Intestinal parasites: Self-medication and public health risks

Abstract

Helminthiases are diseases caused by soil-transmitted parasites, such as nematodes and flatworms. Geohelminths are part of the soil cycle, affecting around 1.5 billion people, mainly in Africa, China, South America and Asia, while water-related parasitic diseases, caused by ingestion of contaminated water, are responsible for approximately 2 billion cases of diarrheal diseases and 842,000 deaths annually. Therefore, the present work aims to evaluate the general characteristics of intestinal parasites, the inherent risks to public health and the practice of self-medication in the treatment of parasites. To this end, an integrative review of the literature was carried out, using a wide variety of databases, such as: Scielo, Medline, Lilacs and Google Scholar, applying the following inclusion criteria: original articles; Portuguese and English published in the last 10 years, and as exclusion criteria: articles without a direct relationship with the topic and repeated articles. With the results obtained, it can be highlighted that most parasites can develop serious complications for their hosts, such as invasion to other organs, destroying the host's cells and the ability to multiply quickly, leading to death. Therefore, albendazole is a medicine widely used for various parasites such as Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum, Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Albendazole has larvicidal, ovicidal and vermicidal activity, with the aim of eliminating parasites, contributing to the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, preventing replication. Health education, with an emphasis on hygiene and basic sanitation practices, is crucial in prevention. We can conclude that parasites contribute to an increase in morbidities, as they trigger a wide variety of diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt sanitary measures, such as water treatment, correct food handling and hygiene.