Capillariasis or dangerous consequences of overseas business trips

It is no secret that every disease has its own cause, which in turn can be both internal and external. When a completely healthy person has symptoms of malaise, one can suspect that a pathogenic infection has somehow entered his body. This could be a virus, a bacterial or even a parasitic infection. Yes, the entry of helminths into the human body can also cause multiple diseases, united in the group of nematodosis. Some parasitic diseases are more widespread, others, such as capillariasis, are very rare. However, both have the right to careful study, because no one is immune from infectious infection.

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Epidemiology

So, the only reason for the development of a rare disease called capillariasis is the entry of helminths from the genus Capillaria into the body, and the path of development of the disease and its symptoms will depend on the type of parasitic infection. At the same time, the disease can equally affect people of different ages.

Intestinal capillariasis originated in the Philippines (northern and western coast of Luzon). Later, cases of Capillaria philippinensis infection were reported in Thailand, becoming epidemic, in some cases with fatal outcomes (today the mortality rate has decreased from 30% to 6%).

There is no gender dependence of capillariasis incidence. The higher number of men who become ill compared to women is most likely explained by the specifics of professional activity in coastal areas (fishing and employment in fish processing industries).

Cases of hepatic capillariasis have been registered in different parts of the world: in America and Africa, in Europe and Asia. But pulmonary capillariasis has been registered even in our country (Russia and Ukraine account for a total of 8 cases of the disease), while in France, Morocco, Central Asia, Iran and Serbia such cases have been identified in single numbers.

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Causes capillariasis

Capillariasis is a type of nematodosis caused by helminths of the genus Capillaria of the family Trichinellidae. They are a type of roundworm that parasitizes the body of fish, birds, animals, and in some cases humans. Helminths are small in size (adults are about 2-4 mm long), however, when they reproduce, they can cause great harm to human health, in rare cases even leading to the death of the "host".

Capillariasis is a generalized name for pathologies caused by worms of the genus Capillaria. There are 3 types of parasites that enter the patient's body in different ways, have different localizations and cause separate symptoms of the disease.

Capillaria philippinensis, so named because it was first discovered in the Philippines in the 1960s, chooses the intestines as its site of parasitism, causing so-called intestinal capillariasis. This pathology is considered the most common, although the disease remains one of the rarest.

Capillaria hepatica chooses the liver of the host as the site of its activity, causing cirrhosis of the organ. In this case, we speak of hepatic capillariasis.

Capillaria aerophila settles in the lungs of mammals and humans, where it migrates from the intestines and actively multiplies, causing the development of pulmonary capillariasis.

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Risk factors

Infection with hepatic capillariasis occurs when Capillaria hepatica larvae enter the human body. This can happen if hygiene measures are not observed. Risk factors for infection with helminths include drinking water contaminated with parasites, unwashed food (especially vegetables and fruits), and poor hand hygiene after contact with contaminated objects.

Helminth eggs enter the soil and water with the feces of infected animals (monkeys, small rodents, prairie dogs, etc.) and after the decomposition of dead infected animals. Carriers of the disease can also be predatory animals that feed on small rodents.

Pulmonary capillariasis can be contracted in two ways. Most often, infection occurs through unwashed vegetables or hands, less often - through close contact with an infected person (coughing, kissing, etc.).

Adult females lay eggs in the lungs of the host. Helminth eggs, as in the first two cases, can enter the soil with vomit and feces. Eggs and larvae enter the intestines when eating contaminated food, as well as when coughing them up from the bronchi and swallowing them into the esophagus. Then, some of them enter the external environment with feces, while others remain parasitizing in the host's body.

In the soil, helminth eggs mature into larvae within 1-1.5 months and remain infectious for animals for a year. When infested food is consumed, larvae migrate from the intestines to the lungs, where they reach sexual maturity and reproduce.

While the intermediate hosts for Capillaria philippinensis are fish, in the case of Capillaria aerophila they can be earthworms (although this is not necessarily the case). The source of infection for humans can be contaminated food, or a sick person or animal (most often stray cats or dogs).

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Pathogenesis

As already mentioned, the causative agents of the disease are considered to be nematodes from the genus Capillaria, which parasitize in various organs, disrupting the metabolism in the body, causing inflammatory processes in the area of localization, negatively affecting the functioning of the organs and the well-being of the infected person.

Helminths can enter the human body in various ways. It is believed that with intestinal capillariasis, infection occurs during the consumption of infested freshwater fish, which in turn has not been sufficiently heat treated. Birds that feed on fish, as well as small rodents (gerbils), which are also not averse to eating fish, can also be a source of infection. The person who has become a host for parasites is not considered contagious, because the infection does not go beyond the intestines.

Reproduction of this type of helminths occurs in two ways. Some females lay eggs, which fall into the water with feces, where they mature and can be swallowed by fish. Others immediately reproduce 1st stage larvae, which develop mainly in the small intestine to adult individuals. In this way, several generations of worms develop at once, which actively reproduce within a month, subsequently causing symptoms of capillariasis.

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Symptoms capillariasis

Capillariasis is a pathology characterized by a fairly long incubation period (about 1-1.5 months) and a gradual increase in symptoms. At the same time, different types of capillariasis will have different symptoms. This is due not so much to the type of nematodes as to their localization.

With intestinal capillariasis, symptoms appear gradually after 4 or more weeks after infection. Although in some cases the disease may not manifest itself for a long time, which is dangerous because it can progress to a more severe stage, when treatment is already difficult.

The first non-specific signs of intestinal capillariasis are frequently recurring rumbling in the abdomen and periodically appearing pain in the intestinal area.

These symptoms are observed for a couple of weeks, after which the disease develops in full force. The main symptoms of the disease appear:

• diarrhea with copious passage of watery stools,
• frequent vomiting,
• loss of appetite, even to the point of complete loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• pronounced general weakness, loss of strength,
• muscle atrophy with a decrease in their overall mass
• the appearance of edema due to dehydration,
• disturbance of neurological reflexes

If such symptoms appear in a person who has never left our country, there is usually no suspicion of capillariasis. It is a different matter if the patient has recently returned from a trip to the Philippines or Thailand. And here, delay is like death, since after a couple of months, severe dehydration of the body occurs with the loss of valuable minerals, as a result of which the functioning of the entire body is disrupted.

The hepatic form of capillariasis is characterized by a more rapid appearance of the full clinical picture of the disease, which resembles the symptoms of acute hepatitis:

• a feeling of heaviness and pressure in the hypochondrium on the right side,
• pain in the liver area,
• the appearance of nausea not associated with food intake,
• change in the size of the liver towards its enlargement,
• weight loss,
• liver dysfunction (development of liver failure),
• the appearance of a yellow tint on the skin and whites of the eyes.

Dry skin and mucous membranes, bad breath, urination disorders, and an increase in the number of eosinophilic leukocytes in the blood plasma are also noted. Sometimes, body temperature fluctuations are noted.

The situation is even more confusing in the case of pulmonary capillariasis, the symptoms of which are typical of most diseases of the bronchopulmonary system.

The first signs of pathology will most likely resemble developing tracheitis:

• a feeling of dryness and irritation in the throat,

• a superficial cough, sometimes called a barking cough,
• increase in temperature readings.

It is further noted:

• the appearance of shortness of breath, which occurs not only with lung diseases, but also with cardiac pathologies,
• asthmatic-like attacks of suffocation,
• fever,
• pneumonia, accompanied by a rise in temperature (around 38 degrees) and a deep cough with copious sputum production.

Symptoms such as coughing up blood, the appearance of bloody discharge in saliva, weight loss, a large number of eosinophils in the blood, itching in the anal area, and general weakness may also be observed.

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Complications and consequences

And yet, despite all the unpleasant symptomatic picture, capillariasis itself is not as scary as its consequences. It is worth noting right away that any form of capillariasis, if not treated in sufficient or timely manner, can lead to the death of the patient due to developing complications.

Thus, with intestinal capillariasis we observe severe dehydration of the body, loss of vital substances (water, salts, electrolytes), dangerous metabolic disorders. Long-term presence of worms in the intestine leads to the development of enteropathy (impaired enzymatic hydrolysis and absorption of nutrients in the intestine, loss of proteins), and as a consequence to cachexia (extreme degree of exhaustion with atrophy of organs and body systems).

The consequences of intestinal capillariasis can be such pathologies as hypokalemia, hypoproteinemia and hypocalcemia, which, if not treated effectively, can also cause the death of the patient.

Hepatic capillariasis is dangerous due to the development of liver cirrhosis, one of the most dangerous diseases of this important organ with impressive statistics regarding fatal outcomes.

Pulmonary capillariasis, which can be encountered even in the homeland, can lead to the development of pneumonia. And its treatment, as is known, depends on the timeliness and effectiveness of the prescribed therapy, and is a rather lengthy process, including a long period of rehabilitation. Particular difficulties arise in cases of untimely diagnosis due to the lack of specific symptoms in this form of helminthiasis, which is fraught with the development of severe forms of capillariasis with a high probability of death.

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Diagnostics capillariasis

A major problem in diagnosing capillariasis is that its symptoms may indicate many different diseases that are not related to parasitic infection. This means that treating these diseases will not help eliminate the cause of the patients' poor health and the pathological processes occurring in their bodies.

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Differential diagnosis

The goals of differential diagnosis in this case are:

• draw a line between intestinal capillariasis and common indigestion, intestinal infection, intoxication,
• differentiate between hepatic capillariasis and acute hepatitis,
• in the case of pulmonary capillariasis, exclude diseases of the bronchopulmonary system with similar symptoms (tracheitis, bronchitis, tracheobronchitis, pneumonia, etc.),
• when helminth eggs are detected, differentiate them from similar eggs of other nematodes (for example, whipworm), which cause other pathologies with similar symptoms (in this case, trichuriasis), but with a slightly different approach to treatment,
• Since trichuriasis and capillariasis can coexist in the same organism, patients with trichuriasis, a more common pathology, should also be checked for the presence of parasites from the genus Capillaria.

Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics come to the aid of differential diagnostics. Laboratory tests are conducted depending on the symptoms of the disease, indicating its specific form. They are effective in intestinal and pulmonary forms of capillariasis.

In case of hepatic capillariasis, some information can be provided by general and biochemical blood tests, which will show a significant content of eosinophilic leukocytes, although the source of inflammation and its cause will remain unknown. At the same time, changes in the blood composition will be characteristic of the pulmonary form of pathology.

Diagnosing hepatic capillariasis is very difficult. In most cases, the diagnosis was made after the death of the patient. Fortunately, this form of helminthiasis is extremely rare.

In the case of intestinal and pulmonary capillariasis, a stool test for the presence of capillary eggs will also be indicative. If pulmonary capillariasis is suspected, sputum or swabs from the respiratory tract are also examined, where helminth eggs may be found.

In some cases, to detect nematodes, especially in the pulmonary and hepatic forms of pathology, a biopsy of the organ where the parasites are localized is performed. However, the probability of taking a suitable biopsy (a fragment of living tissue populated by nematodes) is not so high, especially at the initial stage of the disease.

It is possible to detect adult individuals in the body during magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography of the corresponding organ.

Patients themselves can help the doctor diagnose the disease if they tell in detail about all the symptoms that arise, the time of their appearance, what preceded the appearance of these symptoms, not forgetting to mention foreign trips on the eve of the disease. Especially when it comes to suspected intestinal capillariasis.

Treatment capillariasis

Capillariasis, like other types of helminthiasis, is a pathology in which physiotherapeutic treatment is considered ineffective, which means that the main therapeutic direction remains the use of special medications to combat nematodes.

But even here, not everything is so simple, because the choice of effective drugs for capillariasis is not so great. Most often, for this pathology, doctors prescribe "Mebendazole", less often - its analogues "Vormin", "Vermox", "Albendazole", "Nemozol", "Sanoksal", "Tiabendazole", "Mintezol", etc.

True, there is an opinion that mebendazole-based drugs, effective in intestinal capillariasis, are practically useless in pulmonary and hepatic forms of the pathology. In this case, preference should be given to drugs with the active substance albendazole or thiabendazole.

But in any case, drugs for the treatment of capillariasis are prescribed by the attending physician. Only he can determine how effective this or that drug is for various forms of pathology.

In addition to anthelmintics, the doctor may prescribe other drugs that relieve the symptoms of capillariasis and help increase the effectiveness of treatment. Thus, in case of severe diarrhea, antidiarrheal drugs (for example, "Loperamide") may be prescribed, which will not allow anthelmintics to be quickly eliminated from the body without having the proper effect.

If diarrhea is not observed, for example, with liver and pulmonary forms of the disease, laxatives and bowel cleansing with an enema will help remove parasites from the body faster (and they have only one path - through the intestines).

In pulmonary capillariasis accompanied by cough, drugs that facilitate expectoration (mucolytics) may be prescribed. In case of high temperature, antipyretic drugs are also prescribed. To relieve inflammation in case of hepatic capillariasis, steroids are prescribed.

Prolonged diarrhea and vomiting in most cases lead to dehydration, which is also accompanied by a deficiency of salts and electrolytes. In this case, drugs to combat dehydration (Regidron, Gastrolit, etc.) will be effective.

Impaired absorption of nutrients in the intestines leads to a significant weakening of the body. To maintain the normal functioning of the human body and strengthen its natural forces, patients are prescribed vitamins. At the same time, the loss of a large part of minerals along with liquid speaks in favor of not so much vitamin preparations as vitamin-mineral complexes that provide the weakened body with all the substances necessary for its vital functions.

Effective medicines for capillariasis

As already mentioned, in traditional medicine, the drug of choice for capillariasis is "Mebendazole". And this is understandable, because the active substance of the drug (mebendazole) has a wide range of anthelmintic action, and capillariasis is one of the indications for the use of the drug.

However, the drug is not prescribed to children under 2 years of age, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, in severe liver and kidney pathologies (about 5-10% of the drug is excreted by the kidneys, and even this amount is quite toxic), as well as in case of hypersensitivity to the drug.

Method of administration and dosage. For capillariasis, the drug is taken for 3 days. It is recommended to take the drug twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. A single dose for adults is 1 tablet (100 mg), for children from 2 to 10 years old, the dose is reduced by 2 or 4 times.

After half a month or a month, the course can be repeated if there are signs of re-infection.

Taking the drug may be accompanied by side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the epigastric region, headaches and dizziness, changes in the composition of blood and urine, increased hair loss, allergic reactions. Fortunately, these symptoms occur quite rarely.

Taking the drug in parallel with the drug "Cimetidine", which suppresses the production of hydrochloric acid, can lead to an increase in the level of mebendazole in the blood, which will lead to the phenomenon of intoxication. But "Karmazepine" and other metabolic stimulants, on the contrary, reduce the concentration of mebendazole, which can lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of the latter.

"Albendazole" is an analogue of "Mebendazole" in terms of group affiliation and the effect it has (antiparasitic), but with a different active substance. Unlike mebendazole, which acts primarily in the intestine, albendazole easily penetrates into various tissues and body fluids, exerting a detrimental effect on nematodes not only in the intestine, but also in the liver, lungs and other organs.

Unfortunately, this effective antiparasitic drug should not be taken by children under 2 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, patients with retinal lesions, or hypersensitivity to the drug. Caution is exercised when treating patients with liver disease.

The drug is taken once in the amount of 1 tablet (400 mg), without crushing it. The maximum daily dose does not exceed 800 mg. For children, the dose is halved.

The course of treatment lasts from 2 to 3 days. Repeated administration of the drug can be prescribed after 3 weeks.

Taking the drug may be accompanied by headaches, dyspepsia and abdominal pain, blood disorders, allergic reactions in the form of skin itching and rashes, and kidney dysfunction.

It is not advisable to take the drug simultaneously with Cimetidine, Dexamethasone, Praziquantel.

For the treatment of patients under 2 years of age (starting from 12 months) and adults, the drug "Nemozol" with the same active ingredient is also used, which is produced in the form of regular and chewable tablets and in the form of a suspension to get rid of helminths in small children.

The contraindications for the drug are the same as for Albendazole, and side effects, among other things, can manifest themselves in the form of increased temperature and blood pressure, acute renal failure, symptoms of irritation of the meninges, and suppression of bone hematopoiesis.

Method of administration and dosage. For the treatment of children aged 1-3 years, the drug is intended in the form of a suspension, which is given to children with food. For children under 2 years, a single dose of the drug is indicated in the amount of 1 dessert spoon, patients over 2 years of age are given the suspension in a dosage twice as much as indicated, which is given 1 or 2 times a day.

The drug in tablets is recommended for patients over 3 years of age. This should be done with fatty foods, which increases the bioavailability of the drug. A single (also daily) dose of the drug is 1 tablet.

The course of treatment for various pathologies lasts from 3 to 10 days. In case of hepatic capillariasis, it can last up to 4 weeks, with possible repetitions of courses up to 3 times. The interval between courses is 2 weeks.

Three weeks after treatment with the drug, it is necessary to conduct a repeat stool test for helminth eggs and larvae.

It is important to understand that if, in the case of intestinal capillariasis, taking pills is only mandatory for a patient who is not contagious, then in the case of its pulmonary form, prophylactic administration of anthelmintic drugs is recommended for everyone who is in close contact with the patient.

As for maintaining hygiene, this condition is mandatory for everyone.

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Modern approach to the treatment of helminthiasis

Recently, the antiparasitic and health-improving program "Optisalt" has become increasingly popular. It is based on the intake of herbal preparations with antihelminthic and general health-improving effects. The effectiveness of this program in the treatment of capillariasis has also been proven.

The selection of drugs in the Optisalt program is such that they allow for an unsafe increase in the duration of treatment, affecting parasites at all stages of their development.

The main antiparasitic drugs of the program are considered to be the herbal preparations "Metosept", which affects helminths and their larvae in various organs and body fluids, and "Vitanorm", which acts as a natural antibiotic with anti-inflammatory and blood-cleansing action.

Additional means are:

• "Bactrum" (removes waste products of helminths and stimulates the immune system),
• "Regesol" (cleanses the blood, has a regenerative effect on tissues),
• "Nevronorm" (relieves pain and spasms, tones the gastrointestinal tract, has a sedative effect),
• "Maxifarm" (a source of essential microelements for the body),
• "Cimed" (a source of copper and zinc, normalizes the process of hematopoiesis),
• "Chromacin" (immunostimulant, bile excretion regulator),
• "Hepato" (regulates liver function, restores organ tissues and metabolic processes in them),
• "Imcap" (combat the effects of intoxication, improves blood supply in small vessels),
• "Fomidan" (improves metabolism, normalizes blood pressure, prevents tumors, strengthens the immune system).

A comprehensive and safe approach to treatment under the Optisalt program allows not only to remove capillaries and other parasites from the human body, but also to quickly restore the body itself after an illness, strengthening the immune system and giving vitality.

Its use is possible both as a primary treatment and as an additional therapy, allowing to reduce the harmful toxic effects of chemicals on the body.

This treatment is indicated for both adult patients and children. Therapy without negative consequences for the body is carried out for six months or more. At the same time, after each month of treatment, a 7-day break is taken.

The IridoScreen device helps to identify a deficiency of microelements and tissue damage due to helminthic invasion, which also does not pose a danger to the health of patients, since the diagnosis is made based on a microscopic examination of the iris.

Folk remedies

Helminth infestation, which results in the development of multiple diseases in the human body, including capillariasis, is considered dangerous to health, so it is necessary to fight parasites in all possible ways, including folk remedies.

This is especially true in cases where already limited drug therapy is contraindicated due to certain characteristics of the patient's body, certain periods of his life and health condition. In such cases, folk remedies will help in the fight against the disease, which in most cases are quite harmless, but still require consultation with a doctor, at least in order to avoid an allergic reaction to herbs and plants in case of increased sensitivity to them. A doctor's consultation will also be needed for non-traditional treatment of small children and pregnant women, for whom popular antihelminthic drugs are contraindicated.

Not all folk methods of combating nematodes will be equally effective in capillariasis. It's all about the localization of parasites, in which case cleansing the intestines with an enema does not always give positive results, because capillaries choose to live mainly in the small intestine, liver or lungs.

A greater effect can be obtained from taking oral medications in the form of infusions, decoctions and even some products that helminths do not like. Onions, garlic, ginger, horseradish, hot peppers, cinnamon are the most popular folk remedies for combating parasites, especially effective for intestinal forms of helminthiasis.

Helminths also do not like carrots. You can eat them fresh, grated, or drink juice from the orange vegetable (half a glass at a time). It is better to do this in the morning on an empty stomach, adding a little sugar to the treat.

A potion made from honey and lemon helps in the fight against helminths and saturates the weakened organism with vitamins and microelements. Mix the juice of one lemon with half a tablespoon of honey. Drink the mixture at night.

A good antihelminthic remedy is pomegranate peel, which should be crushed, poured with a small amount of water and boiled for 30 minutes. Take the decoction 3 times a day.

For children, such a remedy as onion infusion is suitable. Chop a medium onion in the evening and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Leave to infuse until the morning. Give the strained infusion to children with food 3 times a day.

For adults, such an effective medicine as an alcohol tincture of garlic with horseradish is also suitable. True, it will take more than 2 weeks to prepare the tincture, but it is considered effective for most helminthiasis.

In case of parasitic infections, treatment with herbs is also used, which have a pronounced antihelminthic effect. Tansy, wormwood, centaury, eucalyptus, bogbean, fruits and leaves of walnut are used to combat helminths.

Particular attention should be paid to tansy and wormwood, as effective herbal anthelmintic agents that can be used alone or in combination with other herbs.

To prepare the medicine, pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of dry tansy or wormwood herb and flowers and leave for 30 minutes. The strained infusions are taken as follows:

• tansy infusion - 3 times a day, 1 teaspoon,
• wormwood infusion – 2 times a day, 2 dessert spoons.

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Homeopathy

It is not easy to find information on the Internet about the treatment of capillariasis with folk remedies and homeopathic preparations. The fact is that this disease is quite rare, especially in our area. And yet, based on the fact that capillariasis is one of the varieties of helminthiasis, it can be assumed that antihelminthic drugs prescribed for helminthiasis will also be effective for capillariasis.

In homeopathy, there are quite a lot of such drugs that help fight helminths. However, they should be prescribed by a homeopathic doctor, taking into account the constitutional and psychological characteristics of the patient.

The following homeopathic remedies are most often prescribed for helminths:

Cina (Цина) is a tincture of mugwort seeds, known to many as common wormwood. The drug is indicated for any helminthic diseases, as it is effective in combating roundworms. It is used to treat both adults and children. It is used in various dilutions, but you need to be careful with the dosage of the drug, strictly adhering to the doctor's prescription.

For various types of helminthic diseases, the homeopathic remedy Calcarea carbonica (Calcium carbonicum) is also used, which is unrefined calcium carbonate (chalk) obtained from oyster shells. It improves bone mineralization, the functioning of the digestive system and the absorption of nutrients in the human body, but it is dangerous for helminths.

Sometimes, for nematodosis, a homeopathic remedy such as Сhenopodium anthelminticum is prescribed. The drug is made in the form of oil from the seeds of the medicinal goosefoot plant (or goosefoot). It is effective in treating small patients. A single dose of the drug is 0.6 g. The course of treatment consists of 3 doses of the drug with an interval of 2 hours.

Helps relieve unpleasant symptoms of helminthic invasion and Spigelia (Spigelia) - a drug made from the plant Spigelia anthelminticum. It is indicated for abdominal pain associated with helminthiasis, as well as other symptoms accompanying this pathology.

These and some other homeopathic preparations may be effective against intestinal capillariasis, but for other types of pathology, other treatment methods may be needed, for example, using traditional means of combating capillaria.

Treatment of helminthic infestation with homeopathic remedies requires patients to meet certain requirements:

• strictly adhere to the homeopathic doctor's instructions,
• any antihelminthic drug should be taken 30 minutes before meals (unless otherwise indicated),
• homeopathic granules (grains) require complete dissolution in the mouth before they can be swallowed. Tinctures and oils also need to be held in the mouth for some time before swallowing,
• Chewing gums and mouth fresheners, tea and coffee can negatively affect the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies against helminths, so it is better to avoid them during treatment. The same applies to any hygiene products with strong odors and perfumes,
• Additionally, body cleansing with herbal preparations may be prescribed.

Prevention

No matter how menacing capillariasis may seem, prevention of infection with nematodes from the genus Capillaria comes down to the usual observance of hygiene and sanitation measures. It is obligatory to wash your hands with soap before eating and preparing food, and thoroughly clean vegetables and fruits under running water.

After working with the soil, you need to not only wash your hands with soap, but also change the clothes you were wearing beforehand.

To avoid infection with nematodes of the genus Capillaria, it is better to refuse to eat meat and fish that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment (dried fish, dried fish and meat, raw fish, which can be tasted in Chinese restaurants). If the soul still asks for a delicacy, the fish should be frozen for at least a week before consumption, keeping it at a temperature of 20 degrees and below.

There is another requirement for residents of the private sector: cesspools should be located away from the premises where food products are stored. You should not fertilize the garden with feces, since capillaria eggs, getting into the soil, can remain viable for a year. Poorly washed root crops become the first sources of infection.

Wastewater discharges into water bodies are another way of spreading parasitic infections. Helminth eggs can get into water from feces and be eaten by fish, using the latter as an intermediate link. Fish, getting on the table of humans or in animal feed, becomes a source of infection for the latter.

To avoid contamination of water bodies and the spread of capillariasis and similar pathologies, it is necessary to stop discharging sewage into freshwater rivers and lakes.

An important point in preventing complications of parasitic and other diseases is timely visit to the doctor when any unusual symptoms occur - the first signs of pathology. Thus, the prognosis of capillariasis with timely visit to the doctor is generally positive, but after 2-3 months, during which the disease gains strength, the chances of recovery fall sharply, which is associated with significant mortality, the cause of which is not so much capillariasis itself, as its complications.

It is imperative to consult a doctor for examination and consultation if unusual symptoms appear some time after returning from a trip abroad, especially to the Philippines or Thailand.

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Forecast

The worst prognosis is for hepatic capillariasis, since the disease is often asymptomatic or its symptoms, very similar to acute hepatitis, are interpreted incorrectly. Usually the disease is discovered accidentally during an autopsy after the patient's death. Fortunately, this type of capillariasis is much less common than others.

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