In spite of a high incidence, parasitic infections are generally underdiagnosed because the symptoms of parasitic infection can vary with high risk of diagnosis errors.
Parasitic infections may need to build up before diagnosis
For example, parasites can cause intestinal gas, weight loss, dark circles under the eyes, spastic bowel and chronic headaches. It may be harder to identify the real cause of those issues until the parasites reach overload.
Many people mistakenly attribute their symptoms to some other disease and don't even think to ask for a parasites test. Another reason for the under-diagnosis of parasites is that doctors nowadays aren't well trained in detecting these critters.
Parasites usually enter the body through the mouth or skin. Doctors diagnose the infection by taking samples of blood, stool, urine, sputum, or other infected tissue and examining or sending them to a laboratory for analysis.
Diagnosis can improve the effectiveness of treatments and avoid long-term complications for the infected patient. Undiagnosed patients can unknowingly transmit the disease to others. Early diagnosis can help to prevent or stop an outbreak.
Fecal collection over several days increases the sensitivity of microscopic examination. Cryptosporidium infections can be diagnosed by microscopic examination of patient stool samples. The modified acid-fast staining procedure is used to detect parasite oocysts.
The diagnosis of intestinal parasites typically relies on the microscopic detection of egg, larval, trophozoite, cyst, and/or oocyst life stages in human feces samples [17;18].
Disease outbreaks are a consequence of interactions among the three components of a host–parasite system: the infectious agent, the host and the environment.
Fecal testing (examination of your stool) can identify both helminths and protozoa. Stool samples must be collected before you take any anti-diarrhea drugs or antibiotics, or before x-rays with barium are taken. Several stool samples may be needed to find the parasite.
A negative result means no parasites were found. This can mean you don't have a parasite infection or there were not enough parasites to be detected. Your health care provider may retest and/or order different tests to help make a diagnosis. A positive result means you've been infected with a parasite.
Parasites are more common than you think, and many parasitic infections can go undetected due to overlap in medical symptoms. If you have any of the above symptoms with no clear diagnosis, a simple three-day stool test can rule these types of infections out.
Despite the benefits of PCR-based technologies, such as high specificity and sensitivity to detect some parasites, the main disadvantage of these methods is that they are very time-consuming and do not provide quantitative data (26).
Just like bacteria, parasites can develop drug resistance, so understanding their genes, proteins, life cycle and evolution through research is also important in controlling infections and predicting future outbreaks.
Bacteria and viruses can live outside of the human body (for instance, on a countertop) sometimes for many hours or days. Parasites, however, require a living host in order to survive. Bacteria and parasites can usually be destroyed with antibiotics.
The diagnosis of human intestinal protozoa depends on microscopic detection of the various parasite stages in feces, duodenal fluid, or small intestine biopsy specimens.
Fecal Samples Tell All
The most effective way of diagnosing parasites in dogs and cats is through fecal samples. This is why we ask that you bring a fresh stool sample with you when you come to your vet appointment.
Etiological examination is the most reliable way for a definitive diagnose of parasitic infection or disease.
None of the assessed laboratories scored very good regarding the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections, 21.1% of laboratories scored good, 15.8% average and 63.2% below average. There were 22% false positives and 24.4% false negative results.
An accurate diagnosis is critical to prevent wasting precious time on the wrong course of treatment. The patient plays a crucial role in helping determine the correct diagnosis. The diagnostic process begins when you notice something's wrong, and you contact your doctor.
Early detection offers the best chance of cure. If you wait for symptoms, you've waited too long. Knowledge is power, and the sooner you have the information, the better.
Washing your hands with soap and water immediately after touching a used condom or other barrier method. Washing sex toys with soap and water after each use, and washing hands after touching used sex toys.
The parasite is diagnosed by the detection of Schistosoma eggs in the urine through stool and biopsy materials. The most appropriate method to detect the eggs in the urine is by examining the last part of the urine which passed in the afternoon after being centrifuged.
White specks in the stool may be the result of undigested food, pill casings, or a parasitic infection. Changes to diet and medication types can treat these cases, while simple medications can treat parasitic infections. Anyone that suspects they have an intestinal parasite should seek medical assistance immediately.