The Comprehensive Parasitology Profile stool test can help reveal hidden causes behind acute or chronic conditions that develop from parasitic infection or dysbiosis. This test identifies parasitic infections, as well as microbial imbalances, and to target treatment protocols that can help rebalance the gut and resolve infection.
Susceptibility to Parasite Infection:
It is generally assumed that travel to a Third World country or the occasional camping trip are prerequisites for acquiring a parasite infection. Owing to a combination of extensive worldwide travel, increasing immigration to the United States, day care centers and other sources of easy transmission, anyone is now susceptible. Diarrheal diseases, in fact, (bacterial as well as parasitic) constitute the greatest worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality.
Pathogenicity:
Various organisms are increasingly recognized for their potential pathogenicity. For example:
• Giardia lamblia is the leading cause of intestinal parasitic infection in the United States. Only a few decades ago it was not considered pathogenic.
• Cryptosporidium, a well-known pathogen in animals, was only recently identified as a human pathogen.
• Blastocytis hominis is the most frequently observed fecal parasite. Its level of pathogenicity continues to be controversial.
Pathogenicity, in general, appears to vary depending on the parasite itself, host susceptibility, and the microbiological environment in which the parasite lives.
Symptoms of Infection:
The most common symptoms of parasite infection are diarrhea and abdominal pain. Other symptoms may include flatulence, anorexia, weight loss, fevers, chills, blood or mucus in the stool, and fatigue.
Systemic Complaints:
We generally think of parasite infection as causing acute gastrointestinal symptoms. An increasing number of parasite cases feature systemic complaints not traditionally associated with parasites, such as:
• Urticaria
• Reactive arthritis
• Chronic fatigue, asthma, and constipation in individuals who are immunocompromised or whose intestinal flora is chronically imbalanced.
