PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITIS
Often termed as ‘stomach flu’. To know about parasitic gastroenteritis, first we must know about the gastroenteritis.
WHAT IS GASTROENTIRITIS?
Gastroenteritis as the term suggests is the inflammation of gastrointestinal tract. They are various types of gastroenteritis caused by different kinds of organisms like:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
Today we are going to discuss about the parasitic gastroenteritis.
WHAT IS PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITS?
The inflammation of gastrointestinal tract that is stomach and small intestine caused by a parasite is termed as parasitic gastroenteritis.
There are different kinds of parasitic gastroenteritis caused by different parasites and each of them can lead to serious symptoms and complications if not managed early..
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITIS?
Parasitic gastroenteritis very obviously, is caused by parasites. Majorly, there are two parasites that are responsible for causing this inflammatory disease. These parasites are:
- Giardia
- Cryptosporidium
HOW DO THEY SPREAD AND CAUSE THE DISEASE?
Giardia spreads through contaminated water, food and soil. The carrier can be a human or flies that come in contact with feces of an animal carrying the disease.
Cryptosporidium has a mode of transmission of drinking water and recreational sources like pools, lakes and accumulation of contaminated water in the backward areas. Hence, it is a waterborne illness that mostly affects people living in unhygienic conditions.
The infection is very likely to spread when people do not take any hygienic precautions like:
- When infected people do not wash hands after using the toilet and touch the food and other things that are also consumed and used by others.
- Do not wash hands after handling infected animals.
- Drink contaminated water from unclean sources or swimming pools, unpasteurized milk and eat in unhygienic places.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITIS?
There is a wide range of symptoms that occur in patients with parasitic gastroenteritis. The symptoms may develop within a course of 7 -14 days and generally last for several days.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Headache
- Low grade fever
- Dizziness
- Loss of appetite
- Low blood pressure
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
HOW IS PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITS DIAGNOSED?
The best way to make a diagnosis for parasites is stool examination. Stool examination is performed at least 3 times, on alternate days, to rule out parasitic disease with certainirty.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR PARASITIC GASTROENTIRITS?
It is a vital fact that gastroenteritis leads to severe dehydration by diarrhea ad vomiting, that is the loss of fluids in the body. Especially infants and children, they tend to lose the fluid at higher pace that an adult.
Hence, the first line of treatment is fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy. Since the goal is to first support the person and then treat the condition.
The second most important thing to do is stopping the transmission. Patient’s hygienic conditions shall not be compromised in any way.
WHAT ARE THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR PARASITIC GASTROENTERITIS?
- Wash your hands properly with soap and water after using toilet, handling animals and changing the diapers of children.
- Use paper towels than cloth towels to dry hands especially if you are a food handler, healthcare worker, childcare worker, or veterinary employee.
- Do not drink water in swimming pool.
- Clean your toilet seat and bathroom daily.
- Drink bottled, filtered or boiled water.