Parasitic worms and other unhealthy organisms can infect humans. They transfer through contaminated food and water. These worms love the environment in your intestinal tract and can survive for months and even years without being noticed. They can cause several complications, from a poor night’s sleep to malnutrition and intestinal blockages. Hundreds of different types of worms can infect humans, and they come in all sizes and shapes. Keep reading to learn more about parasitic worms with their pictures.
Common Types and Pictures of Worms in Humans
1. Round Worms
These large, round worms are present around the world. These pencil-thick worms can be several inches long and are further divided into different categories. The most common example is trichinella spiralis. You acquire these round worms through undercooked contaminated pork meat.
Symptoms of infection: These parasites can move from intestines to your muscles and other organs. They can form cysts in your organs and cause symptoms such as muscular and joint pain, abdominal pain, and swelling of the eyes with skin rash.
2. Flukes
These types of parasitic worms are about half an inch long with about a millimeter of thickness. They are most commonly found in Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, and cause intestinal schistosomiasis. They live in your intestinal veins and lay eggs there that travel to the intestinal hollow and cause several complications. Presence of these eggs in the urine and stool helps make a diagnosis.
3. Tapeworms
These are basically flat segmented parasitic worms and live in the intestines. They can be of different types, such as the following:
- Fish Tapeworm: It may be longer than 10m and usually spread through infected freshwater fish. It is more common in Russia, Europe, and America.
- Beef Tapeworm: These tapeworms are found in rural areas around the world and spread through undercook beef. They can be over 20m long.
- Dog Tapeworm: It is more common in cats and dogs, but humans can also become infected by ingesting contaminated dog fleas. You may find rice sized particles in your stool after you become infected with dog tapeworms.
4. Ascaris Worm
Pictures of worms in humans will show that Ascaris is the most common human worm infection. These worms can be large and round with a length of up to 31cm. Male Ascaris worms have a curved tail, whereas females have a straightened tail and can be up to 35cm long. These worms do not usually move and absorb nutrients from the organs. Almost all humans get this type of worms from time to time.
5. Hookworm
These worms can be up to half inch long and feed on human blood. If you become infected with these worms, you will experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, abdominal pain, iron and protein deficiency, craving to eat soil, skin irritation, mental dullness, and delayed puberty. In rare cases, these worms can lead to cardiac failure and death.
