A parasite that lives in the body of 50% of people - who is it and why is it dangerous?

There are dozens of varieties in the worldparasites that can enter the human body and live at its expense. They can be both bacteria and viruses and all sorts of fungi. In most cases, parasites can be eliminated with the help of drugs - they die and leave the body naturally. But among them there are bacteria that are not afraid of any drugs, are found in 50% of the world's population and live in their bodies until death. In general, they cannot cause much harm, but sometimes severely damage the back of the eyes and can cause complete blindness. Scientists believe that these are the most successful parasites in the world, and perhaps their prevalence is due to the fact that they are transmitted from wild and domestic cats. But these animals are the favorites of a huge number of people! Let's find out what kind of parasites we are talking about, what exactly they are dangerous for and whether it is possible to somehow protect ourselves from them.

Some parasites can live in the eye and lead to blindness.

Content

• 1 What is toxoplasmosis?
• 2 Parasites in human eyes
• 3 Change in character in toxoplasmosis
• 4 How is toxoplasmosis transmitted?
• 5 Toxoplasmosis infection statistics
• 6 How to protect yourself from toxoplasmosis?

What is toxoplasmosis?

Perhaps after mentioning cats, you might alreadyunderstand that we are talking about the bacteria Toxoplasma gondii, which are the causative agents of toxoplasmosis. The tiny creatures and the diseases they cause are usually invisible - in most cases, the disease does not even have symptoms. But this does not mean at all that after entering the body, the parasites are inactive. No, on the contrary, they affect many vital systems and organs: nervous, lymphatic, eyes, muscles, and so on. If the bacteria enter the unborn fetus, it can lead to the death of the baby in the womb.

Toxoplasma under the microscope

Parasites in human eyes

In adults, toxoplasmosis can becomecause of blindness. The fact is that bacteria are very fond of the retina - the so-called nervous tissue in the back of the organs of vision, which transmits visual information to the brain. When bacteria enter the retina, tissue scarring occurs. A person has "flies" before his eyes (more than usual) and vision deteriorates. In 50% of cases of ocular toxoplasmosis, people begin to see so badly that they are not allowed to drive. In 25% of cases, people lose their sight completely.

Retinal damage due to toxoplasmosis

For diagnosing ocular toxoplasmosisit is necessary to examine the retina, preferably with the expansion of the pupils with the help of special drops. They can also be detected with blood tests. If the disease is mild, doctors may not take any action. But if there is a risk of harm to vision, patients are prescribed a combination of drugs against inflammation and parasites.

Diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis occurs in the ophthalmologist's office

Change in character in toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma bacteria can also settle inbrain. Some studies have shown that this can lead to a change in a person's character. So, a person infected with toxoplasmosis can become:

• more risky;
• very slow;
• nervous and anxious;
• emotionally unstable.

According to the results of some studies, toxoplasmosis can cause the development of schizophrenia.

Toxoplasmosis can affect a person's behavior

How is toxoplasmosis transmitted?

The most common carriers of bacteriaToxoplasma gondii are cats. They pick up parasites when they eat contaminated food - the bacteria can be anywhere. For several weeks after infection, animals shed some parasites in their urine and faeces. To our great regret, Toxoplasma bacteria are able to survive for a very long time even under extreme conditions. When a person eats food that has been touched by infected cats or cleans up the tray after them, parasites easily enter the body of a new host. In some cases, parasites can be passed from mother to child.

Cats are carriers of toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis statistics

Scientists believe that toxoplasmosis is infected up to50% of the world's population. In the United States, about 23% of the inhabitants are carriers of parasites, and in Russia their share is approximately 20%. In some regions, up to 95% of the population is infected with bacteria - this is usually due to cultural characteristics. For example, in France and Australia, people often eat undercooked food, which greatly increases the risk of parasites.

Toxoplasmosis can be contracted after eating undercooked meat.

HORROR! THE HUMAN BRAIN CAN HAVE PARASITE WORMS AND CAUSE SEIZURES. DETAILS HERE.

How to protect yourself from toxoplasmosis?

Despite the availability of drugs against parasites,toxoplasmosis cannot be completely cured. However, infection can be prevented by processing purchased meat at temperatures above 66 degrees Celsius or freezing - the bacteria cannot withstand such extreme temperatures. Fresh fruits and vegetables must be washed before consumption, and water must be carefully filtered and not drunk from streams. When cleaning the cat litter, gloves must be worn.

You need to be especially careful when cleaning the cat litter box.

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Sometimes parasiticworms that can literally eat a person from the inside. The worst thing is that they can be inside you right now - they are so common. If you want to learn how to detect parasitic worms, read this article.