a determining role of parasite genetic heterogeneity in host immunity to human giardiasis.” Microbes and infection 18.11 (2016): 687-695.
- Testing
- Lifson, Alan R., et al. “Prevalence of tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus, and intestinal parasitic infections among refugees to Minnesota.” Public health reports (2016).
- McKenna, Megan L., et al. “Human intestinal parasite burden and poor sanitation in rural Alabama.” The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 97.5 (2017): 1623-1628.
- Balarak, Davoud, et al. “Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among food handlers in northwest Iran.” Journal of parasitology research 2016 (2016).
- Meurs, Lynn, et al. “Diagnosing polyparasitism in a high-prevalence setting in Beira, Mozambique: detection of intestinal parasites in fecal samples by microscopy and real-time PCR.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 11.1 (2017): e0005310.
- Llewellyn, Stacey, et al. “Application of a multiplex quantitative PCR to assess prevalence and intensity of intestinal parasite infections in a controlled clinical trial.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 10.1 (2016): e0004380.
- Treatment
- Speich, Benjamin, et al. “Effect of sanitation and water treatment on intestinal protozoa infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Lancet Infectious Diseases 16.1 (2016): 87-99.
- Pillai, Raja R., et al. “Lysine requirements of moderately undernourished school-aged Indian children are reduced by treatment for intestinal parasites as measured by the indicator amino acid oxidation technique.” The Journal of nutrition 145.5 (2015): 954-959.
- Maskery, Brian, et al. “Economic analysis of the impact of overseas and domestic treatment and screening options for intestinal helminth infection among US-bound refugees from Asia.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 10.8 (2016): e0004910.
- Lei, Weiwei, et al. “Activation of intestinal tuft cell-expressed Sucnr1 triggers type 2 immunity in the mouse small intestine.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115.21 (2018): 5552-5557.
- Mahmud, Mahmud Abdulkader, et al. “Efficacy of handwashing with soap and nail clipping on intestinal parasitic infections in school-aged children: a factorial cluster randomized controlled trial.” PLoS medicine 12.6 (2015): e1001837.
- Prevention
- Rivero, Maria Romina, et al. “Prevention of intestinal parasites in a tri‐border area of Latin America: Children perceptions and an integral health education strategy.” Zoonoses and public health 64.8 (2017): 673-683.
- Rajeswari, B., B. Sinniah, and Hasnah Hussein. “Socio-economic factors associated with intestinal parasites among children living in Gombak, Malaysia.” Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (2016).
- Brewer, Matthew T., and John H. Greve. “Internal parasites: helminths.” Diseases of swine (2019): 1028-1040.
- Patwardhan, Vrushali, Dinesh Kumar, and Sarman Singh. “Parasitic Infections in Pediatric Population of India: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Strategies for Prevention.” Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 12.04 (2017): 228-237.
- Sharif, Mehdi, et al. “Prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers of Sari, Northern Iran.” Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 57.2 (2015): 139-144.
- Transmission
- Sahimin, Norhidayu, et al. “Migrant workers in Malaysia: current implications of sociodemographic and environmental characteristics in the transmission of intestinal parasitic infections.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 10.11 (2016): e0005110.
- Ramírez, Juan David, et al. “Blastocystis subtyping and its association with intestinal parasites in children from different geographical regions of Colombia.” PloS one 12.2 (2017): e0172586.
- Diakou, Anastasia, et al. “Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 11.1 (2017): e0005335.
- Sharif, Mehdi, et al. “Prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers of Sari, Northern Iran.” Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 57.2 (2015): 139-144.
- Meurs, Lynn, et al. “Diagnosing polyparasitism in a high-prevalence setting in Beira, Mozambique: detection of intestinal parasites in fecal samples by microscopy and real-time PCR.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 11.1 (2017): e0005310.
