By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Health officials are reporting five dirofilariasis cases in residents of Volgograd this year.

The parasitic helminth infection penetrates the human body at the time of a mosquito bite. “The source of infection in humans is domestic animals, mainly dogs, less often cats. Intermediate host worms are the mosquitoes, they are then transferred to invasive larvae “ , according to the Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Volgograd region.

Image/CDC

The incubation period after the larvae enters a person can last up to a month, and can even last a couple of years. On the body, it looks like a small bump-seal, which hurts when pressed. The main method of getting rid of the parasite is surgical intervention.

16 cases were reported in the Volgograd Region in 2019.

Dirofilariasis (Dirofilariasis) is a parasitic disease that affects mainly animals, but also occurs in humans, caused by the larval stage of the filamentous nematode of the genus Dirofilaria, characterized by damage to the organs of vision, as well as other organs and systems with a predominantly chronic course.

Geographically, dirofilariasis is located in Central Asia and the countries of the Middle East, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan belong to endemic foci. In Russia, helminthiasis is found in the southern territories: Krasnodar Territory, Rostov, Volgograd, Astrakhan Regions, in the Crimea. Isolated cases of dirofilariasis are registered in the Moscow, Tula, Ryazan regions, the Urals, and Siberia.

The incubation period after the larvae enters a person can last up to a month, and can even last a couple of years.

Giardia in Black and White

With a cutaneous form of dirofilariasis, the patient may experience the following symptoms:

  • At the site of introduction of microfilariae, a seal appears, with palpation there are painful sensations.
  • Sensation of movement of parasites under the skin.
  • The formation of an abscess at the site of the node in the absence of timely medical care.
  • Redness of the skin over the site.

The main method of getting rid of the parasite is surgical intervention.