Flatworm infections can be transmitted through water! how could that be?

Water is an essential element that is always needed in life. But be careful, not all water sources are clean. Unclean water can be a source of many infections, including flatworms or worms. Like what are the causes, symptoms and treatment? The following is the review.

What is a flatworm infection?

Worms is actually a general term for all kinds of worm infections. Well, one type of intestinal worms is a flatworm infection, also called schistosomiasis. Flatworm infection is a disease caused by parasitic worms that stick to human skin and then enter the body and develop in the blood. This worm infection is commonly found in areas without clean water sources.

Many people get schistosomiasis infection from direct contact with water that has been contaminated with worm larvae from freshwater snails. Therefore, this disease is also known as snail fever. This infection can attack several parts of the body such as the lungs, spinal cord, brain and liver.

Schistosomiasis is preventable and is not immediately fatal. However, if not treated immediately it can result in serious organ damage. Even worse, if it attacks children, it can cause problems with children's cognitive growth and development.

Types of worms that cause flatworm infections in humans

There are various types of schistosomiasis that can infect humans, namely:

• Schistosomiasis mansoni and schistosomiasis intercalatum attacking human intestinal organs.
• Haematobium schistosomiasis cause bladder or urine schistosomiasis.
• Schistosomiasis japonicum and mekongi schistosomiasis causes intestinal schistosomiasis which affects many Asians.

What causes flatworm infections?

As previously explained, a person can become infected with schistosomiasis if they come in direct contact with water that is contaminated with worm parasites that are excreted from the body of freshwater snails.

The cycle starts with a patient with a flatworm infection who urine or defecates in clean water, then contaminates the water with worm parasites. When a freshwater snail species is in water, the worm eggs will enter the snail's body and reproduce. Then the worm parasites that come out of the snail's body through the water can easily contaminate the water.

Water that looks clean even though it has been infected with worm eggs is then used for human needs such as bathing, washing, swimming, and even for consumption. Furthermore, egg parasites enter the human body through the skin and enter the bloodstream.

The worm reproduction process can take several weeks. In the human body, worm parasites travel through the blood vessels of the lungs, liver, then into the blood vessels around the intestines and bladder.

After a few weeks, the worms begin to grow up and mate so that they produce lots of eggs which then spread to the organs in the body. Finally, the worms leave the human body through urination and defecation. And so on the flatworm life cycle.

Flatworm infection symptoms

The first time you become infected with flatworms, not everyone experiences the symptoms. Symptoms of schistosomiasis depend on the type of worm and the stage of infection. The signs of this infection will only appear within a few days, even in other cases it will only appear within a matter of months.

The initial symptoms seen within hours or days after being infected with flatworms are itching and a rash on the skin. This can last for about seven days.

About 3-8 weeks after infection, sufferers may experience further symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Shivering
• Limp and limp body
• A cough that doesn't go away and is accompanied by shortness of breath
• Muscle ache
• Stomach ache
• Diarrhea
• The urine or stool looks bloody
• Pain when urinating
• Weight loss
• Enlarged liver or spleen

Children infected with schistosomiasis can experience anemia and malnutrition. If treatment is not given, it can lead to spasms and swelling of the spinal cord.

What is the right treatment for flatworm infections?

Currently the drug used to treat flatworm infections is praziquantel. However, this treatment is only effective against adult worms, it does not apply to worm eggs. The dose of this drug is adjusted according to the patient's body weight, usually two doses for one day.

This drug can help treat infections, even when the sufferer has reached an advanced stage. These drugs are effective as long as there has been no damage or complications, but they cannot prevent the infection from returning.

Other drugs such as oxamniquine, metrifonate, and artemisin have also been used, but in some people have not shown as effective results as prazequantel.

When to see a doctor

When you become aware that you have been in contact with a water source contaminated with flatworms and then show health symptoms, it is advisable to seek medical treatment immediately. The doctor will examine the cause of infection in your body, so that you can immediately provide appropriate help and treatment.