There are several parasites that can inhabit human skin. Worms of this type were first found in India, but now they are found elsewhere. Parasites under the skin cause a person a lot of discomfort and require treatment. They are not as dangerous as worms in other organs, but with a long course of the disease they can lead to serious complications. In our article, we will list all types of subcutaneous parasites, the symptoms of the diseases that they provoke.
Varieties of subcutaneous parasites and methods of infection.
If you want to know who crawls under the skin, the following subcutaneous parasites are found in people:
- Dirofilariasis. This ailment causes the larval stage of the nematode. The infection occurs when a mosquito (louse, flea or tick) bites, which is a carrier of the disease. A sexually mature individual reaches a length of 30 cm, and the larva of this parasite is microscopic. After infection, it develops under a person's skin for 3 months. Domestic cats and dogs can also transmit the infection.
- If we list which parasites live under the skin, we cannot fail to mention the filariae. The infection is caused by certain types of nematodes. In this case, various diseases arise: onchocerciasis, dipetalonematosis, loasis and mansonellosis. The carriers of worms and their intermediate hosts are insects (mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies, etc. ). They infect human filariae with larvae, as a result of which worms appear on the skin.
- Another human skin parasite is cysticerci larvae. They cause cysticercosis. The invasion occurs through the intestines, where the worms enter with dirty hands, water or food. The cysticercus is an oval vesicle that contains the scolex of the parasite. Subcutaneous worms can change from round to spindle-shaped. The man acts as an intermediate teacher.
- Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by worms in a person of the order of the flukes. They are trematode worms up to 2 cm long. The larvae of this parasite, which can swim in water, are cercariae. They can penetrate the human body directly through the skin. This infection can live in any organ, even under the skin.
- Rishta is another worm under the skin. These white worms cause dracunculiasis and are classified as large nematodes. Its intermediate hosts are the water-dwelling copepods. First, the parasite enters the human stomach, and then, from the retroperitoneal space, it penetrates the skin. Males reach a length of 10 cm and females 120 cm.
Heartworm Symptoms
The larvae of this parasite with the bloodstream can spread throughout the body and settle in the eyes, pulmonary artery, heart, serous cavities, perirenal adipose tissue and under the skin. If there is an invasion of a type of worm called Dirofilaria repens, the conjunctiva or subcutaneous fat is affected.
The signs and symptoms of this disease are as follows:
- painful seals appear at the site of the insect bite;
- within a couple of days in a third of patients, there is a seal displacement of 20-30 cm from the bite site;
- A person may feel bloating, burning, and itching at the sting site.
- there is a feeling of crawling and moving under the skin;
- periods of remission are followed by episodes of exacerbation;
- the subcutaneous worm provokes the appearance of abscesses and boils (inside them, a worm lives in the connecting capsule);
- Sometimes abscesses open on their own and white parasites break out of the skin.
If the conjunctiva is damaged, the following symptoms occur:
- swelling, itching, and watery eyes;
- feeling that there is a foreign body in the eye or on the eyelid;
- a person cannot fully open the eyelid;
- vision deteriorates;
- a worm can be seen under the conjunctiva;
- a nodule is visible under the skin of the eyelid;
- the person has a tingling sensation under the skin or in the eye;
- if the parasite enters the eyeball, diplopia and bulging of the eye appear.
Important! Heartworm is accompanied by neurosis, fear, and insomnia. Also, the patient develops irritability, headaches, general weakness, and other signs.
Symptoms of filariasis
After invasion, filariasis can develop over several years. Various symptoms and signs can develop depending on the form of the disease. Common to these parasitic diseases will be the appearance of ulcers and rashes on the skin, damage to the eyes and lymph nodes, fever, the development of elephantiasis of the scrotum and extremities, since they are muscle parasites.
onchocerciasis
With onchocerciasis, parasites in human muscles manifest with the following symptoms:
- skin itch;
- feverish condition;
- soft spot;
- dryness and peeling of the skin;
- skin hyperpigmentation (genitals, legs, axillary and inguinal folds);
- papular rash;
- erysipelas;
- papules can form long-lasting ulcers;
- under the skin, worms cause atrophy of hair follicles, sweat glands and epidermis;
- painful fibrous nodules form under the skin;
- with eye damage, glaucoma, iridocyclitis, conjunctivitis, corneal cyst, keratitis and other eye diseases develop.
Dipetalonematosis
These subcutaneous worms in humans cause the following symptoms:
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- erythematous or maculopapular rash;
- dizziness;
- fever;
- swelling of the lower extremities, face and genitals;
- joint pain;
- pain in the heart;
- symptoms of meningoencephalitis.
loasis
Parasites that live under the human skin, with loasis, contribute to the appearance of the following clinical picture of the disease:
- skin rash;
- feverish condition;
- parasites in human muscles can lead to muscle abscesses;
- pain in the extremities;
- swelling of the skin in limited areas, which does not go away for a long time;
- if parasites get into the eyes, blepharitis or conjunctivitis develops;
- urination disorder with localization of the infection in the urethra.
Important! These subcutaneous parasites in humans can lead to complications in the form of meningitis, heart failure, and encephalitis.
mansonellosis
With this form of the disease, worms under human skin can cause the following set of symptoms:
- itchy rashes;
- joint pain;
- feverish condition;
- swelling of the skin;
- dropsy of the testicle;
- numbness of the extremities;
- an increase in inguinal lymph nodes.
Symptoms of cysticercosis
These human skin parasites can easily penetrate the digestive tract with food, where the embryo's membrane dissolves and the larvae emerge. They enter the bloodstream and are transported throughout the body. After settling in certain organs, the larvae transform into cysticerci and cause the following symptoms:
- under the skin, multiple or single, tumor-like, painless, oval-shaped formations appear (usually located on the inside of the shoulders, on the upper part of the chest, and on the palms);
- on the seals, you can feel the cavity;
- Over time, these seals grow;
- new formations appear;
- When performing a histology of education, a cysticercus can be found inside;
- urticaria;
- In rare cases, the nodules fester, but more often they do not change for many years and sometimes resolve on their own.
Symptoms of schistosomiasis
Schistosome larvae can penetrate human skin directly from the aquatic environment. Within a few hours, they can be in the bloodstream. With invasion of the skin, the following symptoms appear:
- urticaria;
- severe itching;
- irregular eruptions appear every other day.
Then there is a period of calm for several weeks. In the circulatory system, schistosomes reach the stage of sexually mature individuals and migrate to the vasculature of the genitourinary system. After a couple of months, the patient develops the following symptoms:
- dry cough;
- feverish condition;
- urticaria;
- heavy sweating at night;
- enlargement of the liver;
- vaginal bleeding;
- blood in the urine;
- pathology of the prostate, kidneys and bladder;
- nodules on the genitals;
- sterility.
Important! In childhood, schistosomiasis contributes to decreased learning ability, anemia, developmental delay, and memory impairment.
Symptoms of dracunculiasis
If a person drinks water that contains infected copepods, after his death, helminth larvae are released into the digestive system of the patient. They penetrate the retroperitoneal space and migrate through the lymphatic system to soft tissues. Only after 3 months, the female of this parasite can invade the skin or connective tissues for further development. As the female grows, the patient develops the characteristic symptoms of the disease:
- an allergic reaction to the infection appears only after 10-14 months in the form of hives, fainting, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and suffocation;
- a year later, a rishtosis bladder appears on the skin (its diameter reaches 2-7 cm, but there are no signs of inflammation);
- you can see a helminth in the bladder;
- After a few days, the bubble itself opens and the necrotic masses are rejected;
- at autopsy, the patient feels a burning sensation and sharp pains.
It is worth knowing! Rishtose blisters are usually found on the skin of the legs, but can sometimes be on the stomach, arms, and other parts of the body. In addition, the female can settle in the connective tissues of the joints. In this case there is her immobility, contracture and inflammation of the bag.
With a secondary infection, there may be phlegmons, abscesses, sepsis, and gangrene. If a patient with an open bladder falls into a reservoir, the Cyclops crustaceans will again swallow thousands of larvae, further spreading the infection.