Lung fluke infections are treated with praziquantel, a drug used to eliminate flukes from the body (called an anthelmintic drug). An alternative is triclabendazole. If the brain is infected, corticosteroids may also be given. They help control the inflammation that develops when the drug kills the flukes.
How do you know if you have parasites in your lungs?
Clinical presentation may vary from malaise, fever, loss of appetite, myalgia, and headache [3, 140] to respiratory symptoms which include sputum-productive cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, and wheezing [141].
How do people get parasites in their lungs?
Humans are usually infected by eating the second intermediate host, fresh water crab or crayfish, if raw or lightly cooked. After ingestion the larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate to the lung parenchyma. They mature in a fibrous host-derived capsule, usually in the upper zones of the lung.
Can you have parasites in your lungs?
Parasites - Paragonimiasis (also known as Paragonimus Infection) Paragonimus is a lung fluke (flatworm) that infects the lungs of humans after eating an infected raw or undercooked crab or crayfish. Less frequent, but more serious cases of paragonimiasis occur when the parasite travels to the central nervous system.
What parasites cause lung problems?
Protozoal parasitesEndemic areaMode of transmission- Pulmonary malariaTropical and subtropical areasMosquito-borne infection- Pulmonary babesiosisNorth AmericaIxodes tick-borne infection- Pulmonary toxoplasmosisWorldwideIngestion
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