Parasites in the body: how to recognize and avoid them

The thought of parasites living in the body makes many people uneasy, but family doctor Elizabete Bērziņa explains that encountering them is easier than it might seem. Symptoms that could indicate the presence of parasites include itching, digestive problems and fatigue, though often the body gives no signal at all that unwanted "guests" are present.

Three groups of parasites

Parasites that can harm human health fall into three main groups. Protozoa are microscopic, single-celled organisms that can also survive in the wild and are able to multiply inside the human body, causing infections. Those that settle in the intestinal tract can spread from person to person via the fecal-oral route — for example, through contaminated food, water or direct contact. Protozoa living in the blood or tissues, on the other hand, are often transmitted through arthropod bites, such as those of mosquitoes.

The second group is helminths — multicellular organisms that, in their adult stage, are visible to the naked eye. Part of their life cycle can take place outside the human body, and in adulthood they usually no longer multiply within a human host. Helminths include pinworms, roundworms and tapeworms.

The third group is ectoparasites — in a broad sense this could also include blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitoes, but the term is more often used for ticks, fleas, lice and small mites that attach to or burrow into the skin, where they can remain for several months.

Health risks

The doctor notes that arthropods are dangerous not only on their own, but also because they can transmit pathogens of other diseases. Such infections can, in some cases, lead to serious illness or even death. It is therefore important to realize that exposure to parasites is possible not only through contact with pets or in kindergartens, but also in other everyday situations.