Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke)

Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) – General Information

Fluke infections are disorders which affect the digestive tract, as well as other important organs in the human body. They are caused by a large number of parasitic flatworm species; these worms present elaborated life-cycles and they affect other than humans as well. These worms are usually known as trematodes, a word which refers to the fact that the adults nourish themselves using external suckers. The fluke infections can be contracted when a person eats raw products, uncooked meat or when he drinks contaminated water. Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) is the most common type of fluke infections; the highest frequency rate of this disease was reported in Central America, South Asia, South America, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Indonesia. There are a large number of individuals who experience this disease every year. The fluke which lead to the appearance of this disease can be described as a blade of grass or a like a long, plump leaf. The fluke usually get inside the human body through the mouth and then they reach the lungs. This disease can affect any person, no matter the age, race or the habitat. Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) is not considered to be a severe problem and, in most of the cases, it can be effectively and completely treated; this, however, depends on when the diagnosis is established. If Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) is diagnosed in an early stage, the fluke can be eliminated more easily and the patient does not have to go through several medical interventions.

Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) - Symptoms

The signs and symptoms which appear in the case of Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) differ a lot considering each person’s general medical condition and age. However, there are some general characteristics of this infection: in most of the cases, the patients develop no significant signs and symptoms, the first signs which may appear are quite similar to those which characterize other minor diseases and the fact that a person gets infected with a certain fluke does not make him immune to the infection with another type of fluke. However, the fluke which leads to the appearance and development of Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) infects not only human beings, but also meat-eating animals. They usually infect crayfish and crabs and when people ingest meat which was not properly cooked the can get infected as well. Drinking contaminated water can also result in the appearance of the disease. Once they are inside the human body, the flukes are released in the small intestine and, from there, they migrate to the brain or to the lungs. After they reach the lungs, the flukes start producing eggs and they form an inflammation which is covered with a fibrous tissue. If the infection is not treated soon enough, it may rupture; this will cause the sufferer to cough up blood, parts of the infected tissue and fluke eggs. Apart from these signs, those who suffer from this disease may also present severe chest pain, bloody sputum, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive fatigue, a general feeling of weakness, bronchitis, fever, pneumonia or lung abscesses.

Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) – Treatment

If you notice the presence of one or more of the signs and symptoms presented above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to obtain a sure diagnosis and to benefit from the best way of treatment. In order to establish a precise diagnosis, the doctor will probably ask for some information about the patient’s general health condition, his medical history and whether he has traveled recently to an area where Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) is quite frequent. In addition to these questions, the doctor will also try to identify the presence of flukes or fluke’s eggs inside the patient’s body. In most of the cases, the fluke’s eggs are found in the small intestine, the bile duct or the lungs so the only thing which the doctor has to do is to obtain some samples. Furthermore, the doctor can also recommend a blood test or an examination of a stool sample. On the other hand, in some cases, the doctor may identify adult worms in the patient’s sputum, vomit, stools or skin lumps. The most important thing which the doctor has to do during this examination is to perform a chest x-ray and a tuberculosis test, as tuberculosis is also a possible diagnosis.

Once a person is diagnosed with Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke), the doctor has to inform him about the treatment; this type of infection is usually treated with medicines. The most common drugs which are used include praziquantel, triclabendazole, albendazole, bithionol and mebendazole. The purpose of the treatment is to paralyze the suckers of the flukes in order to make them to drop away from the blood vessels and then eliminate the flukes as well as their eggs. Considering the stage of the disease and the number of flukes, the treatment may last from a few days to several weeks. The treatment which is administrated to those who suffer from Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) can lead to the appearance of a number of temporarily side-effects, such as dizziness, diarrhea and headaches.

The prognosis for those who suffer from Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke) is quite good; however, the bad part is the fact that, when a person experiences this disease, he becomes more vulnerable to other disorders as well, as his immune system is weaker. On the other hand, if the flukes reach the brain, the patient can experience sudden death, as the result of the destruction of the brain tissue or of the nervous system. In what concerns the preventive measures which can be taken in order to avoid the appearance of Paragonimus Westermani (Lung Fluke), at this moment no effective vaccine is available. However, people should be aware of the following measures which diminish the risk of suffering from this disease: drink only purified or boiled water and avoid improperly cooked products, as these may contain flukes. In addition, in the areas which present a high frequency rate of this disease, the local authorities should eradicate or even control the snails which are intermediate hosts for the flukes.