Opisthorchiasis - The Consequences Of Opisthorchiasis

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Consequences of opisthorchiasis

Opisthorchiasis refers to diseases that, without specific treatment, occur in a chronic form for several years. The duration of the disease is associated with the long life expectancy of the pathogen - more than ten years, as well as with a high probability of re-infection in endemic foci. Indigenous people in regions with a high risk of infection and in newcomers, the disease usually proceeds differently. In the first case, the pathology has a primary chronic course, in the second, the course of the disease begins with an acute stage. The incubation period lasts 1-6 weeks.

Diseases that become the consequences of opisthorchiasis

The causative agent of the disease is considered to be opisthorchis (Opisthorchis felineus) - a parasite of the fluke class that settles in the human hepatic ducts. At the first stage of the disease, the pathogen becomes the cause of the development of an allergic reaction, poisoning the host's body with the products of its vital activity. Then, settling in the bile ducts, the parasite injures their walls, causing the appearance of multiple bleeding erosions, which causes deformation and overgrowth of the ducts. The causative agent also creates favorable conditions for the attachment of a secondary infection. In addition, parasites, their eggs, mucus and dead cells can become a mechanical obstacle to the normal flow of bile. The resulting stagnation of bile and the addition of infection cause inflammation of the bile ducts and gallbladder. Similar changes occur in the pancreas. Irritation of the biliary tract causes disruption of the stomach, intestines and pancreas. According to statistics, patients suffering from opisthorchiasis are 2-3 times more likely to seek help from doctors for gastrointestinal and liver diseases and spend three times more time on sick leave. Opisthorchiasis can proceed without any symptoms and first manifest itself with its complications, it can also be accompanied by loss of consciousness, damage to the kidneys, liver, heart, and manifest in the form of bronchial asthma. In most cases, acute illness begins 2–4 weeks after infection. The patient notes general malaise, headache and muscle pain, increased sweating. The patient's temperature rises, chills appear, itchy rashes on the skin. In some cases, among the first symptoms, liver damage is noted, pain in the right hypochondrium is disturbing, jaundice appears, symptoms of intoxication increase. In a third of patients, the respiratory organs first of all suffer, opisthorchiasis is manifested by allergic bronchitis, in more severe cases - bronchial asthma. In another variant - gastrointestinal - the disease is accompanied by fever and frequent loose stools.

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Taking into account the fact that all of the listed symptoms can occur in patients in various combinations, it becomes clear why the diagnosis of pathology is difficult for specialists. After an acute period lasting up to three weeks on average, an apparent recovery may occur. For several years, the pathology may not make itself felt, however, if adverse factors arise - such as stress, heavy physical activity, intoxication, some systemic diseases - the disease may worsen. The consequence of opisthorchiasis in this case can be cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gastroduodenitis, enterocolitis, allergies, asthma.

Opisthorchiasis is accompanied by severe complications, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, cysts, liver abscess, peritonitis. Each new portion of infected fish can cause an exacerbation of the disease, however, the opisthorchiasis itself is relatively benign and only in rare cases becomes the direct cause of death.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".