Trichostrongylosis

Trichostrongylosis General Information

Infestations with worms are serious and affect the patient’s quality of life. They must be treated in time to avoid further complications that could put the patients life in danger. This is why we offer you some pieces of information that could be useful to learn how to manage these medical conditions. Trichostrongylosis is a disease caused by a nematode that belongs to the genus trichostrongylus. Nematodes are the most encountered parasites in animals, humans and plants. A regular nematode measures from 0.2 mm (millimeters) to more than 8 m (meters). Usually, the eggs of this type of roundworm are mistaken with those of hookworms which have similar appearance, although they are slightly pointed at one or both ends and have a larger former.

This type of roundworm affects the cattle and the young sheep, causing them to lose wieght, severe diarrhea and inappetence. Humans can also get infected by swallowing larvae. These larvae can be found in contaminated drink and food, but they usually enter in the human organism by penetrating the skin. Human Trichostrongylosis is more common in herders of goats and sheep, although it can be acquired after a direct contact with the feces of donkeys, camels, cattle or of other infested host animals. When it affects a person, this type of infection is usually asymptomatic, and in the case that symptoms do appear, they are very mild and hardly noticeable. Trichostrongylosis has no sex, age and race predilection, although adults are more commonly affected because they work around the animal hosts.

Trichostrongylosis Symptoms

Usually, the nematode infections, including Trichostrongylosis, are asymptomatic or subclinical. Despite this, the infection presents specific signs and symptoms that are experienced by the majority of patients. Although, in some cases, particular signs were reported, because, as you all know, each organism has an immune system that responds differently to certain harmful microorganisms. Newborns (who do not have a completely developed immune system) and patients who are immunocompromised are more prone to develop this type of infection. Also, nematodes can affect the gastrointestinal tract, causing problems as diarrhea, vomiting, malaise, constipation, vague pain felt in the abdominal region, weight loss, abdominal cramps or anorexia. If Trichostrongylosis evolves to a more serious stage, the infections can result in symptoms specific for nutritional deficiencies and inflammatory reactions on vital organs.

If a person has a history of contact with herbivorous animals and he or she presents gastrointestinal symptoms, eosinophilia or both, then the respective person must be closely investigated. In the case that this disorder affects the lungs, the patients may complain of Loefflerlike syndrome that includes the following signs and symptoms: fever, wheezing, urticaria, rales, cough, dyspnea, pulmonary consolidation, blood-tinged sputum, asthma, substernal pain or angioneurotic edema. People should be informed about all the positive and negative aspects regarding Trichostrongylosis because although these signs and symptoms may appear to be regular and mild, without an adequate treatment option they get worse very quickly, in a matter of days, causing extreme pain and new complicated side effects that may interfere in the process of curing.

Trichostrongylosis Treatment

Treatment is absolutely necessary when a person deals with an infection caused by worms. If the respective medical condition (in this case Trichostrongylosis) is discovered in time and treated properly, the chances for a full recovery are significantly high. Every patient should be well informed in what concerns the methods of treatment. This is why we will offer you short descriptions of several commonly used therapies. If you need further information, we advise you to contact your health care provider or any other trained specialist. It is very important to seek immediate medical care as soon as you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms that we have listed in the anterior chapter and are specific for Trichostrongylosis. If you know you have been in direct contact with animals that could be infected, then you should call your health care provider as fast as you can. He or she may suggest you to contact a parasitologist, dermatologist, gastroenterologists, radiologists or a specialist in diseases of the chest area.

At the beginning of the medical examination you will be asked about your signs and symptoms and if you were near infected animals. The doctors will first try to identify the organism that caused the infection and then will treat it accordingly. If secondary infections have developed, they must be treated as well. The medication therapy is usually preferred by many doctors because it gives positive results in a short period of time. The drug category for the treatment of Trichostrongylosis includes especially antihelmintic agents that have antiparasitic actions. The toxicity of these medicines is directed to the eggs, larvae and parasite. The actions of an antiparasitic drug are: depolarizing neuromuscular blockade, inhibition of the microtubules leading to irreversible blockage of the glucose uptake, cholinesterase inhibition, increases the permeability of cells that leads to intracellular calcium loss, tubulin polymerization inhibition etc. The most commonly used medicines are: Antiminth, Pinworm Caplets, Ascarel, Reese's Pinworm Medicine, Mintezol and Pin-X. The generic name for this class of drugs is Pyrantel, an anti-worm or antihelmintic medication that stops the multiplication and growing of different types of worms in the human body.

Pyrantel is usually administrated for patients diagnosed with Trichostrongylosis because it gives the best results. Any type of medicine must be taken as your doctor prescribes, without loosing a dose or overdosing. The instructions of the doctors or the instructions contained in the package must be followed strictly. All the homologous of Pyrantel can be taken at any time of the day, before, during or after a meal. Patients are not likely to miss a dose since this medicine is usually administrated in a single dose. In the case of an overdose, seek immediately medical attendance because you may experience certain symptoms of allergy. When the patient deals with an infectious disease similar to Trichostrongylosis it is very important to wash your hands after being in contact with infected animals, to wash the clothes, towels and linens. Because these types of roundworms can spread rapidly, household disinfection is necessary.