Medical

 

Medical parasitology is the relationship between humans and the organisms that live in them.

 

Parasitic diesease:

  • Unlike many bacterial and viral infections, parastic information are often chronic and could last till several years. repeated exposures would result in ever-increasing parasite burden.
  • Many infectious diseases can cause by endogenous organsims which are transmitted through oral ingestion, direct penetration through skin or other surfaces and bites of arthropod vectors.

 

Arthropods:

  • Arthropoda comprises invertebrate animals.
  • Metamorphosis is a process whereby arthropods deveop from an egg to an adult.
  • Arthropods are divded into 2 catogeories; Chilopoda, Pentastomida, Crustacea, Arachnida and Insecta.
  • Two examples of arachnida are Scorpions and Ticks.
  • Another two examples of insecta (hecapods; which constitute the largest and most important of all the classes of arthro) are stinging insects and bugs.

 

Nematodes:

  • Are known as roundworms and are members of the phylum Aschelminthes and the class Nematoda.
  • Cylindrical in shape and covered by a tough outer covering (cuticle).
  • Most of the time, the ova and larvae would be found in feces.
  • Embryos of nematode eggs would be developed if left in room temperature.
  • Intestinal nematodes which infect humans usually have direct lifecycles.
  • Most of the time transferred from person-to-person with no intermediate host needed.
  • Lifecycles comprises of 4 larval stages with 1 adult stage.


Cestodes:

  • Members of the phylum Platyhelminthes.
  • Humans can be infected by either the larvae of the adult forms. 

 

 

We do not take credit for any of the information found in this website. All the information is obtained from various forms of literature.

Parasite is defined as an organism that derives its nutrients from another living organism, the host. Parasitic diseases are usually referred to those caused by protozoa, helminths and arthropods which love at the expense of their host. Successful parasites are the ones who are able to maintain their own life processes without killing their host.

Several ways to distinguish parasites infection and bacteria/viruses infection:

  1. Parasites have a complex life cycle that involves the formation of resistant cyst in the organism. (it can usually survive for long periods outside the host.)
  2. Life cycle might involve an insect vector (carrier) that is important for the transmission of disease. In most cases, it is impossible to eliminate the vector effectively.
  3. Some parasites are capable of infecting both humans and animals, thus both can act as reservoirs for the infection. This is true for most protozal infections carried by insects.
  4. Many parasites has life cycle that requires enough time to allow for the various stages to mature, either in soil or in an insect or host.