What Is Strongyloidiasis And How Is It Spread?
Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, a pathogen capable of reproducing within the human intestine. Although most cases are mild, it can be fatal in patients with poorly functioning immune systems.
It is a public health problem in developing countries, although there are foci of the pathology throughout the world. Are you interested in knowing a little more? Keep reading!
What are your symptoms?
A patient with strongyloidiasis can present multiple clinical manifestations, many of them being nonspecific. Therefore, when going to a doctor the diagnosis takes a while to be made, unless the person comes from an endemic area.
Some of the most common symptoms are diffuse abdominal pain, bleeding through the stool, diarrhea, and occasional vomiting. Outside the digestive system, general malaise, skin rashes, and unexplained weight loss may occur.
People with some degree of immunosuppression have more severe forms of the disease. We will discuss it in detail later.
What causes it?
Infection with the Strongyloides stercoralis parasite is the event that gives rise to the disease. This type of microorganism is characterized by having several life cycles in which its shape constantly changes; as long as there is an ideal environment for its reproduction.
The surprising thing about S. stercoralis is that it can grow inside the human body. For the infection to persist for months or years, it is not necessary for the patient to be infected continuously, since the parasite reproduces inside.
The latter explains the fact that many cases of estrogiloidiasis in Spain are imported from other countries, as confirmed by a research work. This is related to changes in living conditions in rural settings.
Risk factor’s
Outside of the human body the parasite has the ability to live on land. It is found more frequently in communities where humans tend to defecate outdoors.
The most common route of entry into the body is through the skin, when people walk barefoot on contaminated soil. From there the parasite passes into the bloodstream and respiratory system.
This is mobilized and swallowed until it lodges in the digestive system, where it finds the ideal conditions to reproduce. Therefore, the most important risk factors for its acquisition are the following:
- Living in rural environments.
- Have bad socioeconomic conditions.
- Having some type of immunosuppression.
Diagnosis of strongyloidiasis
Doctors use several methods to make the diagnosis. Among them are the following:
- Complete blood count: it could reveal an increase in eosinophils in the blood. This is a type of cell related to the response to infections by parasites.
- Stool test: although it can often be negative, there are specific techniques capable of detecting the parasite. The most effective is called the Baermann method .
- ELISA: is a molecular biology technique capable of identifying antibodies against the parasite in patient samples.
Treatment available
There are several specific treatments for the disease, although in general, it is also necessary to control the other diseases capable of causing immunosuppression in a large group of patients.
The most prescribed drugs are the following:
- Ivermectin.
- Thiabendazole
- Albendazole.
Possible complications of strongyloidiasis
When the immune system of a patient is affected, the reproduction of the parasite is accelerated considerably. This results in a phenomenon called hyperinfection syndrome, in which these organisms penetrate the walls of the intestine.
With this modality they reach organs such as the brain, liver and urinary system. Any of these forms is usually associated with diarrhea and severe pain, fever, and chronic wasting.
The clinical manifestations tend to appear after an episode of immunosuppression, such as the use of corticosteroids.
Expectation and prevention
Few patients develop severe clinical pictures of this disease. In fact, many can persist without symptoms for years, due to the ability of the parasite to lodge and reproduce within the intestines of humans.
Despite this, due to the potential negative health effects that more severe cases can cause, in some areas early detection of strongyloidiasis is recommended before starting some steroid treatments.
Other basic prevention measures include the use of special footwear for workers in rural areas, proper personal hygiene, and educating children about the risks of putting dirt in their mouths during outdoor activities.
Strongyloidiasis: an example of parasitosis that can be fatal
Despite the fact that most cases are registered in developing countries, there are still endemic areas in developed countries. Proper promotion of hygiene habits is usually enough to prevent strongyloidiasis, although it is always advisable to go to a trusted doctor when presenting the first symptoms.
