Host parasite interaction

- Interaction between the host & the organism is referred to as symbiosis (living together)
o 3 types of symbiosis:
Mutualism: both species benefit
Commensalism: one species benefit while the other is unaffected
Parasitism/Antagonistic: one species benefit at the expense of the other.
o An example of non-symbiosis interaction is Saprophytic organisms:
Obtain nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter (host).
Some are pathogenic but most are Scavengers
- Bodys normal flora:
o 2 types:
Resident flora: survive for extended periods
Transient flora: temporary
o Provide defenses against invading pathogens by:
Covering adherence sites
Producing compounds toxic to other organisms
Preventing pathogens from consuming available nutrients
- For disease to occur there must be a change in the bodys environment; this occurs through:
o Change in pH of our body
o Elimination of normal flora due to antibiotics.
- Parasite vs Host; Parasite:
o Smaller than the host
o Shorter life span/generation time than the host
o Greater reproductive potential than the host
o Greater in population size than the host
- Suitable host should provide for parasites the following:
o Developmental Stimuli:
Host specificity, Plasticity
o Nutrients
o Means of exit & entry for infective stages e.g. feces, blood, urine
- Environment for host parasite interaction is the Hosts:
o Skin
o Mucus membrane
- Host defenses:
o These are Specific host defenses.
o They are:
Skin & Mucosal secretions
Non specific local responses (e.g. pH)
Non specific inflammatory responses
Specific immune responses (e.g. lymphocytes).
o The ability to overcome these host defenses by the pathogen can be accomplished by 2
distinct components:
Primary (frank) pathogen
Always pathogenic
 Cause disease in a healthy host
Opportunistic Pathogen
Cause disease if host is immunocompromised.
- Pathogenicity: ability to produce disease in a host
- Virulence: degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism.
o Determinants of virulence: Pathogens
Genetic
Biochemical feature
Structural feature.
o E.g. one strain of influenza causes fever & sore throat while another may cause
pneumonia or other serious respiratory condition.
- Infectivity: level at which a microorganism is able to infect or invade a host.
- Transmissibility: measure of m.os ability to spread from one host to the next.
- Virulence factors:
o Disease formation promoting factors.
o The greater the virulence the more likely disease will occur.
o These include the pathogens ability to:
Adhere to a host
Colonize/Overcome a host
Evade host defenses
- Pathogenesis:
o Method by which a disease can develop
o This can occur by:
Producing toxins e.g. botulism
Colonizing host surface then when high in number producing toxins e.g. vibro
Evading antibiotic detection e.g. tuberculosis
o Production of disease under goes a process of steps.
Invasiveness (5 steps)
Transmission
o Typically through exposed skin or mucous membrane
Adherence
o Specifically occurs at hosts cell membrane.
o Pathogens may have specific adherence mechanisms due to:
Tissue tropism
Preferring specific tissues over others
Species specificity
Genetic specificity.
Invasion
o Bacteremia (presence of bacteria in the blood stream) or
Viremia (presence of virus in the blood stream) occurs.
o Disease may either be caused while the pathogens remaining on
the epithelial barrier or penetrating that barrier.
o Penetrated epithelial barrier causes the pathogens to multiply
without competition.
 Colonization
o Overcoming of the normal flora has occurred at this stage.
o Septicemia signs are seen as a result of colonization.
Speticemia blood infection where bacteria are
reproducing.
o Certain pathogens are less contagious thus require larger
numbers of pathogens to cause diseae.
Evasion of host defense
o Ability to be undetected by immune system.
Damage & disease to host tissues
Could be direct (e.g. toxins) or indirect pathway
3 types of toxins:
o Exotoxins: host damaging proteins secreted by pathogens
o Endotoxins: toxic substances released when a cell is killed (e.g.
lipopolysaccharides).
o Exoenzymes: enzymes that function outside host cells. (e.g.
coagulase)
Exit from the body
Survival in the environment
- Parasite host interaction evolves not only towards reduced antagonism but also to increased
antagonism based on 2 factors:
o Density of host population: how often the opportunity arises for a parasite to move
from host to host.
o Transmission rate of the parasite: how easily a parasite can move between hosts when
the opportunity does arise.
- Factors that affect increased/decreased virulence of parasites:
o Increased virulence occurs when
High population density of hosts
High transmission rate of parasites
Parasites multiply quickly and escape to new hosts before the already infected
host dies
o Decreased virulence occurs when:
Low population density of hosts
Low transmission rate of parasite
Highly virulent strains die with the infected host; the less virulent thrives
- Parasite communities:
o Micro-parasite: viruses, bacteria may include some protozoa
o Macro-parasites: Protozoa, Helminthes (Metazoan parasites).
- Definitions
o Infection: entering, establishment & multiplying of micro-parasites in host.
o Infestation: similar in meaning t infection but applies to only macro-parasites
specifically helminthes.
o Opportunist: Pathogen which attack persons with compromised immune function
(disturbed defenses).
 o Carriers: Healthy individuals who harbor in their body parasitic organisms which are
harmful to others but harmless to themselves.
Usually occurs after clinical recovery from an infectious disease.
o Chronicity: persistence
o Colonization: persistence of an agent in a host without causing specific immune
response or infection.
Also referred to as Carrier state.
o Parasite:
Obligate: cant survive without a host
Facultative: has both a free living & a parasitic existence.
o Host:
Definitive: adult stage of parasite lives & sexual reproduction takes place
Intermediate: larval stage of parasite develops & asexual reproduction takes
place.
Paratenic: Carrier or transporter host.
o Period:
Latency: non- infectious state after period of patency.
Also referred to as Persistence.
Patency: host is in a stage potentially infectious to other hosts.
Pre patent period: interval between onset of patency & initial infection.
o Zoonosis: parasites normally maintained by non-human vertebrates
2 types:
Domestic zoonosis:
o Includes domesticated animals & synantropic animals (rats)
Feral/sylvatic zoonosis
o Wild animal
o Anthroponosis: parasites transmitted man-to-man (human to human only).
o Zooanthroponosis: parasites transmitted to both animals & man.
- Vector:
o Mechanical:
Parasites doesnt undergo transformation, multiply or grow (usually an
arthropod). E.g. Innoculation of trypanosomes by mouthparts of biting flies.
o Biological:
True Vectors (develop/multiply in the host)
- Designation of hosts:
o Amplifier host: intermediate hosts in which the parasite undergoes multiplication
o Paratenic host: non-arthropod mechanical vector
o Accidental host: humans being infected by zoonotic parasites.
o Reservoir host: non-human vertebrates that maintain the natural/zoonotic cycle.