Parasites can live in different organs of the human body and do not reveal their presence for years. In this case, the patient will complain about a violation of well-being and problems with the organ in which the parasite has settled. A person can be treated for years, but at the same time not get any improvement, because the objective reason for feeling unwell is a pest that has settled in the body.
Many believe that if they wash their hands and do not touch stray animals, then they are insured against parasites, but this is not so. You can get infected if you do not wash vegetables very thoroughly or eat uncooked meat and fish, which is especially important with the modern craze for sushi. Therefore, with a prolonged deterioration in well-being, it is advisable to take tests for parasites so as not to waste time on the treatment of non-existent diseases.
Fecal analysis for parasites
If you suspect parasites in yourself or in a child, but do not know what tests for parasites to take, then you should consult a doctor. The simplest and therefore the very first analysis that you will be offered to take will be a fecal analysis. After a stool sample enters the laboratory, the specialist will try to find worm eggs in it.
This analysis allows you to determine the presence of several types of parasites, these include:
- roundworms or nematodes such as roundworms, whipworms, necators, hookworms;
- flukes or flukes such as liver flukes, cat flukes, schistosomes;
- tapeworms such as bovine tapeworm, pork tapeworm, broad tapeworm.
The main drawback of this parasite test is its low reliability, as the helminths may not lay eggs for long enough or lay eggs at certain times when they reproduce. Therefore, such an analysis is usually taken three times, but even then 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
In addition to fecal analysis, an analysis of enterobiasis is used to search for helminth eggs. It is designed to detect pinworm eggs, both in the feces and in the folds of the skin around the anus, the so-called scraping for enterobiasis. To make this analysis as informative as possible, it is also carried out several times with a break of a couple of days.
Blood test for parasites
A fairly effective and modern method for detecting parasites is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA. This test allows you to detect antibodies and antigens to parasites in a blood sample.
Antigens are the parasites themselves and their parts, as well as their metabolic products, and antibodies are immunoglobulin proteins that the body produces to fight antigens. This method allows you to identify a variety of parasites in the human body.
The main advantage of a blood test for parasites is the ability to detect them in the body at an early stage, when there are still very few pests, and their eggs will definitely not be found in the stool analysis. Testing for parasites by ELISA is very simple, for this you need a blood sample from a vein. The time for studying this sample is 1-9 days, and then a result will be obtained, the reliability of which is 95%.
In the case of an acute course of helminthiasis, other methods of blood analysis for parasites are also used, such as the immunofluorescence reaction (RIF), the indirect hemagglutination reaction, the latex agglutination reaction (RAL). In addition, ultrasound and X-ray study of human organs, computed tomography, endobiopsy, endoscopy are used. What tests for parasites to pass and what examinations to undergo is usually decided by the attending physician, analyzing the patient's complaints and his symptoms.
How to donate feces for analysis for parasites
To get the most accurate result, it is necessary to correctly pass tests for parasites. An analysis of feces for worm eggs must be brought to the laboratory in a special disposable container with a tightly screwed lid. Samples of urine or secretions from the genital organs should not be allowed to enter the material selected for analysis.
To take a stool sample, empty it into a clean and dry container, and then take a stool sample with a volume of about two teaspoons, which is approximately equal to 8-10 cubic centimeters, from the material obtained. The sample must be taken from different parts of the stool mass, from the top, from the sides and from the inside.
To obtain the most reliable results of the analysis for parasites, feces should be delivered to the laboratory within 30-45 minutes after defecation. If it is necessary to keep the feces longer, it should be put in the refrigerator, but not more than 5-8 hours. It should lie in a closed container and at a temperature of +4 - +8 ° С. But even such storage can adversely affect the effectiveness of the analysis.
The results of such an analysis may be negative if parasites are not detected, and positive if parasites are detected. Then it will be indicated which worms a person has.
How to take an analysis for enterobiasis
Enterobiasis or pinworms are most common in children. To make a correct diagnosis, you can take a scraping for enterobiasis or a blood test for parasites in children. Scraping allows you to identify the eggs of the parasite. Do a scraping in the morning, before going to the toilet. It is necessary to scrape the surface of the skin folds around the anus with a cotton swab dipped in glycerin. After that, the stick is placed in a plastic test tube and tightly closed with a lid. If necessary, you can store the tube in the refrigerator for several hours. To obtain a reliable result of the analysis, it is necessary to take a scraping at least three times over several days.
A blood test for parasites in children allows you to determine the presence or absence of a parasite at one time. But often children are afraid to donate blood, so fecal analysis is preferable for them. Such blood and stool tests can be carried out in almost all laboratories at the clinic or in any private laboratory that is engaged in such research.