In our younger grades, we were taught that the basic requirements for every human are food, shelter, and clothes. But now it’s time that we include hygienic food and hygienic environment also, as unhygienic food and surroundings are the major cause of many dreadful infections. Infections are very common and occur anywhere and everywhere around the globe. The chance of infection increases in unhygienic surroundings, by consuming contaminated food or by drinking contaminated water, and also by the bite of a mosquito or any other infected tick, which transfers the parasite into human body. Yet another parasitic infection that is caused by a contaminated food and water is called as Echinococcosis.
More about echinococcosis
Echinococcosis or the hydatid disease is a major health issue in many parts of the world. It is very common in rural areas where sheep and cattle are raised. The echinococcosis infection is very rare in humans, but when infected, the worm can settle in organs like liver, brain, and lungs resulting in cyst (tumor) formation in these organs. If left untreated Echinoccocosis can result in death. Echinococcosis infection is classified into two types.
Cystic echinococcosis (CE)/hydatid disease is caused by Echinococcus granulous and found in dog, sheep, fox, goat, pigs, and cattle. It causes a harmful cyst that enlarges slowly in the liver, lungs, and other organs. It mostly goes unnoticed in many.
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. The parasite is found in foxes, dogs, and other animals. The effects of AE are much tougher than CE. AE causes parasitic tumor in the liver, lungs, brain and other regions. If left untreated it results in death.
Causes
Echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus tape worm that is found living in the intestine of dogs, sheeps, cattle, and a variety of other animals. Humans get infected with the larval stage of the parasite by consuming fruits, vegetables, food or water that is contaminated with the feces of dog or other animals that have the eggs of the echinococcus. Humans act as intermediate host. The egg or larva can also settle in the hands while petting an infected dog or cattle, while handling the body of a dead animal, or by touching the infected soil or vegetation. Children playing with the infected pet or in the infected soil can also get the infection.
Symptoms
The size and the location of the cyst greatly influence the clinical outcome. Usually the cyst grows in the liver; it also affects the lungs, spleen, kidney, muscles, brain, soft tissue, and bone. Symptoms are caused when there is an obstruction in the function of the affected organ. It might take 10-20 years for the symptoms of Echinococcosis to appear after the person is being infected as the larva grows very slowly. When symptoms appears, they include
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Persistent cough
- Chest pain
- Severe skin itching
- Fever
- Weakness
- Jaundice
- Headache
- Bloody stool
- Bloody sputum
- Seizures
- Severe allergic reaction in case the cyst ruptures suddenly
- Anaphylaxis (abnormal reaction to antigens) and death may also occur
People at risk
Echinococcosis is a wide spread infection that is found in many parts of the world. People living in rural areas and people who live in close contact with dogs and livestock are at higher risk of being infected with Echinococcosis. In US the infection is prevalent in Southwest and Alaska. Many new cases that are diagnosed every year in US are from the well defined risk groups such as sheep farmers in the west and American tribes in Southwest. It is also found in Russia, China, Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and South America.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of echinococcosis is done using imaging techniques like X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and ultrasound, which helps to find out the presence of cyst in the affected organ. Along with these scanning test doctors also perform serological tests like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemagglutination, immunoelectrophoresis and immunoblotting, which help to detect the antibodies produced by the body against the cyst. Sometimes, biopsy is performed by puncturing the cyst with a thin needle and aspirating the fluid inside the cyst, and checking it for the presence of echinococcosis infection.
Treatment
Treatment for echinococcosis is based on the size, location, and the symptomatic complications caused by the cyst. A very effective treatment for echinococcosis is surgical removal of the cyst, the success rate of the surgery again depends on the size, location of the cyst, and also on the Echinococcus species that has caused the infection. Other effective techniques used to treat echinococcosis include chemotherapy using anti-helmintics drugs like albendazole, mebendazole, and praziquantal; cyst puncture; and a technique called as PAIR (Puncture, Aspiration, Injection, Reaspiration) has been very successful in treating echinococcosis. In severe case of liver damage a liver transplantation may be required.
Prevention
Few preventive steps that will help people living in high risk regions to avoid echinococcosis are
- Do not feed raw butchered meat to dogs
- Prevent pet dogs from eating dead parts of sheep
- Treating dogs with wormer every 6 weeks is important
- Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming it
- Thoroughly wash hands after handling pets and other animals
- Wash hands after playing in soil or in rural areas
- Wear proper clothes and gloves when handling animals or their feces
- Fence the garden to avoid wild animals soiling in the garden or lawn
- Cook food thoroughly
- Drink only boiled water
- Follow hygienic sanitation habits
- Educational and awareness programs about proper hygienic habits and sanitation should be encouraged
Outlook
The magical mantra of happy and healthy life is to follow good hygienic habits. Hygienic habits should start at an early age. Teaching kids the importance of washing hands after play, before food, after using toilet, after playing with pets is very important. Eating hygienic home food prevents many infections but in case if eating food outside home is unavoidable then make sure that the food and water being provided is hygienic. The sooner kids learn good hygienic habits the longer they are going to stay healthy.
