Human Parasitology

Introduction to Human
Parasitology

 Concept of Human Parasitology

 Terms of Parasitology
 How Parasites cause harm to humans
 Human Immunity against Parasites
 Medically important parasitic diseases
 Human parasitology
Parasites are organisms whose existence depends on the a

vailability of host animals

protozoa (single celled animals),

helminths (worms) and

arthropods.  The insects that are of most interest in h

uman parasitology are those that are vectors of several

parasitic infections
 Medical
Human Parasitology

Protozoology

Medical
Helminthology

Medical
Entymology-
Arthropods (Insects)
Some medically important protozoa

 1. Amoebiasis
 2. Malaria
 3. Filariasis
 4. Trypanosomiasis
 5. Leishmaniasis
 6. Trichomoniasis
 Protozoa
 unicellular eukaryotic organisms distributed
worldwide. They vary in size, shape and lifestyle
and reproduce sexually and/or asexually
GUT PROTOZOA BLOOD STREAM PROTOZOA
Entamoeba histolytica infects the •Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P.
human intestine causing malariae and P. ovale are transmitted
amoebic dysentery or liver abscess. by female Anopheles mosquitoes and
•Giardia lamblia causes cause malaria.
malabsorption and diarrhea. •Trypanosoma gambiense transmitted
•Cryptosporidium parvum causes by the tsetse fly causes African
diarrhea mainly in children sleeping
•Leishmania species are transmitted
by sandflies causing leishmaniasis.
•Toxoplasma gondii
 Medically important protozoa infect various parts of human
body. Some protozoa infect more than one organ

Protozoa infecting various organs

Skin Leishmania
Eye Acanthamoeba
Gut Entamoeba, Giardia, Cryptosporidium
Genitourinary tract Trichomonas
Bloodstream Plasmodia, Trypanosoma
Spleen Leishmania
Liver Leishmania, Entamoeba
Muscle Trypanosoma
CMS Trypanosoma, Naegleria, Toxoplasma,
Plasmodia
 Class Lobosea

Entamoeba histolytica
Non-pathogenic amoeba
 Class Zoomastigophorea

Leishmania sp

Giardia Trichomonas vaginalis

Class Sporozoa

 Plasmodium spp

Toxopasma gondii Cry

ptosporidium
Pneumocycstis carinii
Class Ciliophora

– Balantidium coli
Class Nematoda
 Ascaris
lumbricoides

Trichuris trichiura
Hookworm
Enterobius vermicularis
Filaria
Trichinella spiralis
Nematoda
Class Trematoda

 Clonorchis sinensis

Fasciolopsis buski
Paragonimus westermani
Schistosoma japonicum
Trematoda
Class Cestoda

 Taenia solium

Taenia saginata Echinococ

cus granulosus
Cestoda
Class Metacanthocephala

Macracanthorhynchus
hi
rudinaceus
 Class Insecta
Anopheles sinensis Lucilia sericata

Lice
Sandflies , Fleas
4. Terms of Parasitology
 Symbiosis
Two different organisms live together
and interact, in this association one
partner lives in or on another one’s
body. including
3 types: Mutualism,
Commensalism,
Parasitism.
 Symbiosis
 Mutualism is a permanent association
between two different organisms wher
e life apart is impossible, two partners
benefit each other, such as termites an
d flagellates.
 The mutuals are metabolically depend
ent on one another; one cannot surviv
e in the absence of the other.
 Symbiosis
(3) Commensalism is the association of two
different organisms, in which one partner is
benefited while the other is neither
benefited nor injured, such as E. coli and
man.
(4) Parasitism is the association of two
different organisms, in which one partner is
benefited while the other is injured, such as
Ascaris lumbricoides and man.
 Parasite
In parasitism, it is the Parasite who is the
benefited partner.
It is an animal organism which lives in or
on the host in order to obtain
nourishment and shelter from the host
as well as does harms to the host.
 Types of Parasites

endoparasite
ectoparasite
temporary parasite
permanent parasite
obligatory parasite
facultative parasite
accidental parasite
opportunistic parasite
Endoparasite
Ectoparasite
 Host
In parasitism, host supplies the parasite with
nourishment and shelter and it is the
injured partner.

A Carrier is a person who harbors parasite

and has no clinical symptoms, is an
important source of infection in
epidemiology.
Definitive(final) host harbours adult or se
xually reproductive stage of a parasite.
Intermediate host harbours larval or asex
ually reproductive stage of a parasite an
according to priority they are classified
into first intermediate host, second inter
mediate host, third intermediate host.
 Reservoir hosts are the vertebrate
hosts which harbor the same species
of parasite at same stage as a human
host. They are an important source
of infection in epidemiology.
 Zoonosis
Zoonosis refers to diseases of animals
which can be transmitted to man. (T
hese animals infected with parasites
are called reservoir hosts.)
 Paratenic host or transport host is a
n abnormal host in which some para
sitic larvae can survive but cannot de
velop into adults. If the larvae have a
chance to enter their appropriate hos
ts, they can continue to develop into
adults there.
Larva migrans means that the larvae liv
ing in their abnormal hosts in can not
grow into adults but can wander ever
ywhere and cause the local and syste
mic pathological lesions of the hosts.
 Life cycle

Life cycle is the process of a parasite’s

growth, development and reproduction,
which proceeds in one or more different
hosts depending on the species of
parasites.

Infective Stage is a stage when a parasite

can invade human body and live in it .
Infective route is the specific entrance throu
gh which the parasite invades the human
body.
Infective mode means how the parasite inva
des human body, such as the cercariae of t
he blood fluke actively penetrate the skin
of a swimming man and the infective asca
ris eggs are swallowed by man.
 Life cycle

 Alternation of Generation:
 In life cycles of some parasites, there
are the regular alternations of sexual
and asexual reproductions , this phe
nomenon is called alternation of gene
ration, such as the life cycle of Plasm
odium vivax.
Mechanical Transmission: Arthropod
s play a role of the transportation of
pathogens, which is not indispensabl
e for the disease transmission, such a
s flies carry typhoid bacilli, ascarid e
ggs and amoebic cysts.
Biological Transmission: Pathogens have to spend
a part of their life cycle in the vector
arthropods in which they multiply or develop
into the infective stage and then invade the
human body under the help of the arthropod,
such as Anopheles mosquitoes transmit
malaria.
 Evolution of Parasitism

endoparasite Free living

ectoparasite Commensalism
temporary parasite Symbiosis Mutualism
permanent parasite Parasitism
obligatory parasite carrier
facultative parasite parasite Host
accidental parasite Patient
opportunistic parasite

Final host Intermediate host Reservoir host Paratenic host

Zoonosis Larva migrans

 How parasites cause harm to men

 Mechanical effects of parasites on host tissues and

organs: e. g. , biliary ascariasis and larva migrans.
 Depriving nourishment from hosts: e.g. hookwor
ms suck blood.
 Toxic effect: e. g., mosquitoes, spiders and ticks int
roduce venom when they insert their mouth parts into
the skin.
 Immuno-pathological lesion e.g. schistosoma live
r cirrhosis; when hydatid fluid is released from the ru
pture of a hydatid cyst anaphylaxis often results.
 5. Human Immunity against Parasites

 Its intensity and specificity are usually at a lower level than t

hose produced by bacteria and viruses. It refers to 1. Non-ste
rilizing immunity (Premunition)
 2. Concomitant immunity.
 The host may be protected from superinfection as long as the
parasites remain in the body. This situation is known as pre
munition. This may be of great importance in endemic areas
in limiting the severity of infection with Plasmodium, Schisto
some , hookworms and other parasites.
(WHO) - Priority Diseases
 Why were they selected?
 Schistosomiasis - 200,000,000 infected
500,000-1,000,000 deaths/year
 Malaria - 500,000,000 infected
2,500,000 deaths/year
 Filariasis - 250,000,000 infected
 Trypanosomiasis - 25,000,000 infected
65,000 deaths/year
 Leishmaniasis - 1,200,000 infected
 Leprosy - 1,300,000 infected
 Approximately 25% of world's population infected by one
of these.
 General Characteristics:

 1. Chronic diseases
 2. No effective vaccine
 3. No practical chemotherapy
 4. Affect young
 5. Affect underprivileged
 6. Vector-borne
Geographic Distribution Factor
s (Endemicity):

 1. Presence of a suitable host

 2. Habits of the host
 3. Escape from the host
 4. Favorable conditions outside of host
 5. Economic and social conditions
 Presence of Diseases in a
Population (Prevalence):
 Factors required:
 1. Source
 infected persons
 carriers
 animals
 Presence of Diseases in a
Population (Prevalence):
 2. Mode of transmission
 direct
 indirect
 vectors
 3. Susceptible host
 immunity
 Three key links of disease transmission
1.Source of infection 2. Route of transmission 3. Susceptible people

excrement mouth
secretion food, water, finger skin or wound
blood direct or indirect contact mucosa
focus of placenta
infection blood transfusion, injection,
intermediate host,
insects sucking blood,
congenital ,
touch soil, water, grass
 Diagnosis of Parasitic
Infections:

 1. Clinical diagnosis
 2. Laboratory diagnosis
 Treatment of Parasitic
Infections:

 1. Medical and surgical

 2. Chemotherapy
 3. Adequate nutrition
 Prevention and Control:

 1. Reduction in sources
 2. Education
 3. Destruction and/or control of reservoir
hosts and vector