There are several parasites that can inhabit human skin. For the first time, these worms were found in India, but now they are found in other latitudes. 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 they cause.
Varieties of subcutaneous parasites and methods of infection
If you want to know who is crawling under the skin, the following subcutaneous parasites are found in people:
- Heartworm. This disease causes the larval stage of the nematode. 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 dogs and cats can also transmit the infection.
- If we list which parasites live under the skin, we cannot fail to mention filariae. The infection is caused by certain types of nematodes. In this case, several diseases arise: onchocerciasis, dipetalonematosis, loiasis and mansonellosis. The carriers of worms and their intermediate hosts are insects (mosquitoes, mosquitoes, horseflies, etc. ). They infect human filariae with larvae, as a result of which worms appear on the skin.
- Another skin parasite in humans is cysticercus larvae. They cause cysticercosis. Invasion occurs through the intestine, where the worms penetrate with dirty hands, water or food. The cysticercus is an oval vesicle that contains the scolex of the parasite inside. Subcutaneous worms can change from round to fusiform. Man acts as an intermediary master.
- Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by worms in a person of the order of trematodes. They are 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, including under the skin.
- Rishta is another worm under the skin. These white worms cause dracunculiasis and are classified as large nematodes. Their intermediate hosts are aquatic copepods. First, the parasite enters the human stomach and, from the retroperitoneal space, penetrates the skin. Males reach a length of 10 cm, and females - 120 cm.
Symptoms of Heartworm
The larvae of this parasite with the bloodstream can spread throughout the body and settle in the eyes, pulmonary artery, heart, serous cavities, peri-renal fatty tissue and under the skin. If there is an invasion by 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 few days in a third of patients, there is a displacement of the seal of 20 to 30 cm from the bite site;
- a person may feel distention, burning and itching at the site of the bite;
- there is a crawling and rocking sensation under the skin;
- periods of remission are followed by episodes of exacerbation;
- the subcutaneous worm causes the appearance of abscesses and boils (inside them, a worm lives in the connecting capsule);
- sometimes abscesses open on their own and white parasites crawl out of the skin.
If the conjunctiva is damaged, the following symptoms are present:
- swelling, itching, and watery eyes;
- feeling that a foreign body is present in the eye or eyelid;
- a person cannot fully open the eyelid;
- vision deteriorates;
- a worm can be seen under the conjunctiva;
- a lump is visible under the eyelid skin;
- the person has a crawling sensation under the skin or in the eye;
- if the parasite enters the eyeball, diplopia and bulging of the eye appear.
Important! Heartworm disease is accompanied by neuroses, fears and insomnia. In addition, 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, lesions in the eyes and lymph nodes, fever, development of elephantiasis of the scrotum and limbs, as they are muscle parasites.
onchocerciasis
With onchocerciasis, parasites in human muscles manifest with the following symptoms:
- itchy skin;
- feverish state;
- weakness;
- dryness and peeling of the skin;
- skin hyperpigmentation (genitals, legs, axillary folds and groin);
- papular rash;
- erysipelas;
- papules can form lasting ulcers;
- under the skin, the 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;
- heartache;
- symptoms of meningoencephalitis.
loiasis
Parasites that live under the human skin, with loiasis, contribute to the appearance of the following clinical picture of the disease:
- skin rashes;
- feverish state;
- parasites in human muscles can cause muscle abscesses;
- limb pain;
- swelling of the skin in limited areas, which does not go away for a long time;
- if the parasites get into the eyes, blepharitis or conjunctivitis develops;
- micturition disorder with localization of infection in the urethra.
Important! These subcutaneous parasites in humans can lead to complications in the form of meningitis, heart failure, encephalitis.
mansonellosis
With this form of the disease, worms under the human skin can provoke the following symptom complex:
- itchy skin rashes;
- joint pain;
- feverish state;
- skin swelling;
- testicular dropsy;
- limb numbness;
- enlargement of inguinal lymph nodes.
Symptoms of Cysticercosis
These human skin parasites can easily penetrate with food into the digestive tract, where the embryo's membrane dissolves and the larva emerges. They enter the bloodstream and are transported throughout the body. After settling in certain organs, the larvae turn into cysticerci and cause the following symptoms:
- under the skin, multiple or single oval, tumor-like, painless formations appear (usually located on the inner side of the shoulders, on the upper part of the chest and on the palms of the hands);
- in the seals, you can feel the cavity;
- over time, these seals grow;
- new formations emerge;
- when carrying out a histology of education, a cysticercus can be found inside;
- urticaria;
- rarely, the nodes rot, but more often they do not change for many years and occasionally resolve.
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 the invasion of the skin, the following symptoms appear:
- urticaria;
- intense itching;
- skin rashes appear every other day.
Then a period of calm ensues 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 few months, the patient develops the following symptoms:
- dry cough;
- feverish state;
- urticaria;
- heavy sweating at night;
- liver enlargement;
- vaginal bleeding;
- blood in the urine;
- pathology of the prostate, kidneys and bladder;
- nodes in the genitals;
- infertility.
Important! In childhood, schistosomiasis contributes to reduced learning ability, anemia, developmental delay, and memory impairment.
dracunculiasis symptoms
If a person drinks water containing infected copepods, after death, helminth larvae are released into the patient's digestive system. They penetrate the retroperitoneal space and migrate through the lymphatic system into the 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 choking;
- 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 blister itself opens and the necrotic masses are rejected;
- at autopsy, the patient feels a burning sensation and sharp pains.
Worth knowing! Typically, rishtose blisters are located on the skin of the legs, but sometimes they can be on the stomach, arms, and other parts of the body. In addition, the female can settle in the connective tissues of joints. In this case, its immobility, contracture and inflammation of the bursa appear.
With a secondary infection, there may be phlegm, abscess, sepsis, and gangrene. If a patient with an open bladder falls into a reservoir, thousands of larvae will be swallowed again by Cyclops crustaceans, which will cause the infection to spread further.