CHAPTER 18 – MAJOR PARASITIC DISEASES OF HUMANS: AN INTRODUCTION

TO MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY

What is a parasite?

• a pathogen that simultaneously injures and derives sustenance from its host

• some parasites are commensals neither benefit nor harm their host

• for example: Entamoeba coli

Parasitology – area of biology concerned with the phenomenon of dependence of one

living organism on another

Medical Parasitology – concerned primarily with the animal parasites of humans and their
medical significance, as well as their importance in human communities

Biological Relationships
Symbiosis

- living together of unlike organisms

- also involve protection or other advantages to one or both partners

- Different form of symbiosis: distinguished on whether or not the association is

detrimental to one of the 2 partners.

o Commensalism

o Mutualism

o Parasitism

Commensalism

- symbiotic relationship: 2 species live together and one species benefits from
relationship without harming or benefiting the other

- e.g. Entamoeba coli in the intestinal lumen is supplied nourishment and protected
from harm, while it does not cause any damage to host

Mutualism

- a symbiosis in which 2 organisms mutually benefit from each other

- e.g. termites and flagellates in their digestive system, which synthesize cellulose to
aid in breakdown of ingested wood

Parasitism
 - a symbiotic relationship where one organism (the parasite), lives in or on another
(the host), depending on the latter for its survival and usually at the expense of the
host

- e.g. Entamoeba histolytica derives nutrition from the human host and causes amebic
dysentery

Parasites (According to their habitat or mode of development)

• Endoparasite: a parasite living inside the body of a host; presence of an
endoparasite in a host is called an infection

• Ectoparasite: a parasite living outside the body of a host; presence of an

ectoprasite inside the host is called an infestation

A parasite is considered erratic when it is found in an organ which is not its usual
habitat

Parasites
• Obligate parasites need a host at some stage of their life cycle to complete third
development and to propagate their species

• Facultative parasite: may exist in a free living state or may become parasitic when
the need arises

• Accidental or Incidental parasite: establishes itself in a host where it does not

ordinarily live

• Permanent parasite: remains on or in the body of the host for its entire life cycle

• Temporary parasite: lives on the host only for a short period

• Spurious parasite: a free-living organisms ha passes through the digestive tract

without infecting the host

Host
Host: classified based on their role in the life cycle of the parasite

• definitive or final host: one in which the parasite attains sexual maturity

• intermediate host: harbors the asexual or larval stage of the parasite

• accidental host: is a living organism that can serve as a host in a particular

parasite’s life cycle, but is not a usual host in that life cycle.

• Dead-end host: is a host from which the parasite cannot continue its life cycle.

• Paratenic host: one in which the parasite does not develop further to later stages.
However, the parasite remains alive and is able to infect another susceptible host
 o Paragonimus metacercariae in raw wild boar meat can pass through the
intestinal wall of humans and complete its development

• Reservoir hosts: allow parasite’s life cycle to continue and become additional
sources of human infection

• humans are not always the final host

• man may be the most important host in the spread of the disease or an incidental
host of parasites prevalent in other animals